Il racconto di uno dei conigli più famosi della letteratura, Peter Rabbit, creato dalla fervida immaginazione di Beatrix Potter (1866 –1943)
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Once upon a time (= c’erano una volta ) there were four little Rabbits, and their names were: Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter.
They lived with their Mother in a sandbank (=banco di sabbia), underneath (= sotto) the root (= radice) of a very big fir tree (= abete).
“Now, my dears,” said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, “you may go into the fields or down the lane (=giù per la via), but don’t go into Mr. McGregor’s garden – your Father had an accident there, he was put in a pie (= torta salata) by Mrs. McGregor.”
“Now run along, and don’t get into mischief (= problemi) . I am going out.”
Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket (= cesto) and her umbrella, to the baker’s. She bought a loaf (= pagnotta) of brown bread and five currant buns.
Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather (= raccogliere) blackberries (= more).
But Peter, who was very naughty (= birichino) , ran straight away to Mr. McGregor’s garden and squeezed (= passò sotto) under the gate!
First he ate some lettuces and some French beans (= fagiolini), and then he ate some radishes (= ravanelli).
And then, feeling rather sick (= non sentendosi troppo bene) , he went to look for some parsley (= prezzemolo).
But round the end of a cucumber frame (= fila di cetrioli), whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor!
Mr. McGregor was on his hands and knees (= ginocchia) planting out young cabbages (= cavoli), but he jumped up and ran after Peter, waving (= brandendo) a rake (= rastrello)and calling out, “Stop thief (= ladro)!”
Peter was most dreadfully frightened ( = tremendamente spaventato)- he rushed all over the garden(= corse per tutto il giardino), for (because = perché) he had forgotten the way back (= la strada del ritorno) to the gate (= cancello) .
He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe amongst the potatoes.
After losing them, he ran on four legs and went faster, so that I think he might have got away altogether (= del tutto) if he had not unfortunately run into a gooseberry net (= cespuglio di uva spina) , and got caught by the large buttons (= bottoni) on his jacket. It was a blue jacket with brass (= ottone) buttons, quite new.
Peter gave himself up for lost (= si diede perso) , and shed big tears (= versò grandi lacrime) – but his sobs (= singhiozzi) were overheard (= sentiti) by some friendly sparrows (= passeri) , who flew (= volarono) to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert (= farsi forza) himself.
Mr. McGregor came up with a sieve (= setaccio) , which he intended to pop upon the top (= sulla testa) of Peter – but Peter wriggled (= sgusciò) out just in time, leaving his jacket behind him.
And rushed into the toolshed (= corse nella casetta per gli attrezzi) , and jumped into a can (= barattolo). It would have been a beautiful thing to hide in, if it had not had so much water in it.
Mr. McGregor was quite sure that Peter was somewhere in the toolshed, perhaps hidden underneath a flower-pot (= vaso di fiori) . He began to turn (= rovesciarli) them over carefully, looking under each.
Presently Peter sneezed (= starnutì) , “Kertyschoo!” Mr. McGregor was after him in no time, and tried to put his foot upon Peter, who jumped out of a window, upsetting (= rovesciando) three plants. The window was too small for Mr. McGregor, and he was tired of running after Peter. He went back to his work.
Peter sat down to rest – he was out of breath (= senza fiato) and trembling with fright (= spavento), and he had not the least idea which way to go. Also he was very damp (= umido)with sitting in that can.
After a time he began to wander about, going lippity (= balzellando)- lippity – not very fast, and looking all around.
He found a door in a wall – but it was locked (= chiusa a chiave), and there was no room for a fat little rabbit to squeeze underneath.
An old mouse (= topo) was running in and out over the stone doorstep (= gradino di pietra) , carrying peas (= piselli) and beans (= fagioli) to her family in the wood. Peter asked her the way to the gate, but she had such a large pea in her mouth that she could not answer. She only shook her head (= scosse la testa) at him. Peter began to cry.
Then he tried to find his way straight across the garden, but he became more and more puzzled (= sempre più perplesso) . Presently, he came to a pond (= pozza d’acqua) where Mr. McGregor filled his water cans. A white cat was staring at some goldfish (= pesci rossi) – she sat very, very still, but now and then the tip of her tail (= cima della coda) twitched (= vibrava) as if it were alive (= come se avesse vita propria) . Peter thought it best to go away without speaking to her (“ in genere si usa il pronome femminile per i gatti) he had heard about cats from his cousin, little Benjamin Bunny.
He went back towards the tool-shed, but suddenly, quite close to him, he heard the noise of a hoe – scr-r-ritch, scratch, scratch, scritch. Peter scuttered (= sgattaiolò) underneath the bushes ( = cespugli) . But presently, as nothing happened, he came out, and climbed upon a wheelbarrow (= salì su una carriola), and peeped over (= sbirciò) . The first thing he saw was Mr. McGregor hoeing onions (= zappava le cipolle) . His back (= schiena) was turned towards Peter, and beyond (=oltre) him was the gate!
Peter got down very quietly off the wheelbarrow, and started running as fast as he could go, along a straight walk behind some black currant bushes (= cespugli di ribes).
Mr. McGregor caught sight of him (= lo vide) at the corner, but Peter did not care. He slipped underneath (= scivolò sotto ) the gate, and was safe (= salvo) at last in the wood outside the garden.
Mr. McGregor hung up (= appese) the little jacket and the shoes for a scare-crow (= spaventapasseri) to frighten the blackbirds (= merli).
Peter never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the big fir tree.
He was so tired that he flopped down (= crollò) upon the nice soft sand on the floor of the rabbit-hole, and shut his eyes. His mother was busy (= indaffarata) cooking – she wondered what he had done with his clothes (= so domandò cosa avesse fatto dei suoi vestiti). It was the second little jacket and pair of shoes that Peter had lost in a fortnight (= quindici giorni)!
I am sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening.
His mother put him to bed, and made some camomile tea – and she gave a dose (= dose) of it to Peter!
“One tablespoonful (= cucchiaio)) to be taken (= da prendere) at bedtime.”
But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail had bread and milk and blackberries, for supper.