The Tale of Peter Rabbit....Revisited

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!” ~ Hunter S. Thompson

The Adventure Begins

Do you know the story of Peter Rabbit? It's a children's story about a Rabbit named Peter. Peter's mother warned him and his sisters that he should not leave their yard under the fir tree and, at all costs, to avoid going into Mr. McGregor's garden. When his mother leaves for shopping, Peter ignores his mother's warnings and does just what he was told not to. (He's obviously a strong willed child.) While in Mr. McGregor's garden Peter feasts on tasty vegetables. He eats so many of the tasty vegetables that he gets sick to his stomach. Soon he is seen by Mr. McGregor, the man that caught Peter's father and made him into a rabbit pie, and the chase is on.

Most of the rest of the tale is about Peter running from Mr. McGregor and, in the process, loses his jacket and his shoes. Eventually, after many close calls with Mr. McGregor, Peter escapes the garden and gets home safely though he is exhausted and still feeling sick. Mrs. Rabbit puts him to bed without dinner and his sisters, who have been compliant bunnies, enjoy a nice dinner of bread, milk, and blackberries.

The moral of the story is one of compliance. Do what you are told so you avoid possible dire consequences, oh, and you might get the same old meal you have eaten a hundred times previous. And to this I say, what a crock! This is a horrid tale to foist upon our growing children.

Yes, the "good" little girls complied with their mother's wishes and, yes, they had a tasty dinner as a reward but, I ask you, at what cost? I say that dinner cost their very souls and I don't think any dinner, no matter how terrific, is worth the cost of a soul. The world those compliant girls inhabit is still only as big as their home under the fir-tree. They have but a narrow view of a humongous world. And their experiences in the world has, thus far, only prepared them for cooking, shopping, cleaning, and making babies. Is that the life experiences we desire for our daughters? For any of our children? I sure hope not for if it is, I feel sorry for any children that must suffer under your parentage!

Looking more closely at the narrative and you may notice that the girls play a bit part in the story at the beginning and the end. The majority of the story, the meat of the story is about Peter. Why? Because Peter's life is interesting. The story revolves around the twists and turns of Peter's wondrous, though hairy, adventure! And isn't that what we all want? A life worthy of a written story, a life worth viewing on the big screen, a life story that can dazzle our grandchildren?

Unlike his sisters, Peter actually has a life, has an adventurous life complete with exploration and discovery and blood pumping adventure. Compared to Peter's wildly exciting life, the girls' are mind-numbingly boring. Are the girls' lives the life any of us wish upon our kids? Are the girls' lives one we hope for ourselves?

Peter had the opportunity to explore a strange land. Peter had the opportunity to experience first hand a different culture with a very different way of living. Peter had the opportunity to feast upon exotic foods. Peter had the opportunity to walk barefoot through a garden. Peter had the opportunity to play hide and seek where the outcome actually meant more than just being discovered. Peter had the opportunity to taste fear. Peter had the opportunity to face death and live to tell the tale. Peter had an adventure that we are reading about over 100 years after it was first penned.

In the end, Peter went to bed without dinner. He was exhausted, played out, missing his shoes and coat, and he was a little sick. All in all, this is a very small price to pay for an adventure. I am sure before Peter closed his eyes he was already planning his next escapade. I am willing to bet as Peter fell asleep he had a huge grin on his furry little face because he knew first hand how very exciting life can be if we have the courage to explore beyond the tiny little plot to which we were born.