The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit

Name: The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit
Author: Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter A1 Fable Humor

A free A1-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.

A fierce rabbit bullies a gentle rabbit and steals his carrot — until a man with a gun mistakes him for something else, with startling consequences.

This is a fierce bad Rabbit; look at his savage whiskers, and his claws and his turned-up tail.

This is a nice gentle Rabbit. His mother has given him a carrot.

The bad Rabbit would like some carrot.

He doesn't say "Please." He takes it!

And he scratches the good Rabbit very badly.

The good Rabbit creeps away, and hides in a hole. It feels sad.

This is a man with a gun.

He sees something sitting on a bench. He thinks it is a very funny bird!

He comes creeping up behind the trees.

And then he shoots—BANG!

This is what happens—

But this is all he finds on the bench, when he rushes up with his gun.

The good Rabbit peeps out of its hole,

And it sees the bad Rabbit tearing past—without any tail or whiskers!

🧠 Check your understanding

What does the bad Rabbit do when he wants the good Rabbit's carrot?
Show answer
Answer: He takes it without asking
The bad Rabbit doesn't say "Please" — he simply takes the carrot.
What does the good Rabbit do after being scratched?
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Answer: He creeps away and hides in a hole
The good Rabbit creeps away and hides in a hole, feeling sad.
Why does the man with the gun shoot at the bench?
Show answer
Answer: He thinks the creature on the bench is a funny bird
The man sees something on the bench and thinks it is a very funny bird.
What does the good Rabbit see when it peeps out of its hole afterward?
Show answer
Answer: The bad Rabbit tearing past without its tail or whiskers
The good Rabbit sees the bad Rabbit rushing past, now missing its tail and whiskers.