When you were a kid, you probably spent time with Peter Rabbit, his mother, Josephine Rabbit, and his sisters, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail.
These beloved bunnies all appear in the now-iconic children's books by English author and illustrator Beatrix Potter. Published between 1902 and 1912, they follow the adventures of the blue-jacketed Peter and his family, along with several other friends and creatures.
Most memorably, these adorable tales also include sweet, delicately colored illustrations that thousands of children and adults have come to know over the decades.
And although life, and literature with it, has changed a lot since 1902, the stories of this rabbit family have endured and charmed generations of readers.
There have even been some new Peter Rabbit books published in 2013 and 2014, showing just how popular they've remained — like the Richard Scarry books, which recently underwent some slight modern renovations.
However, what most people don't realize is that Peter Rabbit, for all the fantasy of the books, is actually based in very real life!
You may not remember, but Peter Rabbit has a cousin named Benjamin Bunny — and Benjamin, it turns out, actually existed.
Read on to meet the real inspiration!
[H/T: HistoryBuff, Daily Mail]
When you were a kid, you might have read this book, or had it read to you.
First published in 1902, The Tale of Peter Rabbit tells of Peter's adventures stealing vegetables from Farmer McGregor's garden, only to end up lost.
Though he happily returns home, the book is a gentle lesson about listening to your mother and not putting yourself in unnecessary danger.
Peter is known for his little blue jacket, his plucky spirit, and his taste for forbidden vegetables.
He appears in five books by Beatrix Potter, who also created these now-iconic illustrations.
She actually got her start in art by creating scientific illustrations, and had a background in mycology, the study of fungi and mushrooms.
In later books, Peter is joined by his cousin, Benjamin Bunny, as well as other family members.
The books would go on to inspire games, like the one above, toys, clothing, garden figurines, and many other items over the years, and "Peter Rabbit" would become a household name.
The other names listed on this "intensely amusing" board game are other characters from Potter's books.
So where did Potter's inspiration for these adventurous bunnies come from?
Well, it turns out that Potter, seen here photographed in 1913, had always been a lover of animals and nature.
This photo from 1881, taken when Potter was just 15, shows her with a canine friend.
But dogs weren't her only animal friends. As a child, she was known to sneak all kinds of animals into the house, including mice and bats.
Her love of nature would help her become a naturalist later in life, and inspire her to draw the outdoor scenes found in her books.
There was also this large Belgian rabbit, named Benjamin Bunny, as well as another one, not pictured, named Peter.
Benjamin started a lifelong love of drawing rabbits in 1890, when Potter used him as a model for some Christmas cards.
Potter was closest to the rabbits out of all of her pets, and even a decade after he passed away in 1892, they would serve as the inspiration for Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny.
In the series, he ends up marrying Peter's sister, Flopsy, and having many children (as rabbits do).
And not only did her characters stem from real life, but so did the places. Potter's house, seen here, served as a setting in her books.
Her love for her rabbits, though, is very evident — as seen in this letter, written after the real Peter's death in 1901:
Whatever the limitations of his intellect or outward shortcomings of his fur, and his ears and toes, his disposition was uniformly amiable and his temper unfailingly sweet. An affectionate companion and a quiet friend.
Please SHARE if you remember the sweet little adventures of Peter Rabbit!
