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Young World
Under a spell
Paromita Pain
While the entire world seems to be entranced by the magic of Harry Potter, there's another Potter whose creations cover a wide gamut of vibrant creatures. Beatrice Potter who gave us the immortal Peter Rabbit, was born on July 28, 1866 at Kensingston, London, into a typical Victorian family.
She had a collection of pets. She had a green frog, two lizards, some water newts, a ring snake and a rabbit. She based her most famous characters, Peter Rabbit and Floppsy, Moppsy and Cotton Tail on them.
Benjamin Bunny, a friend of Peter Rabbit, was actually a pet rabbit she had called Benjamin H. Bouncer. His antics are beautifully described in The Tale of Benjamin Bunny where he is noisy, cheerful, determined and inclined to attack strangers. He frequently got himself into trouble, once falling into an aquariam, head first. Potter has a wide number of characters, but Peter Rabbit remains a perennial favourite. The Story of Peter Rabbit is about Peter the rabbit and Mr. McGregor from whose garden Peter steals lettuce, French beans and radishes, losing his shoes and coat in the process.
Beatrice Potter had bought a farm at Hilltop in the Lake District and here she created Semolina, Tapioca, Sago and of course Jemima Puddle Duck. She drew them from life and even while breathing magic into them she made sure they were never unnatural.
She left behind an immortal legacy for those who wish to fall under the spell of a world of long ago.
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