Mr. McGregor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mr. Michael McGregor |
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Mr. McGregor in an illustration from The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902)
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| First appearance | The Tale of Peter Rabbit |
| Last appearance | The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies |
| Created by | Beatrix Potter |
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| Nickname(s) | Michael |
| Aliases | Michael, Mike |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Gardener |
| Family | Thomas McGregor (nephew) |
| Spouse(s) | Mrs. McGregor |
| Nationality | Scottish |
Mr. Michael McGregor is a well-known character from the Peter Rabbit children's books. These popular stories were written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. Mr. McGregor is an older Scottish gardener. He works hard to keep rabbits out of his vegetable garden. Sometimes, he even tries to catch them to make them into a pie.
Beatrix Potter said that Mr. McGregor was not based on a real person. However, some people think his look might have come from Charles McIntosh, who taught Potter about mushrooms. His name might have come from Atholl McGregor, who was Potter's landlord in 1893. Mr. McGregor has also appeared in TV shows based on the books.
Contents
The Story of Mr. McGregor's Garden
How the Story Began
The first story about Mr. McGregor and Peter Rabbit was written by Beatrix Potter on September 4, 1893. It was a letter she sent to Noel Moore, who was five years old. Noel was the son of Potter's old teacher, Annie Carter Moore. The letter told the exciting story of Peter Rabbit's adventure in Mr. McGregor's garden.
Potter kept sending these story letters to Noel and his brothers and sisters. Noel's mother saw how good these stories and pictures were. She encouraged Beatrix Potter to publish them. Potter borrowed the original Peter Rabbit letter back from Noel. She copied it and made the story even better.
Publishing the Book
At first, Potter had trouble finding a publisher for her story. So, she decided to print the book herself in 1901. It was a big success with her family and friends.
In 1902, a company called Frederick Warne & Co. became interested in the tale. They asked Potter to add color to her drawings. The book was published in October 1902. It became very popular, and this launched Beatrix Potter's career as a famous children's author and illustrator.
Mr. McGregor's Appearances in Books
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Mr. McGregor is an older gardener. He first appears in The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902). Beatrix Potter originally thought about calling the book The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Mr. McGregor's Garden. However, when she printed the book herself in 1901, Mr. McGregor and his garden were left out of the title.
In the story, Peter Rabbit's mother tells her four children not to go into Mr. McGregor's garden. She warns them that their father had an accident there and was made into a pie by Mrs. McGregor. But Peter disobeys and sneaks into the garden. Mr. McGregor chases Peter all around the garden. Peter manages to escape, but he loses his jacket and shoes. Mr. McGregor then uses Peter's clothes to dress up a scarecrow.
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
Mr. McGregor appears again in the next book, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (1904). Peter returns to Mr. McGregor's garden with his cousin, Benjamin Bunny. They go back to get Peter's lost jacket and shoes.
Mr. McGregor has a smaller part in this story. He only shows up near the end. He is confused by tiny footprints in his garden. He also wonders why the scarecrow's clothes are gone and why a cat is locked in his greenhouse. Even though he doesn't do much in this story, the memory of his chase in the first book makes Peter very nervous about staying in the garden too long.
The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
In The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies (1909), Mr. McGregor has a bigger role. He even speaks in this book. He finds six sleeping baby bunnies, who are the children of the adult Benjamin Bunny. He puts them in a sack and plans to sell them.
However, his wife, Mrs. McGregor, has other ideas. She wants to use their fur to line her old cloak. Both Mr. and Mrs. McGregor are disappointed when they discover the bunnies have escaped the sack. Instead of bunnies, they find old vegetables and a brush inside!
Mrs. McGregor
Mrs. McGregor is Mr. McGregor's wife. She is mentioned or appears in the same three books as her husband. In The Tale of Peter Rabbit, readers learn that Mrs. McGregor baked Peter's father into a pie before the story even begins.
Beatrix Potter drew two pictures of Mrs. McGregor for the first published version of the book. One showed her as an older woman, and the other as a younger woman. The publisher chose the younger picture. Potter later hinted that this younger picture was a funny drawing of herself.
In Benjamin Bunny, Mrs. McGregor leaves home in her best hat. Mr. McGregor drives her in a small carriage. In The Flopsy Bunnies, she wants to use the bunnies' fur for her cloak. She scolds her husband when she finds out the bunnies have gotten away.
Mr. McGregor in TV and Film
Animated Series
Mr. McGregor has been in many adaptations of Beatrix Potter's stories.
- In 1991, HBO made an animated musical version of The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Mr. McGregor's voice was done by Kevin Clash.
- In 1992, the BBC created an animated series called The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends. In the episode combining The Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, Richard Wilson voiced Mr. McGregor.
- In another episode, "The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies and Mrs. Tittlemouse", Andrew Robertson voiced Mr. McGregor. In this particular episode, Mr. McGregor is given the first name John, which is not in Potter's original books.
- More recently, Mr. McGregor appears often in the CBeebies CGI-animated TV series Peter Rabbit. Dave Mitchell provides his voice. In this series, his face and upper body are usually not shown on screen.
Live-Action Film
Mr. McGregor also appears in the 2018 film adaptation of Peter Rabbit. He is played by Sam Neill. At the beginning of the movie, he dies from a heart attack before he can turn Peter into a pie. His great-nephew, Thomas McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson), then inherits his country home. Flashbacks in the film show the old Mr. McGregor eating unhealthy food after his wife's death.
