The Tale of the Missing Ducklings Peter Rabbit

# Let's go! Go on and run, run for our lives

# We'll tear a hole in every fence and every wall

# Run through the fields Run wild and free

# And grab a piece of every radish that we see

# Go day and night Go for it all

# It's time to fly Come on, the wind's begun to blow

# Cos you and I, we weren't made for going slow

-# Let's go!

-Adventure calls, the game is on!

-# Come on!

-Peter Rabbit!

-# Let's go!

-Peter Rabbit!

-# Let's go!

-Peter Rabbit!

# Let's go! #

GIGGLING

-Ready?

-Yeah.

Remember the last time we did this and we were like, "Zoom!"

And we missed that tree and then we hit the rock

and Benjamin was going... Whoa!

-Keep pushing. Faster.

-Can we jump on now?

-Not yet.

-Now?

-No.

-How about...?

-Now!

-Yikes!

THEY CHEER AND LAUGH

Oh, feathers and fluff.

We'll never get to the shop and back at this rate.

Oh! Oh, deary me.

Oh, not again. Oh!

-Faster!

-THEY SCREAM

Left. Right.

Duck.

-No, I mean duck!

-Oh!

THEY SCREAM

Ouchie!

-Oh, me, oh, my. Oh, is everyone all right?

-Uh-huh.

-Yes, thanks.

-We're OK. Sorry we surprised you.

-Oh, deary dear.

How will I ever get to the shops if you keep wandering off, my darlings?

-Oh!

-Can we help?

Hm? Why, yes, Lily Bobtail, yes, you can.

How about you look after my little ones while I go to the shop?

-ALL:

-Er...

-And be sure they take a nap. They do like a good sleep.

-OK.

-And remember to sing them a lullaby.

-Lullaby? I can do that.

And the water is there and their grain is here.

And, most importantly,

make sure they don't play outside in the woods.

-I wouldn't want them to get lost.

-Stay out of the woods.

You got it, Mrs Puddle-Duck. We'll be fine.

-How wonderful.

-Maybe you should go before the shop closes.

Oh, yes, indeedy. Goodbye.

HE SIGHS

Feed them and make sure they nap and keep them out of the woods.

Duckling-sitting is a piece of cake.

THEY TWEET

Ah! I take it back. This is not a piece of cake.

-Come back here.

-Help!

-Sorry, a little busy. Sit, heel!

-Come back.

-ALL:

-Oof!

-Oh, this is impossible. I give up.

A good rabbit never gives up, Benjamin.

-Mrs Puddle-Duck said they should take a nap. Try singing a lullaby.

-OK.

# Once upon a time there was a rabbit so strong

# His name was Benjamin and he was never wrong. #

Very nice, Benjamin, but perhaps Peter should have a try.

# Rest your head It's time to sleep

# Hush, hush, now, Don't make a peep

# Close your eyes and never fear

# Cos when you wake up, I'll be here. #

THEY TWEET

-Well, that didn't work.

-I don't know. It kind of did. Look.

Zz-zz-zz-zz...

Benjamin! Benjamin! Wake up.

Tweet, tweet. Whoa! Where am I?

-Benjamin, you can't sleep when we're duckling-sitting.

-Oops. Sorry.

Why is it so quiet?

SHE GASPS

-Oh, no! The ducklings! They're gone.

-We'll find them. Let's hop to it.

-Here, ducklings!

-Ducklings! I can't see them anywhere.

What are we going to do?

Ducklings tweet to each other, I know that for a fact.

So, maybe we should be really quiet and just listen.

TWEETING

-I can hear tweeting.

-Sh!

-Sorry.

-There. Eating the grain.

The others must have wandered off. Let's take the grain.

If they're hungry, it'll help us round them up.

-Here, ducky-ducklings!

-Come and get some grain.

-This is bad, very bad.

It's dangerous in the woods. There's owls and badgers and foxes and...

Whoa!

-What was that?

-It was you, Benjamin.

-Ha-ha! I knew that.

Eating always calms me down.

Eurgh!

TWEETING

There!

Stay here.

-Got you.

-That's two.

-Is it? Where's the first one?

-Oh, no. He must have wandered off again.

-We'll never find them all.

TWEETING

Never say never, Benjamin. This way.

-TWEETING

-There!

Oh!

Sh!

Well, well, well, what have we here?

Not big enough for lunch but a small pre-dinner nibble at least.

And so much easier to catch than rabbits.

# Put a duckling in a pot. #

-That poor duckling.

-Oh, this is bad, very bad.

-I've got a plan.

But we'll need some help from this little guy.

His tweets are going to save the day.

Oh, portions are definitely getting smaller these days.

-TWEETING

-Huh? What's that?

Another duckling? I'll have enough for lunch yet.

Be a good little fellow and wait here, would you? Heh-heh-heh!

TWEETING

Yes!

OK. Now let's make Mr Tod follow us

so Peter will have enough time to save that poor duckling.

Rabbits are brave, rabbits are brave.

Aha! Heh-heh-heh!

TWEETING

Ah! There you are.

No!

-Duckling, come back!

-Huh?

-I'm trying to rescue you.

-Hm?

Sounds like someone's trying to steal my snack.

Peter Rabbit!

No duckling for lunch today, Mr Tod. He-he!

Well, we'll see about that.

Ducklings followed by a rabbit pie sounds rather yummy. Heh-heh-heh!

Two ducklings found, one more to find.

Let's hold on to them this time.

Tweet, tweet! Here, little duckling.

-Tweet, tweet! Over here.

-Just in case pocket, just in case.

What if the last duckling isn't in the wood any more?

I'm surprised your head isn't bigger because your brain is huge!

-Ah, thanks.

-He-he-he! Come on. Let's get that third duckling.

Oh, lost them again. Where are th...?! Oh!

Oof! So that's where they went.

And they left their cart behind which means they'll be back.

And I'll be waiting. Heh-heh-heh!

Eurgh! How does anyone eat this stuff?

-Oh, now you go to sleep.

-Here, little duckling.

Not here.

-No, not here, either.

-When I grow up there is no way I want to be a duck.

I have no idea how Mrs Puddle-Duck does it.

-HE GASPS

-What?

-It's moving.

Argh!

Boots don't move by themselves. Unless...

That's all of them.

TWEETING

THEY CHEER

Meow!

Run!

# Run, rabbit, run

# Run like you've never run before

# Run, rabbit, run

# If he catches you, you're done So run some more. #

Carrots!

# Your heart is pounding Those feet are sounding

# So close to you, what can you do?

# Oh, rabbit, run

# You better run

# I think I hear them catching up to you. #

Phew! That was close.

Achoo!

So, today's menu, I'm thinking ducklings on toast

-followed by rabbit pie. Sound good?

-Hm... I'd prefer carrots on toast

then radish soup.

Argh!

Benjamin! Run!

Yes, do keep running, it helps me work up an appetite.

-Dead end.

-Aha!

Well, I think that's quite enough exercise for one day, don't you?

It's time to eat. Heh-heh-heh!

SHE GASPS

Mr Tod!

-ALL:

-Mrs Puddle-Duck!

Now, come on. Right here.

If I've said it once, I've said it 100 times, no playing in the woods.

-Oh, and you! You ought to know better.

-I beg your pardon?!

It's no use apologising.

Honestly, Mr Tod, my little ones could get lost out here.

Well, come on all of you. You can finish your game in the coop.

Did you have a good time? Oh, that is nice.

Well, the starter may have waddled off,

but the main course is still here.

-Now, where were we?

-Quick! Push!

What are you doing? Stop!

Whoa-oa!

-No! Oh, let me off.

-Oh, my.

THEY GIGGLE

Yes!

HE GROANS

You wouldn't know he was a gentleman, the way he carries on.

Shame on you, Mr Tod.

We're really sorry. Duckling-sitting is a lot harder than it looks.

-The secret is to get them to sleep with a lullaby.

-We tried that.

Not like this, you didn't.

# Quack, quack, quack, quack

# Quackity, quack

# Quack, quack, quackity, quack! #

It's a special duckling lullaby.

SNORING

I think it works on rabbits, too.

Zz-zz-zz-zz...

LAUGHTER

# Peter Rabbit

# Peter Rabbit

# Peter Rabbit

# Peter Rabbit

# Peter Rabbit. #