The Tale of Benjamin Bunny

My friend Benjamin, core member of the illustrious Tetrahedron (nee Triangle) of Zinthar, is known to many simply as “Bunny”. A question faced by the Tetrahedron at last week's Oblivion Quiz Night involved identifying pictures of famous rabbits, and Bunny was drawing blanks at the image of Peter Rabbit. Turns out he had no idea why he had acquired the nickname, having never heard of Benjamin Bunny from the much-loved Beatrix Potter books. My amazement turned to disbelief upon discovering that I alone amongst the Tetrahedron's esteemed membership could sing the Flopsy Bunnies song. Who were these bozos? No wonder we have yet to win a round…

Anyway, subsequent research revealed some dubious facts about the clog-wearing Benjamin Bunny (the fictional one). I had always considered him to be the stories' Horatio to Peter Rabbit's Hamlet, the Chewbacca to his Han, always ready to rescue him from a pinch, pilot the Millenium Falcon or muster up an appropriate song about a gig and pony - i.e. a noble and stalwart kinda guy. I had completely forgotten that in later books he married his first cousin, Flopsy… Yow. One forgets these books appeared over a century ago. How about those Victorian values? Then again, we're talking about rabbits...

Seems also that Benjamin and Flopsy had six children - the "Flopsy Bunnies" - and that they had a penchant for cabbages. So, Bunny, may your progeny be as numerous and as fond of their vegetables - if perhaps a little more genetically robust.