Character guide

Reddy Fox

major

Also known as Reddy, Reddy Fox, Bowser the Hound, Bowser, So Bowser, Presently Bowser, So poor Bowser, All Reddy, Presently Reddy, IX Reddy Fox Hears

Reddy shares a den and a constant, gnawing hunger with Old Granny Fox, who hunts one way while he hunts another so the pair has a better chance of finding a meal. He thinks a fox with any sense can fool Bowser, but Granny warns that snow makes trails readable and that hiding in a hole gives away a secret they can never take back. His confidence and his rumbling stomach drive the early chases that set the whole meadow on edge.

Peter Rabbit

major

Also known as Peter Rabbit, Peter, the old gray Rabbit, poor Peter, Hooty the Owl, Hooty, Rabbit, Peter Rabbit Hooty the Owl, Hooty the Owl

Peter has returned from the Old Pasture with a new wife, and he is not quite ready to let all the world know there is a Mrs. Peter. When Sammy Jay comes prying, Peter hides her under the thickest sweetbriar bush and then boasts about his journey to the Great World, only to be teased about whether he came home alone. His truthfulness and his pride pull against each other, and that small, familiar weakness is what makes his early troubles so easy to root for.

Old Granny Fox

major

Also known as Old Granny Fox, Granny, Granny Fox, old Granny Fox, clever Old Granny Fox, shrewd old Granny, Old Granny Fox Reddy Fox

Granny and Reddy are so hungry that they visit Farmer Brown's henhouse two nights running, only to find it locked tight. She refuses to try for a hen by daylight, warning that Bowser would be set on their trail and that snow would make their tracks a map to their door. Yet even she admits curiosity can lead the wisest creature into trouble, and her patient cunning is the counterweight to Reddy's reckless pride.

Happy Jack Squirrel

major

Also known as Happy Jack, Happy Jack Squirrel, Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel, Squirrel, Johnny, Striped Chipmunk, Happy Jack Striped Chipmunk, Chipmunk, Thrift

Happy Jack is up before the sun and humming a little song about nuts that are all for him, but he is not willing that Chatterer the Red Squirrel should have a single one. When a fat nut slips from his hands and lands on Chatterer's head, the two cousins fall into a furious quarrel that spoils a beautiful fall morning. His selfishness and his short temper set the small, noisy dramas of the Green Forest in motion.

Old Man Coyote

supporting

Also known as Old Man Coyote, XIX Old Man Coyote, Old Man Coyote the Wolf, crafty Old Man, Mr. Coyote

He once did Peter Rabbit a good turn and then tried to catch him the very next time they met, which leaves Peter scratching his head in honest confusion. Little Mrs. Peter explains it plainly: a good turn paid back makes them even, and the way to keep a coyote friendly is to stay in his debt. His patient lurking and his unsettling grin make him the quiet threat that teaches the rabbits to watch the grass.

Bowser the Hound

supporting

Also known as Bowser, Bowser the Hound, Poor Bowser, old Bowser, that meddlesome Bowser, Bowser the Hound Farmer Brown

When Bowser is following Reddy Fox, nothing short of losing the trail will make him stop, and Farmer Brown's boy knows that voice among a million and runs across the snowy fields just to hear it. For once Bowser forgets the hunt entirely when he nearly runs into his master, and his joy is so wild he yelps, races in circles, and nearly knocks the boy down. His devotion and his single-minded trailing make him both the fox's danger and the story's warmest heart.

Blacky the Crow

supporting

Also known as Blacky, Blacky the Crow, Sharp Eyes Mischief, So Blacky, Brother Blacky, Finally Blacky

Blacky patrols the Green Forest and Green Meadows with the sharpest eyes around, and nothing escapes him when he is about. Folks expect the worst of him, so his good deeds go unseen while his tricks earn him a coat-black reputation he wears without a care. When he spots Peter Rabbit's secret in the Old Briar-patch, one gleeful caw spreads the news to every friend and enemy on the Meadows.

Danny Meadow Mouse

supporting

Also known as Danny, Meadow Mouse, that funny little Meadow Mouse

Danny is one of Peter Rabbit's truest friends, small enough to hide in a corner of the Old Briar-patch and wise enough to know when not to go home. He waits until the other visitors have gone, then stands on his hind legs to whisper that Old Man Coyote is the most dangerous enemy they have. Peter laughs off the warning, but Danny's quiet fear plants the doubt that shadows Peter through the chapters ahead.

Shadow the Weasel

supporting

Also known as Shadow, pesky Weasel, Weasel, Happy Jack Shadow the Weasel

Shadow is the terror that turns a pleasant morning in the Green Forest into a desperate race, and he does not stop for anything but a greater will. When he chases Happy Jack Squirrel across the snow, he follows right up to Farmer Brown's boy and spits defiance before he finally gives way. That near-miss is what drives Happy Jack into the friendship that reshapes his whole winter.

Tommy Tit the Chickadee

supporting

Also known as Tommy, Tommy Tit, the Chickadee, Chickadee, Little Tommy Tit the Chickadee

Tommy Tit is the friend everyone trusts with a confidence, whether he is feeding six babies in a hollow birch-stub or trading winks with Little Miss Fuzzytail beneath a bramble-bush. It is Tommy who tells her all about Peter Rabbit, and Tommy whose urging sends Happy Jack Squirrel running to Farmer Brown's boy instead of into Shadow's teeth. Small, busy, and endlessly kind, he stitches the little people of the Green Forest together.

Sammy Jay

supporting

Also known as Sammy, Sammy Jay, Later Sammy Jay, Sammy Jay Becomes Curious

Sammy Jay misses very little in the Green Forest, and he is quick to needle Happy Jack about his new boldness. When Happy Jack dares him to follow to Farmer Brown's house, Sammy takes the challenge, only to watch his friend stroll through an open window and help himself to nuts. Speechless for once in his life, Sammy flees back to the forest, and his shaken pride marks how far Happy Jack has come.

Little Miss Fuzzytail

supporting

Also known as little Miss Fuzzytail, Miss Fuzzytail, dainty little Miss Fuzzytail, XX Little Miss Fuzzytail, Miss Fuzzy - tail, little Miss Fuzzy tall, Fuzzy

Little Miss Fuzzytail is the neatest rabbit in the Old Pasture, and she has never lived anywhere else. She loves Peter Rabbit, but the thought of leaving the only home she has known holds her back, even as her father Old Jed Thumper hunts him mercilessly. When Old Man Coyote's terrible voice rolls over the pasture one night, she crouches trembling in her hiding-place, and Peter finds her there the next morning, too frightened even to look for breakfast.

Jenny Wren

minor

Also known as Jenny Wren, Jenny, gossipy little Jenny Wren

A talkative little bird who knows everyone's business.

Farmer Brown

supporting

Also known as Farmer Brown, Farmer Brown 's Boy, Brown, VIII What Farmer Brown

Farmer Brown and his boy anchor the world just beyond the Green Forest, the place where pockets rustle, whistles carry, and danger in the form of traps and cats quietly originates. The creatures' feelings about him are complicated: he is the source of traps and of the boy whose cheery whistle Happy Jack and Tommy Tit suddenly miss. That very ambiguity makes him matter early and mid-book, since the meadow's safety and sorrows are measured by what Farmer Brown and his household do next.

Old Jed Thumper

minor

Also known as Old Jed Thumper, Jed Thumper, Little Jed, XIV Someone Fools Old Jed Thumper

An old rabbit who is easily fooled by Peter's tricks.

Chatterer the Red Squirrel

minor

Also known as Chatterer, the Chatterer, Meanwhile Chatterer the Red Squirrel

A noisy red squirrel who often argues with Happy Jack.

Quacker the Wild Duck

minor

Also known as Quacker, Duck, Quacker the Duck

A cautious duck who becomes curious about Granny Fox's plans.

Jimmy Skunk

minor

Also known as Jimmy

A slow-moving skunk who is generally left alone by predators.

Prickly Porky the Porcupine

minor

Also known as Prickly Porky, So Prickly Porky, Prickly Porky Enjoys, Suddenly Prickly Porky

A slow porcupine with sharp quills who enjoys sunbathing.

Mistah Mockingbird

minor

Also known as Mistah Mocker, Mistah Mocker the Mockingbird

A talented mimic bird who amuses the other animals.

Black Pussy

minor

Also known as that horrid Black Pussy

A feared black cat who hunts in the Green Meadow.

Mrs. Brown

minor

Also known as Brown

Farmer Brown's wife who helps around the farm.

Mr. Goshawk

minor

Also known as fierce old Mr. Goshawk, fierce Mr. Goshawk

A fierce hawk that preys on small animals.

Billy Mink

minor

Also known as Billy

A sleek and quick mink who lives near the water.

Johnny Chuck

minor

Also known as Johnny

A friendly woodchuck who lives in the old pasture.

Mistah Buzzard

minor

Also known as Ol’ Mistah Buzzard

A soaring buzzard who watches from above.

Mrs. Peter Rabbit

supporting

Also known as bashful little Mrs. Peter Rabbit, Mrs. Peter, Little Mrs. Peter

She is Old Jed Thumper's daughter, living under his bull-briar rule in the Old Pasture, and the object of Peter Rabbit's hopeful, persistent heart. Her tenderness toward Peter collides with her fear of her father's temper, so she hides, half-promises, and meets him in secret corners. That divided loyalty drives the middle of the book, turning a gentle romance into a test of courage, caution, and whose claim on her will win.

The Merry Little Breezes

minor

Also known as the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind, Merry Little Breezes

Playful winds that carry news across the meadow.

Drummer the Woodpecker

minor

Also known as Drummer

A woodpecker known for his constant tapping on trees.

Jumper the Hare

minor

Also known as Jumper

A swift hare who races across the meadow.

Mrs. Grouse

minor

A mother grouse who protects her chicks.

Old Mother Nature

minor

Also known as Mother Nature, Vain Old Mother Nature

The personification of nature who oversees the meadow.

Digger the Badger

minor

A strong digger who lives in a burrow.

Veery the Thrush

minor

A sweet-singing thrush who lives in the forest.

Bobby Coon

minor

Also known as Bobby

A raccoon who is clever and curious.

Grandfather Frog

minor

Also known as old Grandfather Frog

An old frog who tells stories from the pond.

Jerry Muskrat

minor

A muskrat who builds his home in the marsh.

Phoebe

minor

A small bird who sings a cheerful song.

Polly Chuck

minor

Also known as Polly

Johnny Chuck's wife who keeps the burrow tidy.

Billy Possum

minor

Also known as Unc ’ Billy Possum, Unc ’ Billy

A possum who plays dead when frightened.

Little Joe Otter

minor

A playful otter who loves to slide into the water.

Lightfoot the Deer

minor

A graceful deer who visits the meadow.

Roughleg the Hawk

minor

A hawk with feathered legs who hunts from above.

Redtail the Hawk

minor

A red-tailed hawk who is a skilled hunter.