Senatola

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10 October 2026 · from English · 7 sentences

Peter Rabbit (beginning)

Source: Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902), from the beginning to “squeezed under the gate” (public domain), text from Project Gutenberg (eBook 14838). Proper names stay unchanged (Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, Peter, McGregor). Potter writes both “Cotton-tail” and “Cottontail”; here always Cottontail.

Literal: PL = ma, NOT = ne, REQ = vo, QUOTE = re, NEAR = hi, FAR = da, PST = po, ADV = adverb ending. Compounds with hyphens.

Whole text in one piece

fenu bikumisa vele di lusa da. ma meba ma lo lute Flopsy su Mopsy su Cottontail su Peter. ma lo vele ga lisanira ma lo di takisa botisa mu nuka geralima pulu biri. lisanira vuguni sene di pavu bela re „ma tu juke nuba va ma nibora jo ru fara vutoni.“ re „ho vo ma tu nube ne va nisabima McGregor!“ re „lisalafa ma tu bure po vutorosa di nisa da.“ re „fedara McGregor gepene po lo di bugabepa.“ re „vo ma tu nube di lusa hi, su ma tu bine ne vurala!“ re „mi vugole.“ lisanira vuguni vubeve bedavefa su nimalarota lo luti, su lo nube ru nisagera va nideva buga. lo nide buga nusagedi su lahu bugisa linavukiga. Flopsy su Mopsy su Cottontail lute bikumisa rali. ma lo nube ru fara vutoni fu genena linisa dofi. ho Peter pulu vurale. lo nubaseve kiveso va nisabima McGregor, su lo vunare lo luti mu pesalaga.

Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were— Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter. They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree. 'Now my dears,' said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, 'you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.' 'Now run along, and don't get into mischief. I am going out.' Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, and went through the wood to the baker's. She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns. Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries: But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor's garden, and squeezed under the gate!

Sentence by sentence (7 sentences)

fenu bikumisa vele di lusa da. ma meba ma lo lute Flopsy su Mopsy su Cottontail su Peter.

four rabbit-small live in time FAR. PL name PL he same-be Flopsy and Mopsy and Cottontail and Peter

Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were— Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter.

Notes (3)
  • The first sentence sets the time with di lusa da; after that there is no time word, and po appears in direct speech.
  • “Rabbit” = bikuma, “little rabbits” = bikumisa.
  • “Their names are …” = ma meba ma lo lute … A list of names needs su between all members; otherwise they would merge.

ma lo vele ga lisanira ma lo di takisa botisa mu nuka geralima pulu biri.

PL he live with parent-female PL he in mountain-small stone-small under root tree-green much big

They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree.

Notes (3)
  • “Sand-bank” = takisa botisa (hill of sand), noun + noun.
  • “Fir-tree” = geralima (tree + green).
  • nuka geralima pulu biri: geralima specifies nuka, pulu biri belongs to geralima.

lisanira vuguni sene di pavu bela re „ma tu juke nuba va ma nibora jo ru fara vutoni.“ re „ho vo ma tu nube ne va nisabima McGregor!“ re „lisalafa ma tu bure po vutorosa di nisa da.“ re „fedara McGregor gepene po lo di bugabepa.“

parent-female old speak in one morning QUOTE PL you may going to PL field or through path narrow. QUOTE but REQ PL you go NOT to place-plant McGregor! QUOTE parent-male PL you have PST bad-luck in place FAR. QUOTE spouse McGregor lie-make PST he in bread-meat

'Now my dears,' said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, 'you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.'

Notes (5)
  • Direct speech comes at the end of the sentence; “said … one morning” comes before it. The address “my dears” is dropped.
  • jo joins two prepositional phrases.
  • “Mr. McGregor's garden” = nisabima McGregor: the name specifies the noun before it. “Mrs. McGregor” = fedara McGregor (McGregor's wife).
  • “Accident” = vutorosa (bad luck).
  • The passive (“he was put … by”) becomes active: Mrs McGregor put him. pie = bugabepa (bread + meat), a new term.

re „vo ma tu nube di lusa hi, su ma tu bine ne vurala!“ re „mi vugole.“

QUOTE REQ PL you go in time NEAR, and PL you make NOT bad-thing! QUOTE I leave

'Now run along, and don't get into mischief. I am going out.'

Notes (1)
  • This still belongs to the mother's speech. vo applies to both main clauses joined with su.

lisanira vuguni vubeve bedavefa su nimalarota lo luti, su lo nube ru nisagera va nideva buga. lo nide buga nusagedi su lahu bugisa linavukiga.

parent-female old take container-hold and water-fall-object she self, and she go through place-tree to buy-place bread. she buy bread colour-earth and five bread-small fruit-dry

Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, and went through the wood to the baker's. She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns.

Notes (3)
  • “Basket” = bedavefa (bag), “umbrella” = nimalarota (from “Rain”).
  • “The baker's” = nideva buga (bread shop).
  • “Currant buns” = bugisa linavukiga (rolls with raisins; noun + noun like beda luniva). raisin = linavukiga (fruit + dry).

Flopsy su Mopsy su Cottontail lute bikumisa rali. ma lo nube ru fara vutoni fu genena linisa dofi.

Flopsy and Mopsy and Cottontail same-be rabbit-small good. PL he go through path narrow for collecting fruit-small black

Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries:

Notes (2)
  • The relative clause is a sentence of its own: after a list, je would belong only to the last name.
  • “Blackberries” = linisa dofi (black berries), “to gather” = fu genena.

ho Peter pulu vurale. lo nubaseve kiveso va nisabima McGregor, su lo vunare lo luti mu pesalaga.

but Peter much bad-be. he run straight-ADV to place-plant McGregor, and he push he self under wall-open

But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor's garden, and squeezed under the gate!

Notes (2)
  • “Squeeze” = vunare lo luti (push oneself). “Gate” = pesalaga (door).
  • The exclamation becomes a statement; in Senatola the mark “!” only comes after vo.