Mr. McGregor

"Stop, thief!"

- Mr. McGregor

Mr. McGregor is a major antagonist in three of Beatrix Potter's children's books. He appears in The Tale of Peter Rabbit (as the main antagonist), The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (as a minor antagonist), and The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies (again as the main antagonist). He also appears in the books' television adaptations.

Mr. McGregor is an elder Scotsman who owns a vegetable garden. He dislikes pests in his garden particularly rabbits. Mr. McGregor; according to Peter Rabbit's mother, captured Peter's father and Mrs. McGregor put him in a pie. Peter disobeys his mother and trespasses into Mr. McGregor's garden. Peter is nearly captured by Mr. McGregor but manages to esacpe leaving behind his blue jacket and slippers which were made into a scarecrow.

In the Tale of Benjamin Bunny Mr. McGregor plays a very minor role. He is seen only a few times driving his horse and cart to town with his wife to town and returning to his garden after Peter and Benjamin get Peter's clothes. Mr. McGregor plays a much bigger role in The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies where he captures Benjamin and Flopsy's children while their asleep in his rubbish heep. Mrs. Tittlemouse saves the day by chewing the strings on the sack. To foil Mr. McGregor they put rubbish in the sack. Mr. McGregor wanted to sell the rabbits for tobbacco but the wife intended to skin them to make a cloak. When they discover the sack has old rubbish and not the rabbits Mrs. McGregor believes her husband tricked her on purpose. Mr. McGregor tries to convince his wife that he wasn't fooling her. Mr. McGregor returns to the rubbish heep angrily looking for the rabbits but fails.