Peter ran on four legs to get away, only to get caught on the gooseberry net by the buttons on his new blue jacket. Peter shed some tears, but to his luck his friends heard his sobs and encouraged him to keep trying to escape.

Mr. McGregor tried to trap Peter with a sieve, but Peter escaped just in time, leaving his jacket behind. He ran into the toolshed and jumped into a can to hide though it wasn't ideal, since it was full of water.

Mr. McGregor was certain Peter was hiding in the toolshed and began searching under flowerpots. When Peter sneezed, Mr. McGregor quickly chased him and tried to step on him. But Peter escaped through a small window, knocking over three plants. The window was too small for Mr. McGregor, and tired of chasing Peter, he gave up and returned to his work.

Peter, out of breath and shaking with fear, sat down to rest, unsure of which way to go. He was also wet from hiding in the can. After a while, he began to wander slowly, moving carefully and looking around as he went.

Peter found a locked door in a wall, but he was too big to squeeze underneath. He saw an old mouse carrying food and asked her the way to the gate, but she couldn’t speak because her mouth was full. She just shook her head, and Peter began to cry.

Peter tried to find his way straight through the garden but got increasingly confused. He came to a pond where a white cat was watching goldfish, sitting very still except for the twitch of her tail. Remembering warnings from his cousin Benjamin Bunny, Peter wisely decided not to go near her and quietly walked away.