Reaction to Peter Rabbit

During our discussion of Beatrix Potter's Tale of Peter Rabbit I found a few things very intriguing.  First of all, I really enjoyed reading the book.  I know the story but I don't specifically remember reading it during my childhood.  What Dr. Robinson said about the layout of text and illustrations caught my attention.  I tend to wonder if Potter really thought all that through or just happened to get lucky :)  Either way, it is fantastic and fun to read.  One thing does strike me as odd, though.  Mother Rabbit so casually talks about father "having an accident" in the garden, and then getting put into a pie by Mrs. McGreagor.  To me it is very sad and it seems like something Peter should have taken into account before he went into the garden, but obviously he didn't.  Other than that, the story is great!