Pre-war halcyon days captured in a series of comic sketches, The Rabbits offers the purest of escapism – possibly A. A. Milne’s most distinctive work

The adventures of a group of friends, pre-war, with far too much time on their hands.

The Rabbits, as they call themselves, are Archie Mannering, his sister Myra, Samuel Simpson, Thomas of the Admiralty, Dahlia Blair and the narrator, with occasional guests. Their conversation is almost entirely frivolous, their activity vacillates between immensely energetic and happily lazy, and their social mores are surprisingly progressive.

Originally published as sketches in Punch, the Rabbits’ escapades are a charming portrait of middle-class antics on the brink of being shattered by World War I, and fail entirely to take themselves seriously.

So here they all are. Whatever their crimes, they assure you that they won’t do it again – A. A. Milne