text: She decided to publish the book herself , and , on 16 December 1901 , the first 250 copies of her privately printed The Tale of Peter Rabbit `` was ready for distribution to family and friends '' .
simplified: At last , she decided to publish the book herself . On 16 December 1901 , the first 250 copies of her privately printed The Tale of Peter Rabbit were given out to her family and friends .