@P E Dant,
Q: Where was Peter Piper picking the pickled peppers from? A bush? A bush that grows pickled peppers? Or was he picking them out of a container of pickled peppers? And why a peck? Why not a bushel? And why have I made this into a list of 7 questions?
A: He stole them from a woman who had lovingly picked and pickled a peck of peppers for her family. But the governor was Peter's Uncle, and the story was whitewashed, so now everybody believes Peter picked and pickled them himself.
You made it into a list of 7 questions because you rightly sensed that something wasn't right about the story.
Q: Why is a mailbox called a box when it's not square?