Mother West Wind's Neighbors
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About this ebook
Growing up during the late 19th century in Sandwich, Massachusetts, Thornton W. Burgess often wandered through the countryside, where he learned to recognize and appreciate the birds and animal life of the area. Later on, as an adult, he told stories to his young son about these same creatures. His first book, Old Mother West Wind, published in 1910, contained a collection of these stories. Three years later it was followed by Mother West Wind's Neighbors — 15 delightful fables from the world of the Green Forest and Green Meadows.
In this classic of children's literature, readers find out why Johnny Chuck doesn't like Blacky the Crow and why Ol' Mistah Buzzard has a bald head. They'll learn what is in Mrs. Possum's big pocket and how Hooty the Owl gets even. They'll even find out who stole Mrs. Grouse's eggs, discover why Sammy Jay cries "Thief," and uncover other secrets of Mother West Wind's neighbors.
Brimming with gentle humor and real lessons about nature, these enchanting tales will captivate today's youngsters as much as they charmed audiences generations ago.
Read more from Thornton W. Burgess
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Reviews for Mother West Wind's Neighbors
45 ratings5 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Not quite as compelling as his "How" stories for my kids; my daughter said that she preferred the stories about why animals got certain traits, while many of these are more Beatrix Potter-style cute animal stories. Still definitely a quality read-aloud for kids in the 4-8 age range.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5One of my first books to own. Paper Book cover long gone and rather tattered. I was enamoured with these stories as a child.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I devoured this series by Mr. Burgess. It featured different animals solving problems together and learning to live with each other. What a metaphor! I remember being saddened by his passing in 1963 as young child.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/512 of 13 people found the following review helpful: Michael Hague AND Thornton W. Burgess...What a Treat!, April 5, 2003 "All the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were hurrying over the Green Meadows. Some flew this way and some ran that way and some danced the other way. You see, Jerry Muskrat had asked them to carry his invitations to a party at the Big Rock in the Smiling Pool." Originally published in 1910, the Old Mother West Wind Stories of Thornton W. Burgess are brimming with just this type of endearing and whimsical imagery. They are quaint but clever, sensitive and fun-filled. This lovely book contains sixteen stories featuring many charming woodland characters such as Tommy Trout, Mrs. Redwing, the Willful Little Breeze, Billy Mink, and Little Joe Otter. Burgess was a dedicated conservationist and these stories were intended to instill an abiding love of Nature and wildlife in small children. They do a wonderful job of it and Burgess would be delighted, as I am, in this edition's beautiful illustrations that are the work of the talented Michael Hague. The first illustration in the book, featuring Old Mother West Wind in her flowing grey and blue gown and her long flowing hooded cape, is worth the price of the entire book in and of itself. We have come to expect great things from Hague but he outdoes himself in this book. I'm glad to see these wonderful stories available to another generation of children. Their gentle pastoral nature really is timeless and the less our world sees of natural habitat and woodland creatures the more we need this book. Treat yourself and you children to it. It's one of my favorites.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5These cute stories were written one by one by Thornton W. Burgess for his son and later published. In them we meet a cast of animal characters with very particular personalities, and of course "Old Mother West Wind" and her children, the merry little breezes. These stories range from silly stories to fables and legends (such as the race of the tortoise and the hare and why the skunk is striped). They're a little out of date, but children should enjoy them anyway.
Book preview
Mother West Wind's Neighbors - Thornton W. Burgess
WIFE
I
Why Johnny Chuck Does Not Like Blacky the Crow
JOHNNY Chuck sat in his doorway and watched the world go by. It was a very pleasant world, a very pleasant world indeed, thought Johnny Chuck. Every one was out that pleasant May morning. Johnny Chuck had slipped from his bed very early, but before he had washed himself Jimmy Skunk had stuck his head in at the door and shouted: Good morning, Johnny Chuck!
Johnny Chuck had said Good morning, Jimmy Skunk,
had finished dressing, and then gone out to get his breakfast. Far, far away beyond the Green Meadows, Old Mother West Wind was just beginning to turn a great windmill to pump water for some thirsty cows in Farmer Brown’s barn-yard. The Merry Little Breezes were hopping and skipping over to the Smiling Pool to pay their respects to Great-Grandfather Frog. Old Mr. Toad already was at work in his garden. Yes, it surely was a very pleasant world.
Johnny Chuck ate his breakfast and then sat on his door-step. His heart was light, for he possessed the best thing in the world, which is contentment. Pretty soon he saw Blacky the Crow fly over to Farmer Brown’s cornfield and begin to pull up the tender young corn.
Dear me, dear me, Blacky the Crow is sure to get into trouble,
thought Johnny Chuck.
Sure enough, Blacky the Crow did get into trouble. Johnny Chuck saw a puff of smoke over in the cornfield. Then he heard a loud bang, and Blacky the Crow rose into the air in a hurry. As he flew, three black feathers floated down to the ground. Blacky the Crow had been shot by Farmer Brown’s boy, who had been hiding in the cornfield. But Blacky was more frightened than hurt, and he flew across the Green Meadows to the Lone Pine to nurse his hurts and his temper.
Now it is seldom that any one can get into trouble without getting some one else into trouble also. If Blacky the Crow had let Farmer Brown’s corn alone, Farmer Brown’s boy would not have come out with his gun. But now that he was out with his gun, he thought he would find something else to shoot at, just for fun.
He remembered Johnny Chuck’s house, so he began to creep up very, very carefully to try to catch Johnny Chuck napping. Now Johnny Chuck had done no harm, so he did not suspect harm from Farmer Brown’s boy. Instead of watching him, Johnny Chuck settled himself comfortably to watch the antics of the Fieldmice children at play.
Suddenly up rushed one of the Merry Little Breezes quite out of breath.
Get into your house, Johnny Chuck, quick!
he cried.
Long, long ago Johnny Chuck had learned to obey first and ask questions later. Now he didn’t so much as turn his head to see what the trouble might be, but turned a back somersault down his doorway. Just then there was a terrible bang,
and the sand at the entrance to Johnny Chuck’s house was blown in all directions by the shot. But Johnny Chuck was safe down below. Farmer Brown’s boy had been just too late.
Poor Johnny Chuck! His heart went pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, and he trembled all over. He was dreadfully frightened. All the joy of the beautiful sunshiny day was gone. He didn’t dare stick so much as the tip of his little black nose out of his door for fear that Farmer Brown’s boy was waiting there with his gun. Worse still, he knew that Farmer Brown’s boy knew of his snug little home and so, of course, it was no longer safe. He had got to go out and make a new home. Yes, Sir, Johnny Chuck had got to move, and all because Blacky the Crow had been in mischief.
Now just as Johnny Chuck suspected, Farmer Brown’s boy sat down to wait for Johnny to come out. He loaded his gun, and then he sat very still, watching Johnny Chuck’s doorway. The Merry Little Breezes saw him sitting there, and they were afraid, terribly afraid, that Johnny Chuck would come out. And if he did—what, oh, what could they do?
Then one of them had an idea, such a bright idea! In a flash he had rushed over and snatched the big straw hat from the head of Farmer Brown’s boy. All the other Merry Little Breezes clapped their hands for joy. They remembered how they once had saved Mrs. Redwing’s speckled eggs, so they all joined in and took turns kicking the old straw hat ahead of them across the Green Meadows. It made a splendid football, that old straw hat, and in the fun of kicking it they almost forgot what had started the new game.
Of course Farmer Brown’s boy put his gun down and ran after his hat. The Merry Little Breezes would sometimes let him just touch it with the tips of his fingers, but he never could quite get hold of it. Finally the Merry Little Breezes, lifting all together, took the old hat up, up, up, and sailing it out over the Smiling Pool, dropped it right over the big green lily-pad on which Great-Grandfather Frog was dozing and dreaming of the days when the world was young.
Chug-a-rum,
shouted Grandfather Frog, and dived with a great splash into the Smiling Pool, to come up on the other side that he might see what it was that had fallen from a clear sky over his big green lily-pad.
While Farmer Brown’s boy cut a long pole and with it fished in the Smiling Pool for his old straw hat, one of the Merry Little Breezes hurried back to Johnny Chuck’s house to tell him that the way was clear, and that it was quite safe for him to come out. You may be sure Johnny Chuck was glad, very glad to hear that. Very, very cautiously he poked his little black nose out of his doorway. Way down by the Smiling Pool he could see Farmer Brown’s boy fishing for his old straw hat. Johnny Chuck didn’t wait to see him get it. No, Sir! Johnny Chuck just whispered Good-by
to his snug little home and scampered up the Lone Little Path as fast as he could.
Pretty soon he came to a secret little path he had made for just such a need; no one knew of it but himself. The secret little path led to a spot Johnny Chuck had long before picked out for a new home, if ever he should need one.
Without wasting a minute, he began to dig as never had he dug before. My, how the sand did fly!
Late that afternoon Johnny Chuck’s new home was finished and Johnny Chuck sat in his doorway looking over the Green Meadows and watching the world go by. It was a very beautiful world, a very beautiful world indeed, thought Johnny Chuck. His new home was even better than his old one, and he was sure that no one knew of the secret little path that led to it. He was happy, was Johnny Chuck, for once more he had found the best thing in the world, which is contentment.
Presently he saw Farmer Brown’s boy coming down the Lone Little Path across the Green Meadows. With him was another boy, and they each carried two pails of water. Johnny Chuck sat up very straight to watch.
Down the Lone Little Path went Farmer Brown’s boy and the other boy, straight to Johnny Chuck’s old home. First they put a big stone over what used to be Johnny Chuck’s back door. Then they began to pour water down the front door. They were trying to drown out