Mother West Wind "Why" Stories
by Thornton W. Burgess
Mother West Wind Stories (5), Chronological list of Thornton W. Burgess’s Works (1915)
On This Page
Description
"Grandfather Frog is very old and very wise, and he knows all about the days when the world was young. When he is feeling just right, he dearly loves to tell about those long-ago days."Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog. And then he told why Peter Rabbit -- and all rabbits -- cannot bend their wrists. He told a thousand stories, in fact, because that's what Grandfather Frog was meant to do. Stories of Rabbits, Chipmunks, Possums, Foxes -- Grandfather Frog knows the important stuff about show more everybody who lives around the meadow."--Amazon. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Mother West Wind 'Why' Stories is the fifth book in Thornton W. Burgess' series of Mother West Wind stories. The sixteen stories follow a formula: some character, usually Peter Rabbit (not Beatrix Potter's character), starts wondering about a characteristic of another character and asks wise old Grandfather Frog about it. Grandfather Frog tells the story, usually referring to the animal's ancestor as the 'grandfather a thousand times removed' or 'great-great-ever-so-great grandfather'. One story is told by Ol' [Old] Mistah [Mister] Buzzard.
The characteristics are either a reward or a punishment from Old Mother Nature. Grandfather Frog will give a moral about the story. The listener or listeners might also comment.
The stories are:
'Why show more Striped Chipmunk is Proud of His Stripes'
'Why Peter Rabbit Cannot Fold His Hands'
'Why Unc' Billy Possum Plays Dead'
'Why Reddy Fox Wears Red'
'Why Jimmy Skunk Never Hurries'
'Why Sammy Jay Has a Fine Coat'
'Why Jerry Muskrat Builds His House on Water'
'Why Old Man Coyote Has Many Voices'
'Why Miner the Mole Lives Under Ground'
'Why Mr. Snake Cannot Wink'
'Why Bobby Coon has rings on His Tail'
'Why There is a Black Head in the Buzzard Family'
'Why Buster Bear Appears to Have No Tail'
'Why Flitter the Bat Flies at Night'
'Why Spotty the Turtle Carries His House With Him'
'Why Paddy the Beaver Has a Broad Tail'
Almost all of the stories are charming and fun. I like it when Grandfather Frog invites his listener to use his head. Sadly, Ol' Mistah Buzzard's story is racist, but that can be avoided if the adult reading aloud ignores a couple of insulting adjectives. The copyright for these stories is 1915, but children today should enjoy them. show less
The characteristics are either a reward or a punishment from Old Mother Nature. Grandfather Frog will give a moral about the story. The listener or listeners might also comment.
The stories are:
'Why show more Striped Chipmunk is Proud of His Stripes'
'Why Peter Rabbit Cannot Fold His Hands'
'Why Unc' Billy Possum Plays Dead'
'Why Reddy Fox Wears Red'
'Why Jimmy Skunk Never Hurries'
'Why Sammy Jay Has a Fine Coat'
'Why Jerry Muskrat Builds His House on Water'
'Why Old Man Coyote Has Many Voices'
'Why Miner the Mole Lives Under Ground'
'Why Mr. Snake Cannot Wink'
'Why Bobby Coon has rings on His Tail'
'Why There is a Black Head in the Buzzard Family'
'Why Buster Bear Appears to Have No Tail'
'Why Flitter the Bat Flies at Night'
'Why Spotty the Turtle Carries His House With Him'
'Why Paddy the Beaver Has a Broad Tail'
Almost all of the stories are charming and fun. I like it when Grandfather Frog invites his listener to use his head. Sadly, Ol' Mistah Buzzard's story is racist, but that can be avoided if the adult reading aloud ignores a couple of insulting adjectives. The copyright for these stories is 1915, but children today should enjoy them. show less
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Thornton W. Burgess’s Works
129 works; 3 members
Children's Literature 1900 - 1950 in order
413 works; 8 members
Author Information
344+ Works 29,264 Members
Thornton Waldo Burgess was born in Sandwich on January 14, 1874. Burgess graduated from Sandwich High School in 1891, and went on to attend a Business College in Boston from 1892-93. At the age of 17, Burgess briefly lived in Boston and then moved to Springfield, Massachusetts. He bought a place in Hampden, Massachusetts in 1925 and made it his show more permanent home in 1957. He published his first book, Old Mother West Wind, in 1910 Burgess was a naturalist and conservationist, and loved loved nature and its living creatures so much that he wrote about them for 50 years. By the time he retired, he had written more than 170 books and 15,000 stories for daily columns in newspapers. Burgess was also actively involved with conservation efforts. Some of his projects over his lifetime included: The Green Meadow Club for land conservation programs. The Bedtime Stories Club for wildlife protection programs, the Happy Jack Squirrel Saving Club for War Savings Stamps & Bonds, the Radio Nature League broadcast from WBZA Springfield, MA., as well as helping to pass laws protecting migrant wildlife. For his efforts, an Honorary Literary Degree was bestowed upon Burgess in 1938 from Northeastern University. The Boston Museum of Science awarded him a gold medal for "leading children down the path to the wide wonderful world of the outdoors." He was also awarded the distinguished Service Medal of the Permanent Wildlife Protection Fund. In 1960, Burgess published his last book, Now I Remember, an autobiography. That same year, Burgess at the age of 83, had published his 15,000th story. From 1912 to 1960, without interruption, Burgess wrote a syndicated daily newspaper column titled "Bedtime Stories". Thornton Burgess died June 5, 1965, at the age of 91. The Thornton W. Burgess Society was incorporated in 1976. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
All Editions
Series
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1915
- People/Characters
- the Merry Little Breezes (children of Old Mother West Wind); Striped Chipmunk; Grandfather Frog; Old Mr. Chipmunk (Striped Chipmunk's grandfather, a thousand times removed); Old Mr. Meadow Mouse; Mr. Bob Cat (show all 50); Old Mother Nature; Happy Jack Squirrel; Peter Rabbit (not the Beatrix Potter character); Old Mr. Toad; Old Mr. Rabbit (Peter Rabbit's grandfather, a thousand times removed); Old King Bear (from when the world was young); old Mr. Coon (Bobby Coon's grandfather, a thousand times removed); Mr. Mink; Mr. Otter; Mr. Woodchuck; Mr. Skunk; Mr. Squirrel; Johnny Chuck; Unc' Billy Possum; old Mr. Possum (Unc' Billy Possum's grandfather, a thousand times removed); Mr. Panther; Mr. Lynx; Mr. Wolf; Mr. Fisher; Mr. Fox; Reddy Fox; Jenny Wren; Old Mr. Fox (Reddy Fox's grandfather, a thousand times removed); Mrs. Quack (from the days of Old Man Fox); Mr. Skunk (Jimmy Skunk's great-great-ever-so-great grandfather); Sammy Jay; Mr. Jay (Sammy Jay's great-great-ever-so-great grandfather); Mr. Muskrat (Jerry Muskrat's grandfather, a thousand times removed); Mr. Coyote (Old Man Coyote great-great-ever-so-great grandfather); Danny Meadow Mouse; Mr. Mole (Miner the Mole's grandfather, a thousand times removed); Mr. Greensnake; old Mr. Snake (Mr. Greensnake and other snakes' grandfather, a thousand times removed); Ol' Mistah Buzzard (his family name is really Vulture); lazy cousin of Grandpap Buzzard (Grandpap was Ol' Mistah Buzzard's ancestor); little old woman whose chimney Grandpap Buzzard's cousin was warming his toes in; Buster Bear; Flitter the Bat; Old Mr. Bat (Flitter the Bat's great-great-ever-so-great grandfather); Old Mr. Hawk (from the days of Old Mr. Bat); Spotty the Turtle; Mr. Turtle (Spotty the Turtle's great-great-ever-so-great grandfather); Paddy the Beaver; Mr. Beaver (Paddy the Beaver's great-great-ever-so-great grandfather)
- Important places
- the Smiling Pool; the dear Old Briar-patch; the Green Forest at the foot of the Great Mountain; the Green Meadows; Mrs. Quack's home at the foot of a red claybank; the Purple Hills (show all 11); the Crooked Little Path; the Laughing Brook; the Great World; old woman's tumble-down house in Virginia; Old Mr. Bat's cave
- First words
- THE Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind are great friends of Striped Chipmunk.
('Why Striped Chipmunk is Proud of His Stripes')
HAPPY JACK SQUIRREL sat with his hands folded across his white waistcoat.
('Why Peter Rabbit Cannot Fold His Hands')
ONE thing puzzled Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck and Striped Chipmunk a great deal after they had come to know Unc' Billy Possum and his funny ways.
('Why Unc' Billy Possum Plays Dead')
PETER RABBIT sat in the middle of the dear Old Briar-patch making faces and laughing at Reddy Fox. ('Why Reddy Fox Wears Red')
THE Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind had just been released from the big bag in which she carries them every night to their home behind the Purple Hills and every morning brings them back to the Green Meadows to r... (show all)omp and play all day.
('Why Jimmy Skunk Never Hurries')
SAMMY JAY has a very fine coat, a very beautiful coat.
('Why Sammy Jay Has a Fine Coat')
PETER RABBIT and Johnny Chuck had gone down to the Smiling Pool for a call on their old friend, Jerry Muskrat. ('Why Jerry Muskrat Builds His House on Water')
OF course Old Man Coyote has only one voice. [probably the rest of a comma didn't get ink because it's smaller than the periods in the book] but that one is such a wonderful voice that he can make it sound like a great many v... (show all)oices, all yelping and howling and shouting and laughing at the same time.
('Why Old Man Coyote Has Many Voices')
STRIPED CHIPMUNK sat staring at a little ridge where the grass was raised up.
('Why Miner the Mole Lives Under Ground')
PETER RABBIT and Johnny Chuck were playing tag on the Green Meadows.
('Why Mr. Snake Cannot Wink')
PETER RABBIT would give Grandfather Frog no peace.
('Why Bobby Coon has rings on His Tail')
OL' MISTAH BUZZARD had just told the story of why he has a bald head and is proud of it.
('Why There is a Black Head in the Buzzard Family')
PETER RABBIT had something new to bother his bump of curiosity. ('Why Buster Bear Appears to Have No Tail')
FLITTER the Bat made Peter Rabbit's head dizzy.
('Why Flitter the Bat Flies at Night')
SPOTTY the Turtle sat on an old log on the bank of the Smiling Pool, taking a sun-bath.
('Why Spotty the Turtle Carries His House With Him')
USUALLY the thing that interests us most is something that we haven't got ourselves.
('Why Paddy the Beaver Has a Broad Tail') - Quotations
- Sammy Jay's fine coat isn't a reward for goodness, as is Winsome Bluebird's, but is to help the other little people of the Green Forest and Green Meadows to protect themselves and , and keep track of Sammy when he is sneaking... (show all) and snooping around looking for mischief.
('Why Sammy Jay Has a Fine Coat')
'Way back in the days when Grandpap Buzzard had his lil falling out with ol' King Eagle and done fly so high he sco'tch the feathers offen his haid, he had a cousin, did Grandpap Buzzard...'
\ 'Way back in the days when ... (show all)Grandpappy Buzzard had his little falling out with old King Eagle and flew so high he scorched the feathers off of his head, he had a cousin...'
('Why There is a Black Head in the Buzzard Family') - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'And that is how it happens that Striped Chipmunk comes by his striped coat, and why he is so proud of it, and takes such good care of it,' concluded Grandfather Frog.
('Why Striped Chipmunk is Proud of His Stripes')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'And that is why Peter Rabbit cannot fold his arms and still lives in a tumble-down house among the brambles,' concluded Grandfather Frog.
('Why Peter Rabbit Cannot Fold His Hands')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'Thank you!' cried Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck and Striped Chipmunk, and started off to hunt up Unc' Billy Possum.
('Why Unc' Billy Possum Plays Dead')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)A good heart and honest ways are better than fine clothes.'
('Why Reddy Fox Wears Red')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And away he went, lipperty-lipperty-lip. ('Why Jimmy Skunk Never Hurries')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'I know I am,' said Grandfather Frog.
('Why Sammy Jay Has a Fine Coat')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'I think I will,' said Peter.
('Why Jerry Muskrat Builds His House on Water')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'Thank you, Grandfather Frog!' cried Peter and scampered as fast as he could go for the dear, safe Old Briar-patch. ('Why Old Man Coyote Has Many Voices')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And to this day Peter Rabbit wonders what the story was that he missed.
('Why Miner the Mole Lives Under Ground')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'Perhaps,' replied Grandfather Frog.
('Why Mr. Snake Cannot Wink')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And then he wondered why everybody laughed.
('Why Bobby Coon has rings on His Tail')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'But it's true!' shouted all together, and then everybody gave three cheers for Ol' Mistah Buzzard before starting off to attend to their own private affairs. ('Why There is a Black Head in the Buzzard Family')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'I think that hereafter I will be quite content with what I've got and never want things it is not meant that I should have.'
(Why Buster Bear Appears to Have No Tail')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'It certainly does!' replied Grandfather Frog.
('Why Flitter the Bat Flies at Night')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Of course, Grandfather Frog knows Peter and his curiosity so well that he had guessed right away that Peter would come to him for the story, just as Peter did.
('Why Spotty the Turtle Carries His House With Him')
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'And ever since that long-ago day, all Beavers have had broad tails, and have been the greatest workers in the world.'
('Why Paddy the Beaver Has a Broad Tail')
Classifications
- Genres
- Children's Books, Fiction and Literature
- DDC/MDS
- 813.52 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1900-1945
- LCC
- PZ10.3 .B8 .M — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 210
- Popularity
- 154,788
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.92)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 21
- ASINs
- 15
