Produced by Eve Sobol
OLD MOTHER WEST WIND
By Thornton W. Burgess
TO MY MOTHER TO WHOM I OWE SO MUCH AND TO MY LITTLE SON WHOSE
LOVE OF STORIES INSPIRED THESE TALES THIS LITTLE VOLUME IS
AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.
CONTENTS:
CHAPTER
I. MRS. REDWING'S SPECKLED EGG
II. WHY GRANDFATHER FROG HAS NO TAIL
III. HOW REDDY FOX WAS SURPRISED
IV. WHY JIMMY SKUNK WEARS STRIPES
V. THE WILFUL LITTLE BREEZE
VI. REDDY FOX GOES FISHING
VII. JIMMY SKUNK LOOKS FOR BEETLES
VIII. BILLY MINK'S SWIMMING PARTY
IX. PETER RABBIT PLAYS A JOKE
X. HOW SAMMY JAY WAS FOUND OUT
XI. JERRY MUSKRAT'S PARTY
XII. BOBBY COON AND REDDY FOX PLAY TRICKS
XIII. JOHNNY CHUCK FINDS THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD
XIV. LITTLE JOE OTTER'S SLIPPERY SLIDE
XV. THE TALE OF TOMMY TROUT WHO DIDN'T MIND
XVI. SPOTTY THE TURTLE WINS A RACE
CHAPTER I. MRS. REDWING'S SPECKLED EGG
Old Mother West Wind came down from the Purple Hills in the golden light
of the early morning. Over her shoulders was slung a bag--a great big
bag--and in the bag were all of Old Mother West Wind's children, the
Merry Little Breezes.
Old Mother West Wind came down from the Purple Hills to the Green
Meadows and as she walked she crooned a song:
“Ships upon the ocean wait;
I must hurry, hurry on!
Mills are idle if I'm late;
I must hurry, hurry on.”
When she reached the Green Meadows Old Mother West Wind opened her bag,
turned it upside down and shook it. Out tumbled all the Merry Little
Breezes and began to spin round and round for very joy, for you see they
were to lay in the Green Meadows all day long until Old Mother West Wind
should come back at night and take them all to their home behind the
Purple Hills.
First they raced over to see Johnny Chuck. They found Johnny Chuck
sitting just outside his door eating his breakfast. One, for very
mischief, snatched right out of Johnny Chuck's mouth the green leaf of
corn he was eating, and ran away with it. Another playfully pulled his
whiskers, while a third rumpled up his hair.
Johnny Chuck pretended to be very cross indeed, but really he didn't
mind a bit, for Johnny Chuck loved the Merry Little Breezes and played
with them everyday.
And if they teased Johnny Chuck they were good to him, too. When they
saw Farmer Brown coming across the Green Meadows with a gun one of them
would dance over to Johnny Chuck and whisper to him that Farmer Brown
was coming, and then Johnny Chuck would hide away, deep down in his snug
little house under ground, and Farmer Brown would wonder and wonder why
it was that he never, never could get near enough to shoot Johnny Chuck.
But he never, never could.
When the Merry Little Breezes left Johnny Chuck they raced across the
Green Meadows to the Smiling Pool to say good morning to Grandfather
Frog who sat on a big lily pad watching for green flies for breakfast.
“Chug-arum,” said Grandfather Frog, which was his way of saying good
morning.
Just then along came a fat green fly and up jumped Grandfather Frog.
When he sat down again on the lily pad the fat green fly was nowhere to
be seen, but Grandfather Frog looked very well satisfied indeed as he
contentedly rubbed his white waistcoat with one hand.
“What is the news, Grandfather Frog?” cried the Merry Little Breezes.
“Mrs. Redwing has a new speckled egg in her nest in the bulrushes,” said
Grandfather Frog.
“We must see it,” cried the Merry Little Breezes, and away they all ran
to the swamp where the bulrushes grow.
Now someone else had heard of Mrs. Redwing's dear little nest in the
bulrushes, and he had started out bright and early that morning to
try and find it, for he wanted to steal the little speckled eggs just
because they were pretty. It was Tommy Brown, the farmer's boy.
When the Merry Little Breezes reached the swamp where the bulrushes
grow they found poor Mrs. Redwing in great distress. She was afraid that
Tommy Brown would find her dear little nest, for he was very, very near
it, and his eyes were very, very sharp.
“Oh,” cried the Merry Little Breezes, “we must help Mrs. Redwing save
her pretty speckled eggs from bad Tommy Brown!”
So one of the Merry Little Breezes whisked Tommy Brown's old straw hat
off his head over into the Green Meadows. Of course Tommy ran after it.
Just as he stooped to pick it up another little Breeze ran away with
it. Then they took turns, first one little Breeze, then another little
Breeze running away with the old straw hat just as Tommy Brown would
almost get his hands on it. Down past the Smiling Pool and across the
Laughing Brook they raced and chased the old straw hat, Tommy Brown
running after it, very cross, very red in the face, and breathing very
hard. Way across the Green Meadows they ran to the edge of the wood,
where they hung the old straw hat in the middle of a thorn tree. By the
time Tommy Brown had it once more on his head he had forgotten all about
Mrs. Redwing and her dear little nest. Besides, he heard the breakfast
horn blowing just then, so off he started for home up the Lone Little
Path through the wood.
And all the Merry Little Breezes danced away across the Green Meadows
to the swamp where the bulrushes grow to see the new speckled egg in the
dear little nest where Mrs. Redwing was singing for joy. And while she
sang the Merry Little Breezes danced among the bulrushes, for they knew,
and Mrs. Redwing knew, that some day out of that pretty new speckled egg
would come a wee baby Redwing.