Old Mother West Wind Read online

  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 lightof the early morning. Over her shoulders was slung a bag--a great bigbag--and in the bag were all of Old Mother West Wind's children, theMerry Little Breezes.

  Old Mother West Wind came down from the Purple Hills to the GreenMeadows 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 LittleBreezes and began to spin round and round for very joy, for you see theywere to lay in the Green Meadows all day long until Old Mother West Windshould come back at night and take them all to their home behind thePurple Hills.

  First they raced over to see Johnny Chuck. They found Johnny Chucksitting just outside his door eating his breakfast. One, for verymischief, snatched right out of Johnny Chuck's mouth the green leaf ofcorn he was eating, and ran away with it. Another playfully pulled hiswhiskers, while a third rumpled up his hair.

  Johnny Chuck pretended to be very cross indeed, but really he didn'tmind a bit, for Johnny Chuck loved the Merry Little Breezes and playedwith them everyday.

  And if they teased Johnny Chuck they were good to him, too. When theysaw Farmer Brown coming across the Green Meadows with a gun one of themwould dance over to Johnny Chuck and whisper to him that Farmer Brownwas coming, and then Johnny Chuck would hide away, deep down in his snuglittle house under ground, and Farmer Brown would wonder and wonder whyit 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 theGreen Meadows to the Smiling Pool to say good morning to GrandfatherFrog who sat on a big lily pad watching for green flies for breakfast.

  "Chug-arum," said Grandfather Frog, which was his way of saying goodmorning.

  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 tobe seen, but Grandfather Frog looked very well satisfied indeed as hecontentedly 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," saidGrandfather Frog.

  "We must see it," cried the Merry Little Breezes, and away they all ranto the swamp where the bulrushes grow.

  Now someone else had heard of Mrs. Redwing's dear little nest in thebulrushes, and he had started out bright and early that morning totry and find it, for he wanted to steal the little speckled eggs justbecause they were pretty. It was Tommy Brown, the farmer's boy.

  When the Merry Little Breezes reached the swamp where the bulrushesgrow they found poor Mrs. Redwing in great distress. She was afraid thatTommy Brown would find her dear little nest, for he was very, very nearit, and his eyes were very, very sharp.

  "Oh," cried the Merry Little Breezes, "we must help Mrs. Redwing saveher pretty speckled eggs from bad Tommy Brown!"

  So one of the Merry Little Breezes whisked Tommy Brown's old straw hatoff 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 withit. Then they took turns, first one little Breeze, then another littleBreeze running away with the old straw hat just as Tommy Brown wouldalmost get his hands on it. Down past the Smiling Pool and across theLaughing Brook they raced and chased the old straw hat, Tommy Brownrunning after it, very cross, very red in the face, and breathing veryhard. 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 thetime Tommy Brown had it once more on his head he had forgotten all aboutMrs. Redwing and her dear little nest. Besides, he heard the breakfasthorn blowing just then, so off he started for home up the Lone LittlePath through the wood.

  And all the Merry Little Breezes danced away across the Green Meadowsto the swamp where the bulrushes grow to see the new speckled egg in thedear little nest where Mrs. Redwing was singing for joy. And while shesang the Merry Little Breezes danced among the bulrushes, for they knew,and Mrs. Redwing knew, that some day out of that pretty new speckled eggwould come a wee baby Redwing.

  CHAPTER II WHY GRANDFATHER FROG HAS NO TAIL

  Old Mother West Wind had gone to her day's work, leaving all the MerryLittle Breezes to play in the Green Meadows. They had played tag and runraces with the Bees and played hide and seek with the Sun Beams, and nowthey had gathered around the Smiling Pool where on a green lily pad satGrandfather Frog.

  Grandfather Frog was old, very old, indeed, and very, very wise. He worea green coat and his voice was very deep. When Grandfather Frogspoke everybody listened very respectfully. Even Billy Mink treatedGrandfather Frog with respect, for Billy Mink's father and his father'sfather could not remember when Grandfather Frog had not sat on the lilypad watching for green flies.

  Down in the Smiling Pool were some of Grandfather Frog'sgreat-great-great-great-great grandchildren. You wouldn't have knownthat they were his grandchildren unless some one told you. They didn'tlook the least bit like Grandfather Frog. They were round and fat andhad long tails and perhaps this is why they were called Pollywogs.

  "Oh Grandfather Frog, tell us why you don't have a tail as you did whenyou were young," begged one of the Merry Little Breezes.

  Grandfather Frog snapped up a foolish green fly and settled himself onhis big lily pad, while all the Merry Little Breezes gathered round tolisten.

  "Once on a time," began Grandfather Frog, "the Frogs ruled the world,which was mostly water. There was very little dry land--oh, very littleindeed! There were no boys to throw stones and no hungry Mink to gobbleup foolish Frog-babies who were taking a sun bath!"

  Billy Mink, who had joined the Merry Little Breezes and was listening,squirmed uneasily and looked away guiltily.

  "In those days all the Frogs had tails, long handsome tails of whichthey were very, very proud indeed," continued Grandfather Frog. "TheKing of all the Frogs was twice as big as any other Frog, and his tailwas three times as long. He was very proud, oh, very proud indeed ofhis long tail. He used to sit and admire it until he thought that therenever had been and never could be another such tail. He used to wave itback and forth in the water, and every time he waved it all the otherFrogs would cry 'Ah!' and 'Oh!' Every day the King grew more vain. Hedid nothing at all but eat and sleep and admire his tail.

  "Now all the other F
rogs did just as the King did, so pretty soon noneof the Frogs were doing anything but sitting about eating, sleeping andadmiring their own tails and the King's.

  "Now you all know that people who do nothing worth while in this worldare of no use and there is little room for them. So when Mother Naturesaw how useless had become the Frog tribe she called the King Frogbefore her and she said:

  "'Because you can think of nothing but your beautiful tail it shall betaken away from you. Because you do nothing but eat and sleep your mouthshall become wide like a door, and your eyes shall start forth from yourhead. You shall become bow-legged and ugly to look at, and all the worldshall laugh at you.'

  "The King Frog looked at his beautiful tail and already it seemed tohave grown shorter. He looked again and it was shorter still. Everytime he looked his tail had grown shorter and smaller. By and by when helooked there was nothing left but a little stub which he couldn't evenwriggle. Then even that disappeared, his eyes popped out of his head andhis mouth grew bigger and bigger."

  Old Grandfather Frog stopped and looked sadly at a foolish green flycoming his way. "Chug-arum," said Grandfather Frog, opening his mouthvery wide and hopping up in the air. When he sat down again on his biglily pad the green fly was nowhere to be seen. Grandfather Frog smackedhis lips and continued:

  "And from that day to this every Frog has started life with a big tail,and as he has grown bigger and bigger his tail has grown smaller andsmaller, until finally it disappears, and then he remembers how foolishand useless it is to be vain of what nature has given us. And that ishow I came to lose my tail," finished Grandfather Frog.

  "Thank you," shouted all the Merry Little Breezes. "We won't forget."

  Then they ran a race to see who could reach Johnny Chuck's home firstand tell him that Farmer Brown was coming down on the Green Meadows witha gun.

  CHAPTER III HOW REDDY FOX WAS SURPRISED

  Johnny Chuck and Reddy Fox lived very near together on the edge of theGreen Meadows. Johnny Chuck was fat and roly-poly. Reddy Fox was slimand wore a bright red coat. Reddy Fox used to like to frighten JohnnyChuck by suddenly popping out from behind a tree and making believe thathe was going to eat Johnny Chuck all up.

  One bright summer day Johnny Chuck was out looking for a good breakfastof nice tender clover. He had wandered quite a long way from his snuglittle house in the long meadow grass, although his mother had told himnever to go out of sight of the door. But Johnny was like some littleboys I know, and forgot all he had been told.

  He walked and walked and walked. Every few minutes Johnny Chuck sawsomething farther on that looked like a patch of nice fresh clover.And every time when he reached it Johnny Chuck found that he had made amistake. So Johnny Chuck walked and walked and walked.

  Old Mother West Wind, coming across the Green Meadows, saw Johnny Chuckand asked him where he was going. Johnny Chuck pretended not to hear andjust walked faster.

  One of the Merry Little Breezes danced along in front of him.

  "Look out, Johnny Chuck, you will get lost," cried the Merry LittleBreeze then pulled Johnny's whiskers and ran away.

  Higher and higher up in the sky climbed round, red Mr. Sun. Every timeJohnny Chuck looked up at him Mr. Sun winked.

  "So long as I can see great round, red Mr. Sun and he winks at me Ican't be lost," thought Johnny Chuck, and trotted on looking for clover.

  By and by Johnny Chuck really did find some clover--just the sweetestclover that grew in the Green Meadows. Johnny Chuck ate and ate and ateand then what do you think he did? Why, he curled right up in the nicesweet clover and went fast asleep.

  Great round, red Mr. Sun kept climbing higher and higher up in the sky,then by and by he began to go down on the other side, and long shadowsbegan to creep out across the Green Meadows. Johnny Chuck didn't knowanything about them: he was fast asleep.

  By and by one of the Merry Little Breezes found Johnny Chuck all curledup in a funny round ball.

  "Wake up Johnny Chuck! Wake up!" shouted the Merry Little Breeze.

  Johnny Chuck opened his eyes. Then he sat up and rubbed them. For just afew, few minutes he couldn't remember where he was at all.

  By and by he sat up very straight to look over the grass and see wherehe was. But he was so far from home that he didn't see a single thingthat looked at all like the things he was used to. The trees were alldifferent. The bushes were all different. Everything was different.Johnny Chuck was lost.

  Now, when Johnny sat up, Reddy Fox happened to be looking over the GreenMeadows and he saw Johnny's head where it popped above the grass.

  "Aha!" said Reddy Fox, "I'll scare Johnny Chuck so he'll wish he'd neverput his nose out of his house."

  Then Reddy dropped down behind the long grass and crept softly, oh,ever so softly, through the paths of his own, until he was right behindJohnny Chuck. Johnny Chuck had been so intent looking for home that hedidn't see anything else.

  Reddy Fox stole right up behind Johnny and pulled Johnny's little shorttail hard. How it did frighten Johnny Chuck! He jumped right straightup in the air and when he came down he was the maddest little woodchuckthat ever lived in the Green Meadows.

  Reddy Fox had thought that Johnny would run, and then Reddy meant to runafter him and pull his tail and tease him all the way home. Now, ReddyFox got as big a surprise as Johnny had had when Reddy pulled his tail.Johnny didn't stop to think that Reddy Fox was twice as big as he,but with his eyes snapping, and chattering as only a little Chuck canchatter, with every little hair on his little body standing right upon end, so that he seemed twice as big as he really was, he started forReddy Fox.

  It surprised Reddy Fox so that he didn't know what to do, and he simplyran. Johnny Chuck ran after him, nipping Reddy's heels every minute ortwo. Peter Rabbit just happened to be down that way. He was sitting upvery straight looking to see what mischief he could get into when hecaught sight of Reddy Fox running as hard as ever he could. "It mustbe that Bowser, the hound, is after Reddy Fox," said Peter Rabbit tohimself. "I must watch out that he doesn't find me."

  Just then he caught sight of Johnny Chuck with every little hairstanding up on end and running after Reddy Fox as fast as his short legscould go.

  "Ho! ho! ho!" shouted Peter Rabbit. "Reddy Fox afraid of Johnny Chuck!Ho! ho! Ho!"

  Then Peter Rabbit scampered away to find Jimmy Skunk and Bobby Coon andHappy Jack Squirrel to tell them all about how Reddy Fox had run awayfrom Johnny Chuck, for you see they were all a little afraid of ReddyFox.

  Straight home ran Reddy Fox as fast as he could go, and going home hepassed the house of Johnny Chuck. Now Johnny couldn't run so fast asReddy Fox and he was puffing and blowing as only a fat little woodchuckcan puff and blow when he has to run hard. Moreover, he had lost his illtemper now and he thought it was the best joke ever to think that he hadactually frightened Reddy Fox. When he came to his own house he stoppedand sat on his hind legs once more. Then he shrilled out after ReddyFox: "Reddy Fox is a 'fraid cat, 'fraid-cat! Reddy Fox is a 'fraid-cat!"

  And all the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind, who wereplaying on the Green Meadows shouted: "Reddy Fox is a 'fraid-cat,'fraid-cat!"

  And this is the way that Reddy Fox was surprised and that Johnny Chuckfound his way home.

  CHAPTER IV WHY JIMMY SKUNK WEARS STRIPES

  Jimmy Skunk, as everybody knows, wears a striped suit, a suit of blackand white. There was a time, long, long ago, when all the Skunk familywore black. Very handsome their coats were, too, a beautiful, glossyblack. They were very, very proud of them and took the greatest care ofthem, brushing them carefully ever so many times a day.

  There was a Jimmy Skunk then, just as there is now, and he was head ofall the Skunk family. Now this Jimmy Skunk was very proud and thoughthimself very much of a gentleman. He was very independent and cared forno one. Like a great many other independent people, he did not alwaysconsider the rights of others. Indeed, it was hinted in the wood and onthe Green Meadows that not all of Jimmy Skunk's doings would bear
thelight of day. It was openly said that he was altogether too fond ofprowling about at night, but no one could prove that he was responsiblefor mischief done in the night, for no one saw him. You see his coat wasso black that in the darkness of the night it was not visible at all.

  Now about this time of which I am telling you Mrs. Ruffed Grouse made anest at the foot of the Great Pine and in it she laid fifteen beautifulbuff eggs. Mrs. Grouse was very happy, very happy indeed, and all thelittle meadow folks who knew of her happiness were happy too, for theyall loved shy, demure, little Mrs. Grouse. Every morning when PeterRabbit trotted down the Lone Little Path through the wood past the GreatPine he would stop for a few minutes to chat with Mrs. Grouse. HappyJack Squirrel would bring her the news every afternoon. The Merry LittleBreezes of Old Mother West Wind would run up a dozen times a day to seehow she was getting along.

  One morning Peter Rabbit, coming down the Lone Little Path for his usualmorning call, found a terrible state of affairs. Poor little Mrs. Grousewas heart-broken. All about the foot of the Great Pine lay the emptyshells of her beautiful eggs. They had been broken and scattered thisway and that.

  "How did it happen?" asked Peter Rabbit.

  "I don't know," sobbed poor little Mrs. Grouse. "In the night when I wasfast asleep something pounced upon me. I managed to get away and fly upin the top of the Great Pine. In the morning I found all my eggs broken,just as you see them here."

  Peter Rabbit looked the ground over very carefully. He hunted aroundbehind the Great Pine, he looked under the bushes, he studied the groundwith a very wise air. Then he hopped off down the Lone Little Path tothe Green Meadows. He stopped at the house of Johnny Chuck.