Mother West Wind's Children Read online

  MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN

  by

  THORNTON W. BURGESS

  Author of "Old Mother West Wind"

  Illustrated by George Kerr

  [Frontispiece: "Yap-yap-yap," barked Reddy Fox, as loud as he could.]

  Grosset & DunlapPublishersNew YorkBy arrangement with Little, Brown and Company

  Copyright, 1911,by Thornton W. Burgess.All rights reserved

  TO

  ALL THE LITTLE FRIENDS

  OF

  JOHNNY CHUCK AND REDDY FOX,

  AND TO

  ALL WHO LOVE THE GREEN MEADOWS

  AND THE SMILING POOL,

  THE LAUGHING BROOK AND THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES,

  THIS LITTLE BOOK IS DEDICATED.

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER

  I. DANNY MEADOW MOUSE LEARNS WHY HIS TAIL IS SHORT II. WHY REDDY FOX HAS NO FRIENDS III. WHY PETER RABBIT'S EARS ARE LONG IV. REDDY FOX DISOBEYS V. STRIPED CHIPMUNK'S POCKETS VI. REDDY FOX, THE BOASTER VII. JOHNNY CHUCK'S SECRET VIII. JOHNNY CHUCK'S GREAT FIGHT IX. MR. TOAD'S OLD SUIT X. GRANDFATHER FROG GETS EVEN XI. THE DISAPPOINTED BUSH XII. WHY BOBBY COON WASHES HIS FOOD XIII. THE MERRY LITTLE BREEZES HAVE A BUSY DAY XIV. WHY HOOTY THE OWL DOES NOT PLAY ON THE GREEN MEADOWS XV. DANNY MEADOW MOUSE LEARNS TO LAUGH

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  "YAP-YAP-YAP," BARKED REDDY FOX, AS LOUD AS HE COULD . . . . . . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_

  MR. RABBIT HAD A GREAT DEAL OF CURIOSITY, A VERY GREAT DEAL, INDEED

  THEN EVERYBODY SHOUTED "HAW! HAW! HAW!"

  HE WAS SO SURPRISED HE FORGOT TO CLOSE IT

  MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN

  I

  DANNY MEADOW MOUSE LEARNS WHY HIS TAIL IS SHORT

  Danny Meadow Mouse sat in his doorway and looked down the Lone LittlePath across the Green Meadows. Way, way over near the Smiling Pool hecould see Old Mother West Wind's Children, the Merry Little Breezes, atplay. Sammy Jay was sitting on a fence post. He pretended to betaking a sun bath, but really he was planning mischief. You never seeSammy Jay that he isn't in mischief or planning it.

  Reddy Fox had trotted past an hour before in a great hurry. Up on thehill Danny Meadow Mouse could just see Jimmy Skunk pulling over everyold stick and stone he could find, no matter whose house it might be,and excusing himself because he was hungry and was looking for beetles.

  Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun was playing at hide and seek behind somefleecy white clouds. All the birds were singing and singing, and theworld was happy--all but Danny Meadow Mouse.

  No, Danny Meadow Mouse was not happy. Indeed, he was very far fromhappy, and all because his tail was short.

  By and by up came old Mr. Toad. It was a warm day and Mr. Toad wasvery hot and very, very thirsty. He stopped to rest beside the houseof Danny Meadow Mouse.

  "Good morning, Danny Meadow Mouse," said old Mr. Toad, "it's a finemorning."

  "Morning," said Danny Meadow Mouse, grumpily.

  "I hope your health is good this morning," continued old Mr. Toad, justas if he hadn't noticed how short and cross Danny Meadow Mouse hadanswered.

  Now old Mr. Toad is very ugly to look upon, but the ugliness is all inhis looks. He has the sunniest of hearts and always he is looking fora chance to help someone.

  "Danny Meadow Mouse," said old Mr. Toad, "you make me think of yourgrandfather a thousand times removed. You do indeed. You look just ashe did when he lost the half of his tail and realized that he never,never could get it back again."

  Danny Meadow Mouse sat up suddenly.

  "What are you talking about, old Mr. Toad? What are you talkingabout?" he asked. "Did my grandfather a thousand times removed losethe half of his tail, and was it shorter then than mine is now? Wasit, old Mr. Toad? And how did he come to lose the half of it?"

  Old Mr. Toad laughed a funny silent laugh. "It's a long story," saidold Mr. Toad, "and I'm afraid I can't tell it. Go down to the SmilingPool and ask Great-Grandfather Frog, who is my first cousin, how ithappened your grandfather a thousand times removed lost the half of histail. But before you go catch three fat, foolish, green flies and takethem with you as a present to Grandfather Frog."

  Danny Meadow Mouse could hardly wait for old Mr. Toad to stop speaking.In fact, he was in such a hurry that he almost forgot his manners. Notquite, however, for he shouted "Thank you, Mr. Toad, thank you!" overhis shoulder as he rushed off down the Lone Little Path.

  You see his short tail had always been a matter of mortification toDanny Meadow Mouse. All his cousins in the Mouse family and the Ratfamily have long, smooth, tapering tails, and they have always been asource of envy to Danny Meadow Mouse. He had felt his queer short tailto be a sort of disgrace. So when he would meet one of his cousinsdancing down the Lone Little Path, with his long, slim, tapering tailbehind him, Danny Meadow Mouse would slip out of sight under the longgrass, he was so ashamed of his own little tail. It looked so mean andsmall! He had wondered and wondered if the Meadow Mice had always hadshort tails. He used to ask everyone who came his way if they had everseen a Meadow Mouse with a long tail, but he had never found any onewho had.

  "Perhaps," thought Danny Meadow Mouse as he hurried down the LoneLittle Path, "perhaps Grandfather Frog, who is very wise, will know whymy tail is short."

  So he hurried this way and he hurried that way over the Green Meadowsin search of fat, foolish, green flies. And when he had caught three,he caught one more for good measure. Then he started for the SmilingPool as fast as his short legs would take him.

  When finally he reached the edge of the Smiling Pool he was quite outof breath. There sat Great-Grandfather Frog on his big, green lilypad. He was blinking his great goggle eyes at jolly, round, red Mr.Sun.

  "Oh, Grandfather Frog," said Danny Meadow Mouse in a very small voice,for you know he was quite out of breath with running, "Oh, GrandfatherFrog, I've brought you four fat, foolish, green flies."

  Grandfather Frog put a hand behind an ear and listened. "Did I hearsomeone say 'foolish, green flies?'" asked Grandfather Frog.

  "Yes, Grandfather Frog, here they are," said Danny Meadow Mouse, stillin a very small voice. Then he gave Grandfather Frog the four fat,foolish, green flies.

  "What is it that you want me to do for you, Danny Meadow Mouse?" askedGrandfather Frog as he smacked his lips, for he knew that Danny MeadowMouse must want something to bring him four fat, foolish, green flies.

  "If you please," said Danny Meadow Mouse, very politely, "if youplease, Grandfather Frog, old Mr. Toad told me that you could tell mehow Grandfather Meadow Mouse a thousand times removed lost half of histail. Will you, Grandfather Frog--will you?"

  "Chug-a-rum," said Grandfather Frog. "My cousin, Mr. Toad, talks toomuch."

  But he settled himself comfortably on the big lily pad, and this iswhat he told Danny Meadow Mouse:

  "Once upon a time, when the world was young, Mr. Meadow Mouse, yourgrandfather a thousand times removed, was a very fine gentleman. Hetook a great deal of pride in his appearance, did Mr. Meadow Mouse, andthey used to say on the Green Meadows that he spent an hour, a fullhour, every day combing his whiskers and brushing his coat.

  "Anyway, he was very fine to look upon, was Mr. Meadow Mouse, and notthe least attractive thing about him was his beautiful, long, slimtail, of which he was very proud.

  "Now about this time there was a great deal of trouble on the GreenMeadows and in the Green Forest, for some one was stealing--yes,stealing! Mr. Rabbit complained first. To be sure, Mr. Rabbit waslazy and his cabbage patch had grown little more than weeds while hehad been minding other folks' affairs rather than his own, but, then,that was no
reason why he should lose half of the little which he didraise. And that is just what he said had happened.

  "No one really believed what Mr. Rabbit said, for he had such a badname for telling things which were not so that when he did tell thetruth no one could be quite sure of it.

  "So no one paid much heed to what Mr. Rabbit said until Happy JackSquirrel one day went to his snug little hollow in the big chestnuttree where he stores his nuts and discovered half had been stolen.Then Striped Chipmunk lost the greater part of his winter store ofcorn. A fat trout was stolen from Billy Mink.

  "It was a terrible time, for every one suspected every one else, and noone on the Green Meadows was happy.

  "One evening Mr. Meadow Mouse went for a stroll along the CrookedLittle Path up the hill. It was dark, very dark indeed. But just ashe passed Striped Chipmunk's granary, the place where he stores hissupply of corn and acorns for the winter, Mr. Meadow Mouse met hiscousin, Mr. Wharf Rat. Now Mr. Wharf Rat was very big and strong andMr. Meadow Mouse had for a long time looked up to and admired him.

  "'Good evening, Cousin Meadow Mouse,' said Mr. Wharf Rat, swinging abag down from his shoulder. 'Will you do a favor for me?'

  "Now Mr. Meadow Mouse felt very much flattered, and as he was a veryobliging fellow anyway, he promptly said he would.

  "'All right,' said Mr. Wharf Rat. 'I'm going to get you to tote thisbag down the Crooked Little Path to the hollow chestnut tree. I've gotan errand back on top of the hill.'

  "So Mr. Meadow Mouse picked up the bag, which was very heavy, and swungit over his shoulder. Then he started down the Crooked Little Path.Half way down he met Striped Chipmunk.

  "'Good evening, Mr. Meadow Mouse,' said Striped Chipmunk. 'What areyou toting in the bag across your shoulder?'

  "Now, of course, Mr. Meadow Mouse didn't know what was in the bag andhe didn't like to admit that he was working for another, for he wasvery proud, was Mr. Meadow Mouse.

  "So he said: 'Just a planting of potatoes I begged from Jimmy Skunk,just a planting of potatoes, Striped Chipmunk.'

  "Now no one had ever suspected Mr. Meadow Mouse of stealing--no indeed!Striped Chipmunk would have gone his way and thought no more about it,had it not happened that there was a hole in the bag and from itsomething dropped at his feet. Striped Chipmunk picked it up and it_wasn't_ a potato. It was a fat acorn. Striped Chipmunk said nothingbut slipped it into his pocket.

  "'Good night,' said Mr. Meadow Mouse, once more shouldering the bag.

  "'Good night,' said Striped Chipmunk.

  "No sooner had Mr. Meadow Mouse disappeared in the darkness down theCrooked Little Path than Striped Chipmunk hurried to his granary. Someone had been there and stolen all his acorns!

  "Then Striped Chipmunk ran to the house of his cousin, Happy JackSquirrel, and told him how the acorns had been stolen from his granaryand how he had met Mr. Meadow Mouse with a bag over his shoulder andhow Mr. Meadow Mouse had said that he was toting home a planting ofpotatoes he had begged from Jimmy Skunk. 'And this,' said StripedChipmunk, holding out the fat acorn, 'is what fell out of the bag.'

  "Then Striped Chipmunk and Happy Jack Squirrel hurried over to JimmySkunk's house, and, just as they expected, they found that Mr. MeadowMouse had not begged a planting of potatoes of Jimmy Skunk.

  "So Striped Chipmunk and Happy Jack Squirrel and Jimmy Skunk hurriedover to Mr. Rabbit's and told him all about Mr. Meadow Mouse and thebag of potatoes that dropped acorns. Mr. Rabbit looked very grave,very grave indeed. Then Striped Chipmunk and Happy Jack Squirrel andJimmy Skunk and Mr. Rabbit started to tell Mr. Coon, who was cousin toold King Bear.

  "On the way they met Hooty the Owl, and because he could fly softly andquickly, they sent Hooty the Owl to tell all the meadow people who wereawake to come to the hollow chestnut tree. So Hooty the Owl flew awayto tell all the little meadow people who were awake to meet at thehollow chestnut tree.

  "When they reached the hollow chestnut tree whom should they find therebut Mr. Meadow Mouse fast asleep beside the bag he had brought for Mr.Wharf Rat, who had wisely stayed away.

  "Very softly Striped Chipmunk stole up and opened the bag. Out fellhis store of fat acorns. Then they waked Mr. Meadow Mouse and marchedhim off to old Mother Nature, where they charged him with being a thief.

  "Old Mother Nature listened to all they had to say. She saw the bag ofacorns and she heard how Mr. Meadow Mouse had said that he had aplanting of potatoes. Then she asked him if he had stolen the acorns.Yes, Sir, she asked him right out if he had stolen the acorns.

  "Of course Mr. Meadow Mouse said that he had not stolen the acorns.

  "'Then where did you get the bag of acorns?' asked old Mother Nature.

  "When she asked this, Mr. Wharf Rat, who was sitting in the crowd ofmeadow people, got up and softly tiptoed away when he thought no onewas looking. But old Mother Nature saw him. You can't fool old MotherNature. No, Sir, you can't fool old Mother Nature, and it's of no useto try.

  "Mr. Meadow Mouse didn't know what to say. He knew now that Mr. WharfRat must be the thief, but Mr. Wharf Rat was his cousin, and he hadalways looked up to him as a very fine gentleman. He couldn't tell theworld that Mr. Wharf Rat was a thief. So Mr. Meadow Mouse said nothing.

  "Three times old Mother Nature asked Mr. Meadow Mouse where he got thebag of acorns, and each time Mr. Meadow Mouse said nothing.

  "'Mr. Meadow Mouse,' said old Mother Nature, and her voice was verystern, 'I know that you did not steal the acorns of Striped Chipmunk.I know that you did not even guess that there were stolen acorns inthat bag. Everyone else thinks that you are the thief who caused somuch trouble on the Green Meadows and in the Green Forest. But I knowwho the real thief is and he is stealing away as fast as he can go downthe Lone Little Path this very minute.'

  "All of the little meadow people and forest folks turned to look downthe Lone Little Path, but it was so dark none could see, none but Hootythe Owl, whose eyes are made to see in the dark.

  "'I see him!' cried Hooty the Owl. 'It's Mr. Wharf Rat!'

  "'Yes,' said old Mother Nature, 'it's Mr. Wharf Rat--he is the thief.And this shall be his punishment: Always hereafter he will be drivenout wherever he is found. He shall no longer live in the Green Meadowsor the Green Forest. Everyone will turn their backs upon him. He willlive on what others throw away. He will live in filth and there willbe no one to say a good word for him. He will become an outcastinstead of a fine gentleman.'

  "'And you, Mr. Meadow Mouse, in order that you may remember always toavoid bad company, and that while it is a splendid thing to be loyal toyour friends and not to tell tales, it is also a very, very wrong thingto shield those who have done wrong when by so doing you simply helpthem to keep on doing wrong--you shall no longer have the splendid longtail of which you are so proud, but it shall be short and stubby.'

  "Even while old Mother Nature was speaking, Mr. Meadow Mouse felt histail grow shorter and shorter, and when she had finished he had just alittle mean stub of a tail.

  "Of course he felt terribly. And while Striped Chipmunk hurried totell him how sorry he felt, and while all the other little meadowpeople also hurried to tell him how sorry they felt, he could not becomforted. So he slipped away as quickly as he could, and because hewas so ashamed he crept along underneath the long grass that no oneshould see his short tail. And ever since that long ago time when theworld was young," concluded Grandfather Frog, "the Meadow Mice have hadshort tails and have always scurried along under cover of the longgrass where no one will see them. And the Wharf Rats have never againlived in the Green Meadows or in the Green Forest, but have lived onfilth and garbage around the homes of men, with every man's handagainst them."

  "Thank you, Grandfather Frog," said Danny Meadow Mouse, very soberly."Now I understand why my tail is short and I shall not forget."

  "But it isn't your fault at all, Danny Meadow Mouse," cried the MerryLittle Breezes, who had been listening, "and we love you just as muchas if your tail was long!"


  Then they played tag with him all the way up the Lone Little Path tohis house, till Danny Meadow Mouse quite forgot that he had wished thathis tail was long.