Wonderful Stories from Skog Forest Near the Little Yellow House Vol. 3: Rain and Thunder and Other Un-Scary Things

By George E. Peterson Jr.

While writing these childrens books I mixed fact with fiction, reality with fantasy, and the will to overcome near-impossible problems with creative solutions. Since children need positive encouragement, optimism, hope, and, most of all - love, Ive created stories using animals - who are true to their particular nature. I chose animals which children can both relate to and understand by their own unique behaviors, but sometimes with a little humor and a few unexpected happenings. Positive reading for positive readers!

In this third volume of Wonderful Stories from Skog Forest, many silly and unwarranted fears that children and adults have are discussed and thwarted. Such strange fears are everything from green slime on rocks in rivers, ponds and lakes to cemetaries - small bugs to darkness - and, of course, rain and thunder. The book teaches children that if they would only learn about these senseless fears, the fears would go away, and also that when they come across something that is truely dangerous, they wouldn't fear it, but respect it instead.

"Man hurts what he fears,

fears what he hates,

and hates what he does not understand!

- And this is the root problem of the world!"

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 19, 2006
• ISBN: 9781467814638

George E. Peterson Jr.

George E. Peterson, Jr. was born at the Groton, Connecticut Submarine Base hospital on December 24, 1965.  He's always loved God, children, animals and nature, and has always believed that the simpler things in life are more important than the extravagant.  These include family and friends, and learning and loving. George's first jobs, at age eleven, were as a bus boy at a local restaurant and picking tobacco during the summer.  Once getting a driver's license, he worked at a lumber yard building interior and exterior doors.  He then spent eight years in the United States Navy learning much about machinery, but more importantly, much about people and the world.  He then went into printing for many years. Due to his great love of animals, especially exotics, George went to work as a self-taught exotic animal expert/department manager of two large pet stores where he cared for fish, reptiles and amphibians, along with other animals.  He followed this as a veterinary technician at an animal hospital during which time he went to college and started E.A.R. (Exotic Animal Refuge), which is a foster home for unwanted pets and abandoned wildlife.  George would find homes for the pets, which have included rabbits, iguanas, snakes, frogs, turtles, etc.  As for wildlife, he would raise them up until they are weaned, and then release them back into the wild.  These have included rabbits, squirrels, woodchucks, opossums, birds, etc.  Not making enough money with the arrival of his son, Brandon, George went back into printing for a few years.  This is when he decided to follow his dream of becoming a children's author, and with the inspiration of his son and all that he's learned about animals, nature and the world, he wrote his first book in the Wonderful Stories from Skog Forest series.

Book preview

Wonderful Stories

From Skog Forest-

Near The Little Yellow

House

Volume 3

‘Rain,

And Thunder

And Other Un-scary Things’

Text, Poems, Songs and Illustrations

By George E. Peterson, Jr.

Raindrops by Brandon G. Peterson

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© 2006 George E. Peterson, Jr.. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 5/16/2006

ISBN: 1-4259-1495-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4678-1463-8 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

I dedicate this book to my mother –

who taught me how to dream and soar;

and to my father –

who taught my how to think and roar!

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Wonderful Stories From Skog Forest Near

The Little Yellow House

‘Rain, and Thunder, and Other Un-scary Things’

As many of you know by now, Skog Forest is a very natural and wonderful place. It’s filled with an abundance of trees, plants and wildflowers which have remained so since the beginning of time. They not only add depth and dimension to the forest, but also color and contrast to its many other natural wonders.

Skog Forest also has lucid waterways. They are so pure and natural that one has only to see them but one time to have these beautiful images imprinted on their minds forever. These aquatic wonders are as pleasing to look at as they are peaceful to rest by - and even on, with a boat, or in, with a swimsuit.

All of these intrinsic gifts provide all that’s needed to complete the setting of a fairy tale with a happy ending. But they also provide homes and feeding places for the animals and creatures that they belong to.

The animals and creatures that live here, themselves, add many bright and beautiful colors, and sights and sounds to charming Skog Forest during the daylight hours.

Between the daylight hours, during months when hibernation is between fore and after, and migratory birds and other flying critters are in Skog Forest, it comes alive with beauty of sight, sound and atmosphere. Though it’s a sight to see, a sound to hear and an atmosphere to experience, it’s never so much so as from 3:33 P.M. to 4:44 P.M! This is the hour-n-eleven minutes when the forest becomes an operatic explosion to welcome their youngest friend and noblest protector - Brandon!

However, to the dismay of many, especially children - darkness falls upon Skog Forest every night. This is when the beauty of a seemingly boundless paradise becomes what many children believe to be - a nightmare!

This is believed by many in the Skog Forest area to be a reality. But for those who have made the forest a part of their everyday life, this is but a tale of folklore to keep children close by, due to their parents’ own fears of Skog!

Since many families pass-down stories of monsters, beasts and other night-dwellers, people actually believe that the night is a time of misfortune for those who venture into it.

For those with eyes and ears, and a keen sense of adventure and a hunger for knowledge, this couldn’t be further from the truth!

One time, when Brandon was only two-years-old, he ventured out into Skog Forest during a rainstorm. He was gone for nearly four hours, and to the surprise of many who hear of this, no one was worried about him!

When his dad and mom went to find him, he actually found them. All he said, with his limited speech, was, Nighttime is as beautiful as daytime - if you have eyes and ears!

His great-grandpa, Mr. Teddy, who didn’t go looking for him that night, knew this first-hand. He knew that Brandon, even at his very young age, would be alright! He also knew the little boy believed in himself, and believed in the true natures and habits of all of Skog Forest’s animals!

Mr. Teddy remembers this time when Brandon came back to his house, soaking wet. He claimed to have walked too far out into the Pool of Amphibs and Stuff in an attempt to talk to a mudpuppy. When he could no longer touch bottom, Brandon tried to turn around, but instead began to