Introducing Mr. B. The Friends Collection

By Norman Strathearn Thomson and Nicholas Lennox

The book is to introduce children to four of Scottish poet, Robert Burns, famous poems. They include, Is There for Honest Poverty, and three others. Each story/poem is laid out in three steps to assist the children. Firstly there is the story that was inspired by the poem. Then at the back of the book there is the Robert Burns poem shown in

• Language: English
• Publisher: Norman Thomson
• Release date: Oct 16, 2018
• ISBN: 9781775372233

Norman Strathearn Thomson

I was born in Perth Scotland and attended school in Glasgow. At the age of twenty three I emigrated to Canada, where I have spent my adult life raising a family and working. But absence does make the heart grow fonder. Throughout the years I have organized Burns Suppers for the Rotary Club, attended Burns Suppers at the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada and participated in Burns Suppers at friends homes. Perhaps Burns is in my genes as my grandfather was the president of the Bridgeton Burns Club 1934/35. During many trips to Scotland I have visited the Burns Cottage and the spectacular New Bruns Birthplace Museum at Alloway.

Book preview

Introducing Mr. B.

The Friends Collection

Four Short Stories  Inspired by Robert Burns Poems

Written by Norman Thomson Illustrated by Nicholas Lennox

Copyright Norman Thomson 2014 All rights reserved.

 No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission of the publisher.

Date of Registration April 22nd 2014 Registration Number 1112607

Published by Norman Thomson

Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data

Thomson, Norman

Introducing Mr. B. -- The Friends Collection

ISBN 978-1-7753722-3-3

Illustrated by Nicholas Lennox

Table of Contents

Introducing Mr. B.

The Friends Collection

Environment Club

No Kidding

The Horse Thief

Working People

The Original Poems by Robert Burns

The Humble Petition Of Bruar Water

Epistle to a Young Friend

O Heard ye of a Silly Harper?

Is There for Honest Poverty

Appendix

Acknowledgements.

Environment Club

 From Robert Burns poem, The Humble Petition of Bruar Water

How saucy Phoebus' scorching beams, In flaming summer-pride, Dry-withering, waste my foamy streams, And drink my crystal tide.

Environment 1

Environment Club

At Muirton High School, Gordon was the President of the Environmental Club. It was his last year before he graduated and he had a plan to do something really important. The club meetings were held after school, every two weeks, on Wednesdays. Seventeen students were chatting quietly at their first meeting when Gordon stood up and welcomed them. I'm glad to see so many of you here because there's quite a big project I'm hoping we'll be able to do. He told them in the summer he went fishing with his father at the river Bruar. His father said that when he was Gordon's age he loved to stroll along the banks of the fast flowing river and fish there. But now the river was drying up in the summer months and the fish were dying off. Gordon suggested that what the river needed was some trees planted along its banks to provide shade. His father had just shrugged and said, that might help.

Environment 2

  Gordon said to the Environment club members,"I'm convinced this is the answer to the problem of the river drying up. It's too big for us to tackle on our own so the best way for us to make it happen will be to convince the town council to do the work. My idea is that we make up a petition and if we succeeded in obtaining lots of signatures then the councillors would have to listen to our suggestions. I think that the petition must be kept very simple so everyone can understand it. I thought it should say. In the summer the River Bruar is drying up and the fish are dying. The council should plant