OLD MOTHER WEST WIND
4/5
()
About this ebook
Thornton Waldo Burgess (January 14, 1874 – June 5, 1965) was a conservationist and author of children’s stories. He loved the beauty of nature and its living creatures so much that he wrote about them for 50 years. By the time he retired, he had written more than 170 books. Many of his outdoor observations in nature were used as plot
Read more from Thornton W. Burgess
Buster Bear's Twins Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Burgess Bird Book for Children Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Burgess Animal Book for Children Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Adventures of Sammy Jay Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Adventures of Paddy the Beaver Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Adventures of Reddy Fox Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Adventures of Peter Cottontail Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMother West Wind 'Why' Stories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Burgess Bird Book for Children Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Adventures of Old Man Coyote Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5LITTLE JOE OTTER - an animal story for children Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5The Adventures of Reddy Fox Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to OLD MOTHER WEST WIND
Titles in the series (39)
The Adventures of Reddy Fox Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPersuasion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5AS A MAN THINKETH Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/532 CALIBER Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLady Susan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Jane Austen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5EMMA Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Psmith in the City Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLove And Friendship and Other Early Works Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What Katy Did Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBLACK BEAUTY Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTHE PINK FAIRY BOOK Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnne of Green Gables Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5THE BIRDS' CHRISTMAS CAROL Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFlower Fables Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Doggie and I Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTHE ORANGE FAIRY BOOK Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5THE CALICO CAT Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Moon and Sixpence Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Adventures of Jimmy Skunk: A BEDTIME STORY-BOOK Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPENROD AND SAM Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5HOW TO TELL STORIES TO CHILDREN AND SOME STORIES TO TELL Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5THE TALE OF TOMMY FOX Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5IN THE CLOSED ROOM Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last of the Mohicans Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSYLVIE and BRUNO Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5WHAT KATY DID NEXT Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5THE WHITE FEATHER Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTom Swift in Captivity: A Daring Escape by Airship Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related ebooks
Old Mother West Wind Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOld Mother West Wind: Illustrated Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOld Mother West Wind (Illustrated): Children's Bedtime Story Book Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Old Mother West Wind Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOld Mother West Wind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Old Mother West Wind (Illustrated Edition): Wonderful Warmhearted Collection of Nature and Animal Tales & Beloved Bedtime Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBig Book of Animal Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMother West Wind's Children, Illustrated Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMother West Wind's Children Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMother West Wind's Children Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Adventures of Grandfather Frog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mother West Wind's Animal Friends Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMother West Wind's Animal Friends Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mother West Wind 'Why' Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMother West Wind's Neighbors Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Old Mother West Wind Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMOTHER WEST WIND'S ANIMAL FRIENDS - Animal Action and Adventure in the Green Meadows Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Adventures of Prickly Porky, Illustrated Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Cheerful Cricket and Others Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Adventures of Old Mr. Buzzard Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Adventures of Prickly Porky Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Among the Pond People Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFifty Famous Fables Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Little Brown Hen Hears the Song of the Nightingale & The Golden Harvest Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings11 Children's Books by Thornton Burgess Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFifty Famous Fables Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLittle Jack Rabbit and Chippy Chipmunk Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Roo Speaks Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeven O'Clock Stories Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Bully Bull Frog and His Home in Rainbow Valley Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Action & Adventure Fiction For You
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wool: Book One of the Silo Series Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crime and Punishment Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Learn German! Lerne Englisch! ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND: In German and English Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dust: Book Three of the Silo Series Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shift: Book Two of the Silo Series Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Summary: by Rebecca Yarros - A Comprehensive Summary Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJames Patterson's Alex Cross Series Best Reading Order with Checklist and Summaries Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Last Kingdom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Serpent: A Novel from the NUMA files Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: by V.E. Schwab - A Comprehensive Summary Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Huckleberry Finn Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Outlawed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Darkness That Comes Before Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Termination Shock: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Learn Italian! Impara l'Inglese! ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND: In Italian and English Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shantaram: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The End of the World Running Club Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Grace of Kings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Labyrinth of the Spirits Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Billy Summers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5River God Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Leave the World Behind: A Read with Jenna Pick Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Most Dangerous Game Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Count of Monte Cristo Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Soul Identity Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Swamp Story: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Three Fates Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for OLD MOTHER WEST WIND
43 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Not quite as compelling as his "How" stories for my kids; my daughter said that she preferred the stories about why animals got certain traits, while many of these are more Beatrix Potter-style cute animal stories. Still definitely a quality read-aloud for kids in the 4-8 age range.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I devoured this series by Mr. Burgess. It featured different animals solving problems together and learning to live with each other. What a metaphor! I remember being saddened by his passing in 1963 as young child.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/512 of 13 people found the following review helpful: Michael Hague AND Thornton W. Burgess...What a Treat!, April 5, 2003 "All the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were hurrying over the Green Meadows. Some flew this way and some ran that way and some danced the other way. You see, Jerry Muskrat had asked them to carry his invitations to a party at the Big Rock in the Smiling Pool." Originally published in 1910, the Old Mother West Wind Stories of Thornton W. Burgess are brimming with just this type of endearing and whimsical imagery. They are quaint but clever, sensitive and fun-filled. This lovely book contains sixteen stories featuring many charming woodland characters such as Tommy Trout, Mrs. Redwing, the Willful Little Breeze, Billy Mink, and Little Joe Otter. Burgess was a dedicated conservationist and these stories were intended to instill an abiding love of Nature and wildlife in small children. They do a wonderful job of it and Burgess would be delighted, as I am, in this edition's beautiful illustrations that are the work of the talented Michael Hague. The first illustration in the book, featuring Old Mother West Wind in her flowing grey and blue gown and her long flowing hooded cape, is worth the price of the entire book in and of itself. We have come to expect great things from Hague but he outdoes himself in this book. I'm glad to see these wonderful stories available to another generation of children. Their gentle pastoral nature really is timeless and the less our world sees of natural habitat and woodland creatures the more we need this book. Treat yourself and you children to it. It's one of my favorites.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5These cute stories were written one by one by Thornton W. Burgess for his son and later published. In them we meet a cast of animal characters with very particular personalities, and of course "Old Mother West Wind" and her children, the merry little breezes. These stories range from silly stories to fables and legends (such as the race of the tortoise and the hare and why the skunk is striped). They're a little out of date, but children should enjoy them anyway.
Book preview
OLD MOTHER WEST WIND - Thornton W. Burgess
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