E-text prepared by Al Haines Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 20877-h.htm or 20877-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/8/7/20877/20877-h/20877-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/8/7/20877/20877-h.zip) 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 & Dunlap Publishers New York By 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 Little Path across the Green Meadows. Way, way over near the Smiling Pool he could see Old Mother West Wind's Children, the Merry Little Breezes, at play. Sammy Jay was sitting on a fence post. He pretended to be taking a sun bath, but really he was planning mischief. You never see Sammy Jay that he isn't in mischief or planning it. Reddy Fox had trotted past an hour before in a great hurry. Up on the hill Danny Meadow Mouse could just see Jimmy Skunk pulling over every old 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 some fleecy white clouds. All the birds were singing and singing, and the world was happy--all but Danny Meadow Mouse. No, Danny Meadow Mouse was not happy. Indeed, he was very far from happy, and all because his tail was short.