Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Richard J. Shiffer and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHY" STORIES by THORNTON W. BURGESS Author of "Old Mother West Wind," and "The Bed Time Story-Books." _Illustrations in Color by HARRISON CADY_ BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1920 [Illustration: "He went right on about his business." FRONTISPIECE.] BOOKS BY THORNTON W. BURGESS BEDTIME STORY-BOOKS 1. THE ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX 2. THE ADVENTURES OF JOHNNY CHUCK 3. THE ADVENTURES OF PETER COTTONTAIL 4. THE ADVENTURES OF UNC' BILLY POSSUM 5. THE ADVENTURES OF MR. MOCKER 6. THE ADVENTURES OF JERRY MUSKRAT 7. THE ADVENTURES OF DANNY MEADOW MOUSE 8. THE ADVENTURES OF GRANDFATHER FROG 9. THE ADVENTURES OF CHATTERER, THE RED SQUIRREL 10. THE ADVENTURES OF SAMMY JAY 11. THE ADVENTURES OF BUSTER BEAR 12. THE ADVENTURES OF OLD MR. TOAD 13. THE ADVENTURES OF PRICKLY PORKY 14. THE ADVENTURES OF OLD MAN COYOTE 15. THE ADVENTURES OF PADDY THE BEAVER 16. THE ADVENTURES OF POOR MRS. QUACK 17. THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY COON 18. THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY SKUNK 19. THE ADVENTURES OF BOB WHITE 20. THE ADVENTURES OF OL' MISTAH BUZZARD MOTHER WEST WIND SERIES 1. OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 2. MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN 3. MOTHER WEST WIND'S ANIMAL FRIENDS 4. MOTHER WEST WIND'S NEIGHBORS 5. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHY" STORIES 6. MOTHER WEST WIND "HOW" STORIES 7. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHEN" STORIES 8. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHERE" STORIES GREEN MEADOW SERIES 1. HAPPY JACK 2. MRS. PETER RABBIT 3. BOWSER THE HOUND 4. OLD GRANNY FOX THE BURGESS BIRD BOOK FOR CHILDREN THE BURGESS ANIMAL BOOK FOR CHILDREN CONTENTS CHAPTER I. WHY STRIPED CHIPMUNK IS PROUD OF HIS STRIPES II. WHY PETER RABBIT CANNOT FOLD HIS HANDS III. WHY UNC' BILLY POSSUM PLAYS DEAD IV. WHY REDDY FOX WEARS RED V. WHY JIMMY SKUNK NEVER HURRIES VI. WHY SAMMY JAY HAS A FINE COAT VII. WHY JERRY MUSKRAT BUILDS HIS HOUSE IN THE WATER VIII. WHY OLD MAN COYOTE HAS MANY VOICES IX. WHY MINER THE MOLE LIVES UNDER GROUND X. WHY MR. SNAKE CANNOT WINK XI. WHY BOBBY COON HAS RINGS ON HIS TAIL XII. WHY THERE IS A BLACK HEAD IN THE BUZZARD FAMILY XIII. WHY BUSTER BEAR APPEARS TO HAVE NO TAIL XIV. WHY FLITTER THE BAT FLIES AT NIGHT XV. WHY SPOTTY THE TURTLE CARRIES HIS HOUSE WITH HIM XVI. WHY PADDY THE BEAVER HAS A BROAD TAIL LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS "HE WENT RIGHT ON ABOUT HIS BUSINESS" "AS THEY WERE ALL VERY HUNGRY, THEY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN THE FEAST WOULD BE READY" "YOU DON'T MEAN TO SAY SO, PETER," INTERRUPTED GRANDFATHER FROG HE WOULD MAKE NO REPLY, SAVE TO RUN OUT HIS TONGUE AT THEM "THEN OLD KING BEAR WISHED THAT HE HADN'T A TAIL" "IT MUST BE FINE TO FLY," THOUGHT PETER. "I WISH I COULD FLY" "HI, SPOTTY!" HE SHOUTED, "WHERE DO YOU LIVE?"