Produced by Eve Sobol OLD MOTHER WEST WIND By Thornton W. Burgess TO MY MOTHER TO WHOM I OWE SO MUCH AND TO MY LITTLE SON WHOSE LOVE OF STORIES INSPIRED THESE TALES THIS LITTLE VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. CONTENTS: CHAPTER I. MRS. REDWING'S SPECKLED EGG II. WHY GRANDFATHER FROG HAS NO TAIL III. HOW REDDY FOX WAS SURPRISED IV. WHY JIMMY SKUNK WEARS STRIPES V. THE WILFUL LITTLE BREEZE VI. REDDY FOX GOES FISHING VII. JIMMY SKUNK LOOKS FOR BEETLES VIII. BILLY MINK'S SWIMMING PARTY IX. PETER RABBIT PLAYS A JOKE X. HOW SAMMY JAY WAS FOUND OUT XI. JERRY MUSKRAT'S PARTY XII. BOBBY COON AND REDDY FOX PLAY TRICKS XIII. JOHNNY CHUCK FINDS THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD XIV. LITTLE JOE OTTER'S SLIPPERY SLIDE XV. THE TALE OF TOMMY TROUT WHO DIDN'T MIND XVI. SPOTTY THE TURTLE WINS A RACE CHAPTER 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.