Transcriber’s note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). An additional Transcriber’s Note is at the end. [Illustration: “IT MUST BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO FLY LIKE THAT”] THE WISHING-STONE STORIES by THORNTON W. BURGESS With Illustrations by Harrison Cady [Illustration] Boston Little, Brown, and Company 1936 Copyright, 1915, 1921, by Thornton W. Burgess All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America * * * * * To the cause of love, mercy and protection for our little friends of the air and the wild-wood, and to a better understanding of them, the Wishing-Stone Stories are dedicated. CONTENTS _TOMMY AND THE WISHING-STONE_ I TOMMY AND THE WISHING-STONE 1 II HOW TOMMY LEARNED TO ADMIRE THUNDERER THE RUFFED GROUSE 25 III WHAT HAPPENED WHEN TOMMY BECAME A MINK 55 IV TOMMY BECOMES A VERY HUMBLE PERSON 81 _TOMMY’S WISHES COME TRUE_ I WHY PETER RABBIT HAS ONE LESS ENEMY 1 II WHY TOMMY BECAME A FRIEND OF RED SQUIRRELS 28 III THE PLEASURES AND TROUBLES OF BOBBY COON 57 IV HOW TOMMY ENVIED HONKER THE GOOSE 84 _TOMMY’S CHANGE OF HEART_ I HOW IT HAPPENED THAT REDDY FOX GAINED A FRIEND 1 II TOMMY BECOMES A FURRY ENGINEER 32 III WHY TOMMY TOOK UP ALL HIS TRAPS 60 IV TOMMY LEARNS WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE A BEAR 91 * * * * * TOMMY AND THE WISHING-STONE * * * * * TOMMY AND THE WISHING-STONE CHAPTER ONE TOMMY AND THE WISHING-STONE Tommy scuffed his bare, brown feet in the grass and didn’t even notice how cooling and refreshing to his bare toes the green blades were. Usually he just loved to feel them, but this afternoon he just didn’t want to find anything pleasant or nice in the things he was accustomed to. A scowl, a deep, dark, heavy scowl, had chased all merriment from his round, freckled face. It seemed as if the very freckles were trying to hide from it. Tommy didn’t care. He said so. He said so right out loud. He didn’t care if all the world knew it. He wanted the world to know it. It was a horrid old world anyway, this world which made a fellow go hunt up and drive home a lot of pesky cows just when all the other fellows were over at the swimming-hole. It always was that way whenever there was anything interesting or particular to do, or any fun going on. Yes, it was a horrid old world, this world in which Tommy lived, and he was quite willing that everybody should know it.