Mother West Wind "How" Stories

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

21286

Title

Mother West Wind "How" Stories

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Thornton W. Burgess's "Mother West Wind 'How' Stories" offers a whimsical collection of fables featuring anthropomorphic animals in the Green Forest. Through charming tales of King Eagle earning his white crown and Mr. Flying Squirrel learning to glide, the book blends humor with moral lessons on bravery, patience, and self-improvement, appealing to young readers with its lively characters and nature-based setting.

Summary up to 500 words

In *Mother West Wind 'How' Stories*, Thornton W. Burgess transports readers to the Green Forest and Green Meadows, where anthropomorphic animals recount the origins of their traits and behaviors through fables of character and nature. The collection opens with the legend of King Eagle, who earned his snowy white crown not by birthright alone, but through supreme bravery. When his subjects fled to avoid a dangerous journey to find Old Mother Nature, only the tiny Hummer remained loyal. King Eagle, refusing to leave his subjects behind, ventured into the unknown world himself, suffering hunger and storms until he returned. Old Mother Nature rewarded this selfless leadership by crowning him king and turning his head white, while granting Hummer a ruby throat for his faithfulness. The narrative then explores the mechanics of nature, explaining that the Flying Squirrel does not truly fly but glides using skin stretched between his legs by Old Mother Nature. This gift was bestowed upon a timid ancestor who, rather than wishing for wings, dedicated himself to perfecting his jumping abilities. Similarly, the book details how Mr. Mink learned to swim through relentless practice, transforming from a clumsy creature into a master of the water. Social dynamics are also examined, particularly in the story of Mr. Weasel. Once a friendly neighbor, he became an outcast due to a mean disposition and crafty thievery. His inability to make friends stems from his cruelty toward smaller creatures, illustrating that bad habits inevitably lead to isolation. Other tales highlight specific virtues: Mr. Heron discovers that patience yields better results than frantic hunting, allowing him to catch fish by remaining still; Mr. Lynx loses his magnificent tail to excessive pride, biting it off himself after neighbors tricked him into stepping on it, a punishment that taught him the dangers of boasting. The collection concludes with a poignant reflection on human nature, noting that people often desire things they do not need, creating unnecessary trouble. Through Burgess's gentle storytelling and Harrison Cady's illustrations, the volume serves as both entertainment and a moral guide, celebrating the wisdom of Old Mother Nature's creations and the enduring value of bravery, humility, and hard work.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Animals
• Juvenile Fiction