Book details
The Tale of Billy Woodchuck
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Stored record
Metadata
- Gutenberg ID
- 25090
- Title
- The Tale of Billy Woodchuck
- Language
- en
- Book source
- Project Gutenberg
- Description max 80 words
-
Arthur Scott Bailey's charming children's classic follows Billy Woodchuck, a vain but brave young groundhog who learns valuable lessons about nature, friendship, and responsibility. With whimsical illustrations and gentle humor, this tale explores themes of growing up, facing fears, and the changing seasons in a pastoral woodland setting.
- Summary up to 500 words
-
In Arthur Scott Bailey's charming narrative, *The Tale of Billy Woodchuck*, a young woodchuck named Billy emerges from his winter slumber to find his family hungry and their home situated in a farmer's pasture. Initially vain about his size and whiskers, Billy learns humility after a hedgehog mocks him, only to discover that 'ground hog' and 'marmot' are equally valid names for his species. His mother instills in him a healthy fear of predators like foxes and owls, though Billy's curiosity often leads him into mischief. He engages in a game of begging with Jimmy Rabbit, nearly getting caught by Aunt Polly, and later serves as a sentinel for Uncle Jerry Chuck, only to realize the elder is asleep while he stands guard. Together with Jimmy, Billy tricks Uncle Jerry by painting him to look like a skunk, teaching the stingy elder a lesson about fairness. As farmers begin clearing stumps with guns, Billy's family is forced to flee their underground home, with Mr. Woodchuck disappearing to the West. The story concludes with the family settling into a new burrow in the woods, where Billy spends his winter days playing in the snow before his mother takes him out on Groundhog Day to check if spring has truly arrived. Through these adventures, Billy matures from a playful child into a responsible young woodchuck who understands the delicate balance between playfulness and the dangers of the wild. The tale captures the seasonal rhythms of nature, the importance of family bonds, and the coming-of-age journey of a woodland creature navigating both the whims of childhood and the harsh realities of the forest.
- LLM editorial rating
- 4.2/5
- Download URL
- https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25090.epub.noimages
- Local file path
-
data/epubs/pg25090.epub - Downloaded at
- 2026-07-06 13:46 UTC
People
Authors
- Arthur Scott Bailey
Classification
Categories
- Animals
- Conduct of Life
- Woodchuck