Showing results by author "Thornton W Burgess" in All Categories

Sammy Jay is told by the little people of the Green Forest that he is keeping them awake at night with his calling out "Thief, Thief". But Sammy isn’t calling out at night, he’s been sleeping. At least, he thinks he has. Sticky-Toes the tree toad is hearing his own voice when his mouth is shut, and he is angry and puzzled. And Unc’ Billy Possum thinks he may just have seen a friend from Ol’ Virginny who might possibly solve the mystery.

Welcome to the world of Thornton W. Burgess, where Peter Rabbit, Jimmy Skunk, Johnny Woodchuck, Reddy Fox, Joe Otter, Grandfather Frog, and Happy Jack Squirrel play with Old Mother West Wind and her Merry Little Breezes among the Green Meadows and by the Laughing Brook. In his first book, Old Mother West Wind, Burgess introduces readers to these beloved characters and many more, who go on to inhabit his later writings. Burgess’s stories were based largely on his own adventures in nature, and went on to be translated into many different languages and published around the world.

Old Man Coyote deliberately leads Bowser the Hound far away from Farmer Brown's farm because he is tired of being chased. Bowser gets lost and injures himself during the pursuit. Help for Bowser comes from an unlikely source, which proves that there is some good in everyone. As with all Thornton W. Burgess stories, young listeners gain positive values while learning a great deal about the animals that share their world. Burgess was a conservationist and author of children's stories. He loved the beauty of nature and its living creatures so much that he wrote about them for 50 years.

Something is definitely wrong with Peter Rabbit...he has no appetite! Deciding he is terribly lonely, Peter sets off to visit some friends in the Old Pasture but instead finds himself narrowly escaping the clutches of Hooty Owl, experiencing a nasty encounter with Jed Thumper (a big gray rabbit), and eventually staring right into the soft, gentle eyes of Miss Fuzzytail. Before you know it, Peter has a new bride!

Peter Rabbit has no appetite, which is very unusual for him. After thinking about it, Peter decides it is loneliness affecting him. He decides to leave the Old Briar Patch and see the Great World, starting at the Old Pasture. After a close encounter with an old nemesis, Hooty the Owl, Peter discovers that he is still lonely. He runs into Old Jed Thumper who wants nothing more than to chase Peter away. Peter also discovers that Old Jed Thumper has a charming young daughter, Little Miss Fuzzy Tail, who Peter falls for. Their relationship quickly blossoms.

Peter Rabbit has a great deal of curiosity and loves to hear stories. In this collection of 16 short stories, Peter Rabbit learns more about many of his neighbors in the Green Forest and the Green Meadows. Sometimes Grandfather Frog tells him a story but there are other neighbors who also share their "knowledge" with him. For example, Peter wants to know why Mr. Bluebird has a beautiful coat when he can be such a bratty bird. Peter would also like to know why Mr. Hare gets a white coat in the winter and a brown one in the summer.

Peter Rabbit has a great deal of curiosity. He always wants to learn more about his neighbors. In this collection of 16 short stories, Peter often visits Grandfather Frog to learn more about his neighbors. For instance, Peter wants to know why Striped Chipmunk has such beautiful stripes. Peter would like to know if Buster Bear has a tail. Since Grandfather Frog has lived a long time, he is willing to tell stories to Peter and his friends about how some of these things happened (according to Grandfather Frog).

Peter Rabbit discovers a surprise visitor to the Smiling Pool. It's Mrs. Quack the Duck. She and Mr. Quack have been hunted as they attempt to migrate. Mr. Quack is missing and Mrs. Quack does not know his fate. Peter Rabbit, Jerry Muskrat, Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow decide to help Mrs. Quack by searching for Mr. Quack.

"The Adventures of Reddy Fox" is another in the series of children's stories by conservationist Thornton W. Burgess. In this story, Reddy and Granny Fox must outsmart Farmer Brown's Boy who is out to get Reddy for stealing his pet chicken. Along the way, Reddy encounters many of the citizens of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest and with him we learn little lessons about life such as: the perils of being a show off; the importance of using all of one's senses.

"The Adventures of Paddy the Beaver" is another in the long list of children's books by the conservationist Thornton W. Burgess. In this book, the industrious and clever Paddy Beaver, a newcomer to the Green Forest, has encounters with Sammy Jay, Jerry Muskrat, Ol' Man Coyote and other inhabitants of the Green Forest. Along the way, we learn how Paddy builds his dam and his house, and how he stores his food. We also learn little lessons about life, such as the importance of planning before doing.

Thornton Waldo Burgess was a conservationist and author of children's stories. He loved the beauty of nature and its living creatures so much that he wrote about them for 50 years. By the time he retired, he had written more than 170 books. Many of his outdoor observations in nature were used as plots for his stories. In his first book, "Old Mother West Wind", published in 1910, the reader meets many of the characters found in later books and stories.

Happy Jack is a grey squirrel who lives in the Green Forest. Like most little creatures, he must fend for himself. Happy Jack has discovered a tree that chocked full of hickory nuts. He wants them to be all his own and believes the tree is his because he found the nuts. But his cousin Chatterer the Red Squirrel doesn't believe this. A loud quarrel ensures between the two along with a chase and suddenly the hickory nuts are gone! Where could they have gone?

Jerry Muskrat lives in the Smiling Pool along with many of his friends, including Grandfather Frog, Spotty the Turtle, and others. One day Jerry discovers there is something wrong with the Smiling Pool and the Laughing Brook that feeds it. Both are slowly disappearing. Jerry and his friends set out on a mission to determine what is wrong with the Smiling Pool and the Laughing Brook.

Blacky the Crow is a mischief maker. He has very sharp eyes and sees things he shouldn't. They often get him into trouble. Blacky loves eggs. One day he discovers that Hooty the Owl and Mrs. Hooty have laid eggs in a nest when there is still snow on the ground. Blacky devises a plan with his fellow crows to steal them. Later, we find out that Blacky has a good side too. As with all Thornton W. Burgess books, there are positive messages for young listeners.

Lightfoot the Deer is a story about animals in the Green Forest that are hunted in the fall. The story is mostly about Lightfoot, a male deer hunted by one hunter and describes how he tries to escape being shot. The story tells Lightfoot's encounter with another buck and a battle for territory and the lovely, Miss Daintyfoot. As with most Thornton Burgess books, young listeners learn valuable lessons about nature, wildlife, and positive morals.

Jimmy Skunk is slow and avoided by his neighbors because of the perfume that Mother Nature has given him for protection. But his perfume doesn't keep Peter Rabbit from playing a trick on both Jimmy and Reddy Fox. When Jimmy thinks Reddy has pulled the joke, Reddy gets a dose of Jimmy's perfume as punishment. Most folks think Reddy Fox deserves what he gets because he is always trying to catch and eat Jimmy's friends.

Sammy Jay is a blue jay who, like most blue jays, is mischievous. He delights in making trouble for other creatures of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest. Sammy really doesn't want to see them hurt, he just wants to make torment them. Enter Chatterer the Red Squirrel, who also lives in the Green Forest and can be as troublesome as Sammy Jay. In The Adventures of Sammy Jay, Chatterer and Sammy Jay match wits and show off their bad attitudes toward one another.

Paddy the Beaver is a newcomer to the Green Forest. The little people of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest are wary of strangers. They don't know what to expect of Paddy, especially when he starts building a dam and the water stops flowing to the Laughing Brook.

The Adventures of Johnny Chuck tells the story of a feisty woodchuck named Johnny. Johnny decides he is unhappy with his home in the Green Forest and elects to venture into the wide, wide world. As he wanders he gets into a territory fight with another chuck, discovers a new home, learns there is some good in all, and discovers the most wonderful thing in the world.

In The Adventures of Peter Cottontail, Peter Rabbit doesn't like his name and tries to find another that has more prestige. His friends think he is silly and devise a scheme to show Peter the problem with changing his name. Peter learns his mistake and changes his name back.