Mother West Wind When" Stories"

his eyes. Indeed they looked as if something was the matter with them, for they seemed about to pop right out of his head. If any one had told Peter th

th gaping wide open in the most foolish way as he

isn'

ne side, and Blacky, too, was looking after Flathorns. Then Blacky looked d

ig

d his mouth

ight of him. What queer horns he has! I suppose they are horns, for he carries them on his head j

ops them every spring and grows a new p

horns grow? And what do you mean by saying that he drops them every spring? Why, I saw him banging them against a tree just now

eir own eyes. All I've got to say is just keep an eye on Flathorns in the spring and then remember what I've to

eter was very very curi

ughed at. So the winter passed, and Peter was no wiser than before. Then the spring came, and one never-to-be-forgotten day Peter was hurrying along, lipperty-lipperty-lip, when right in front of him lay something

seemed to Peter the strangest thing he ever had heard of. There must be a reason, and if there were, Grandfather Frog would be sure to know it. So every day Peter visited the Smiling Pool to see if Grandfather Frog had wa

ell it to you. Way, way back in the days when the world was young, the first Moose, the great-great-ever-so-great-grandfather of Flathorns, was the biggest of all the animals i

interrup

nd run away to hide from even such little people as Mr. Skunk and Mr. Squirrel and your ever-so-great-grand-father, Mr. Rabbit. He just couldn't bear to be laughed at. Old Mother Nature

epped aside respectfully. Then pride entered into Mr. Moose; pride in his wonderful horns; pride in his great strength. He feared no one. He beat the bushes with his great horns and

but by now he had grown so proud and haughty that instead of stepping aside for her to pass, he boldly marched on with his head held high as if he did not see her. It was Old Mother Nature who stepped aside. She said nothing, but as he passed she reached f

ature was sorry for him. She promised him that he should have new horns, but that once a year he should lose his horns lest he should forget and again become over-proud and haughty. So while he kept hidden, the new horns grew and grew until they were grea

uld keep her word. Sure enough, his great horns dropped off, and in humbleness and patience he waited for new horns to grow. So it was all the years of his life, and so it has been with his children and his grandchil

ed Peter, as Grand

k it over a while, and when you are tempted to be proud and haught

ed away. Half way to the dear Old Briar-patch he paused. "It served old M