Mother West Wind's Children

Pool he could see Old Mother West Wind's Children, the Merry Little Breezes, at play. Sammy Jay was sitting on a fence post. He pret

could just see Jimmy Skunk pulling over every old stick and stone he could find, no matter w

nd some fleecy white clouds. All the birds were singing and

. Indeed, he was very far from happy

d Mr. Toad was very hot and very, very thirsty. He s

ow Mouse," said old Mr. T

Danny Meadow M

ued old Mr. Toad, just as if he hadn't noticed ho

iness is all in his looks. He has the sunniest of heart

a thousand times removed. You do indeed. You look just as he did when he lost

w Mouse sat

my grandfather a thousand times removed lose the half of his tail, and was it shorter t

miling Pool and ask Great-Grandfather Frog, who is my first cousin, how it happened your grandfather a thousand times removed lost t

n such a hurry that he almost forgot his manners. Not quite, however, for he shouted "Tha

is queer short tail to be a sort of disgrace. So when he would meet one of his cousins dancing down the Lone Little Path, with his long, slim, tapering tail behind him, Danny Meadow Mouse would slip out of sight under the long grass, he was so ashamed of hi

down the Lone Little Path, "perhaps Grandfather Frog

t, foolish, green flies. And when he had caught three, he caught one more for good me

of breath. There sat Great-Grandfather Frog on his big, green lily p

oice, for you know he was quite out of breath with running, "Oh,

and listened. "Did I hear someone say 'foo

adow Mouse, still in a very small voice. Then he gave

Grandfather Frog as he smacked his lips, for he knew that Danny Meado

r Frog, old Mr. Toad told me that you could tell me how Grandfather Meadow Mouse a

ather Frog. "My cousin, M

y on the big lily pad, and this i

very fine gentleman. He took a great deal of pride in his appearance, did Mr. Meadow Mouse, and they used to s

ouse, and not the least attractive thing about him was h

complained first. To be sure, Mr. Rabbit was lazy and his cabbage patch had grown little more than weeds while he had been minding other folks' affairs

uch a bad name for telling things which were not so that w

tle hollow in the big chestnut tree where he stores his nuts and discovered half had been stolen. Then S

one suspected every one else, and n

he passed Striped Chipmunk's granary, the place where he stores his supply of corn and acorns for the winter, Mr. Meadow Mouse met his

Mr. Wharf Rat, swinging a bag down from h

attered, and as he was a very obliging

tote this bag down the Crooked Little Path to the hollow

y, and swung it over his shoulder. Then he started down the

id Striped Chipmunk. 'What are you to

the bag and he didn't like to admit that he was working

oes I begged from Jimmy Skunk, just a

no more about it, had it not happened that there was a hole in the bag and from it something dropped at his feet. Striped Ch

. Meadow Mouse, once m

,' said Stri

own the Crooked Little Path than Striped Chipmunk hurried to

y and how he had met Mr. Meadow Mouse with a bag over his shoulder and how Mr. Meadow Mouse had said that he was toting home a planting

my Skunk's house, and, just as they expected, they found that Mr.

adow Mouse and the bag of potatoes that dropped acorns. Mr. Rabbit looked very grave, very grave indeed. Then Striped C

Owl to tell all the meadow people who were awake to come to the hollow chestnut tree. So Hooty the

find there but Mr. Meadow Mouse fast asleep beside the bag

s store of fat acorns. Then they waked Mr. Meadow Mouse and marched hi

rd how Mr. Meadow Mouse had said that he had a planting of potatoes. Then she asked him i

Mouse said that he had

t the bag of acorns?' a

softly tiptoed away when he thought no one was looking. But old Mother Nature saw him. You can'

but Mr. Wharf Rat was his cousin, and he had always looked up to him as a very fine gentleman

adow Mouse where he got the bag of acorns,

ou did not even guess that there were stolen acorns in that bag. Everyone else thinks that you are the thief who caused so much trouble on the Green Me

k down the Lone Little Path, but it was so dark none could see,

d Hooty the Owl. '

ver he is found. He shall no longer live in the Green Meadows or the Green Forest. Everyone will turn their backs upon him. He will live on what ot

o your friends and not to tell tales, it is also a very, very wrong thing to shield those who have done wrong when by so doing you simply he

ouse felt his tail grow shorter and shorter, and when sh

and because he was so ashamed he crept along underneath the long grass that no one should see his short tail. And ever since that long ago time when the world was young," concluded Grandfather Frog, "the Meadow Mice have had short tails and have always s

adow Mouse, very soberly. "Now I understand

ried the Merry Little Breezes, who had been listening,

Little Path to his house, till Danny Meadow Mouse qu