Mother West Wind's Children

for the sweet acorns are ripe and the hickory nuts rattle down whenever Old Mother West Wind shakes the trees, while e

dge of the Green Meadows. Back and forth, back and forth, sometimes to the old hickory tree, sometimes to th

bed up into the sky, the Merry Little Breezes had spied Striped Chipmunk whisking along the old stone wall and had raced over to play with him, for the Merry Little Breezes are very fond o

y with us," shouted the Merry L

his funny little tail and winked

Chipmunk, hurrying along as fast

one of them, dancing ahead, pulled the

come and play with us," cr

flirted his tail ov

houted over his shoulder

s big as it had been before and you would hardly have known that it was Striped Chipmunk but for th

got the mumps!" shouted

er than ever until he disappeared under the big stone. When he p

tle Breezes, rushing over to him, "tell us h

eyes at them and said "Busy! busy! busy!" as

use at all to try to tempt Striped Chipmun

eat-Grandfather Frog how Striped Chipmunk happ

estnut tree and sent a shower of brown nuts rattling down to Striped

the Green Meadows. And Striped Chipmunk stopped long enough to

, very still indeed. Suddenly out of the brown bulrushes burst the Merry Little Breezes and sur

each foolish green fly. When the last one was safely inside his white and yellow waistcoat he settl

father Frog. "What is it

"tell us how it happens that Striped Chipmunk has pocket

Grandfather Frog. "

do. Please tell us!" cried the Merry Little Bre

y Grandfathe

ime-a long, lo

young?" asked a misc

ruption, and tried to look very severe. But the Merry Little Br

w. But he didn't mind that, not the least little bit. Mr. Gray Squirrel was four times as big and had a handsome tail, Mr. Fox Squirrel was four times as big and he also had a handsome tail, Mr. Red Squirrel was twice as big and he though

e was such a merry little fellow and so full of fun and

the Green Meadows that every squirrel should gather for her and store away until she came a thousand nuts. Now the squirrels ha

bled. But they didn't dare disobey old Mother Nature, so they all set out, ea

ature. Then they began to hurry, did Mr. Gray Squirrel and Mr. Fox Squirrel and Mr. Red Squirrel, each trying to make sure of his thousand nuts. They quarreled and they fought over the nuts on the ground and even up in the tr

ose on the ground. Of course he could carry only one nut at a time and his legs were so short that he had to run as fast as ever he could to store each nut in his secret store-house and get back for another. And while the others

harder to find, for the other squirrels were picking them

nk never would take it, not even when he was having hard work to find any, 'fo

Then Mr. Fox Squirrel announced that he had got his thousand nuts. The n

t night he made a dreadful discovery-some one had found his

now he was only a shadow of his old self. But he was as cheerful as ever and kept right on hunting and hunting for stray nuts. Mr. Gray Squirrel and Mr. Fox Squirrel and Mr. Red Squirrel

torehouse and she counted his thousand nuts. Then Mr. Fox Squirrel led her to his storehouse and she coun

her the pile of nuts he had worked so hard to get. Old Mother Nature

id Mr. Chipmunk bravely, and he t

ry Little Breezes to call together all the little meadow people and all the little fore

red nuts from your s

rned to Mr.

red nuts from your s

rrel crept out very slowly. His teeth chattered and his tail, of which he was so p

d nuts. She told just how selfish Mr. Gray Squirrel and Mr. Fox Squirrel had been. She told just

e in a loud voice so that every one

o to his store-house and bring her half o

d as he tramped back and forth, back and forth, all the little meadow people and all

ed Squirrel, old Mother Nature gathered them all up and put them in the secret store-house of

e your best, henceforth you shall have two pockets, one in each cheek, so that you can carry two nut

ted 'Hurrah for Mr. Chipmunk!' All but his cousins, Mr. Gray Squirrel

when the world was young, the Chipmu

Great-Grandfather Frog. "No, Sir, you can't

lapping their hands. Then they all raced across the Green