Project Gutenberg 2005-02-07 Public domain in the USA. 251 Burgess, Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) 1874 1965 Burgess, Thornton Waldo Cady, Harrison 1877 1970 Cady, Walter Harrison Cady, W. Harrison (Walter Harrison) Mother West Wind 'Why' Stories Why Striped Chipmunk is proud of his stripes -- Why Peter Rabbit cannot fold his hands -- Why Unc' Billy Possum plays dead -- Why Reddy Fox wears red -- Why Jimmy Skunk never hurries -- Why Sammy Jay has a fine coat -- Why Jerry Muskrat builds his house in the water -- Why Old Man Coyote has many voices -- Why Miner the Mole lives under ground -- Why Mr. Snake cannot wink -- Why Bobby Coon has rings on his tail -- Why there is a black head in the buzzard family -- Why Buster Bear appears to have no tail -- Why Flitter the Bat flies at night -- Why Spotty the Turtle carries his house with him -- Why Paddy the Beaver has a broad tail. Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Richard J. Shiffer and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team. "Mother West Wind 'Why' Stories" by Thornton W. Burgess is a collection of children's stories written in the early 20th century. This whimsical book introduces young readers to a variety of animal characters who inhabit the world of Mother West Wind, telling tales of their adventures and explaining the wonders of nature. The stories often carry moral lessons, focusing on themes such as curiosity, kindness, friendship, and selflessness. The opening of the collection establishes a charming and playful tone, showcasing the lively interactions among animal characters like Striped Chipmunk, Grandfather Frog, and others. In the first story, the Merry Little Breezes urge Striped Chipmunk to play, but he insists he has work to do, demonstrating responsibility and the value of hard work. Grandfather Frog is then asked to explain why Striped Chipmunk has his distinctive stripes, leading to a tale of bravery, honor, and self-sacrifice, revealing that the stripes came as a reward for saving a friend from danger. This opening lays the groundwork for a series of delightful stories that combine humor, imagination, and valuable life lessons, enticing readers into a world where every animal has a tale worth telling. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 89.9 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Animals -- Juvenile fiction Children's stories, American PZ Text Children's Literature Children's Book Series Category: Short Stories Category: Children & Young Adult Reading Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore 193881 2025-07-06T11:50:17.830279 text/html 195789 2020-12-19T10:41:14 text/html 3259244 2025-07-06T11:50:32.545225 application/epub+zip 3257049 2025-07-06T11:50:24.690215 application/epub+zip 132035 2025-07-06T11:50:19.853275 application/epub+zip 4248385 2025-07-06T11:50:35.846663 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 4219319 2025-07-06T11:50:27.925186 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 249985 2022-09-07T19:11:07.273564 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 167942 2025-07-06T11:50:17.309265 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 167798 2020-12-19T10:41:14 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 21498 2025-07-06T11:50:35.998662 application/rdf+xml 14834 2025-07-06T11:50:20.345236 image/jpeg 3561 2025-07-06T11:50:20.097230 image/jpeg 3164355 2020-12-19T10:41:14 application/octet-stream application/zip 57495 2020-12-19T10:41:14 application/octet-stream application/zip 3243344 2025-07-06T11:50:17.902283 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia en.wikipedia