Mother West Wind When" Stories"

steep. Peter sat down on the edge of it and looked down. Right under him the Laughing Brook was very quiet and clear. Peter sat gazing down into it. He could see all the pebbl

right that anything but fish sh

open and then close for a little longer. Suddenly a sharp and very loud noise, which seemed to come from right under his very toes, put an end to all nodding and dreaming. It was a long, harsh rattle, and it startled Peter so that he almost jumped out of his skin. Anyway, he jumped straight up in the air, and the wonder was that he didn't tumble headfirst down that steep bank right into the Laughing Brook. A queer prickly feeling ran all over him. He blinked his eyes rapidly. Then he

ig

o through the funniest performance as he tried to swallow the minnow whole. "Now where did he come from?" continued Pet

hen his wobbly little nose caught a smell, a very unpleasant smell. It was the smell of fish, and it seemed to come from right under him. He leaned a little farther o

hat hole? It certainly seemed so, and yet Peter couldn't quite b

on't, so there!" exclaim

eter looked down. There was Little Joe Otter loo

came out of that hole, yet I don't see where

if you don't believe it," said he. "I don't suppose yo

believe it if you say on your honor t

more than ever. "Perhaps you would like to know how the great-great-grand

Do tell me, Little Joe! Oh, p

ater on a rock just below Peter

n a time,

ng of things,"

ot social. He was polite enough, but he preferred his own company and was never happier than when he was by himself. Of course, his neighbors soon found this out. They called him odd and queer, and soon refused to even speak to him. This just suited Mr. Kingfishe

ink about a home for himself. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted one. But underneath Mr. Kingfisher's pointed cap were very clever wits. He would do nothing hastil

eir homes. He saw some of the birds building nests in the trees, some

ought he. 'He cuts a hole in a tree; he is dry; he is warm; and no one can get at him there. If I bui

enough or the right shape for clinging to the side of a tree. Mr. Kingfisher was disappointed, very much disappointed. A hole seemed to him the only kind of a place for a home. He was thinking it over when he happened to discover Mr. Muskrat digging a hole in the bank. At first he didn't pay much at

just a little way from the top. No one will see it except from below

o cling with his feet. Then he could work faster and more easily. Pretty soon he had a hole deep enough to get into. He would loosen the earth with his hill and scrape it out with his feet. He was so pleased with his discovery that he kept right on working. He almost

of. It was better than the home of Drummer the Woodpecker. If Mr. Mink happened to find it, and Mr. Kingfisher could think of no one

for a long, long time he kept his secret so well that his neighbors thought he had no home, and called him 'Rattles

les dive into the water and catch a silvery minnow. "I di

know, Peter," replied Little J