Mother West Wind 'Why' Stories

ng brings them back to the Green Meadows to romp and play all day. They romped and raced and danced away, some one way, some another, to see whom they could find to play with. Pres

s for his breakfast. They danced over to him

never, ne

never, nev

es just what

s Merry Lit

unk! Jim

patch. He sat up very straight, so as to hear better. Of course some of the Merry Little Breezes saw him right away. They left

ops and skip

ometimes lo

dearly lov

ere's dange

bit! Pete

used to being laughed at for always runnin

eter promptly. Then he began the maddest kind of a frolic with the Merry Lit

the middle of the patch of sweet clover, "that you wo

ll us the same thing," cried o

s to hurry, at times anyway, but Jimmy never does. H

and ask Grandfather Frog about it now. He'll be sur

ask him. I've asked him for so many stories that I don't dare ask for

until Grandfather Frog had begun the story, for they were sure that there would be a story. Away they all hurried to the Smiling Pool. The Merry Little Breez

is it that Jimmy Skunk ne

his deepest, gruffest voice. "Chug-a-rum

father Frog, who snapped it up in a flash. Right away all the Merry Little Breezes began to hunt for foolish green flies and blow them over to Grandfather Frog, until

omething for me, and I suppose now that I ought to tell you why it is that Jimmy Skunk never hurries. I would, if Peter Rabbit were here. If I tell

ittle Breezes. "He's right over behi

away," grunted Grandfather Frog, with

-pads in a big circle around Grandfather Frog, and Peter sat down as close to the edge of the bank of the Smiling Pool as he dared to get. Af

Mr. Weasel and Mr. Mink. He was just as quick moving as they were. Yes, Sir, Mr. Skunk was very lively on his feet. He had to be to keep out of the way of his big neighbors, for in those days he didn't have any means of protecting himself, as Jimmy has now. He was dresse

s he could think of some way to protect himself, it was only a matter of time when he would furnish a dinner for one of his fierce big neighbors, and of course Mr. Skunk had no desire to do that. It was then that he asked Old Moth

. Skunk grew very independent and went where he pleased when he pleased. And, because he no longer had to run from his enemies, he got out of the habit of running. Then he made a discovery. He watched those of his neighbors who were forever hurrying about looking for food, hurrying because all the t

is business. He never worried, because, you know, he feared nobody. And he never hurried, because he found that it paid best to go slowly. In that way he never missed any of the good things that his hurrying, worrying neighbors did. So he grew fatter and fatter, whil

go day, when the world was young, that little bag of perfume has been handed down in the Skunk family, and none o

ry Little Breezes. "When you want some more foolish gre

ing so wistful for, Peter Rabb

ither!" he declared. "I guess I'd better be getting home to the dear Old Briar-patch now. Mrs.