Did you ever look carefully at a spider's web? If their purpose is strictly to catch flies, why do spiders weave such beautiful, intricate webs? Did you ever wonder what causes thunder? Why is the sea salty? How did tigers get their stripes? In this collection of delightful tales from around the world and through the ages, each story explains why an animal, plant, or natural object looks or acts the way it does.

Delightful fables offer explanations of "Why the Chipmunk's Back is Striped," "How the Otter Skin Became Great Medicine," "How the Man Found His Mate," and "Why Blackfeet Never Kill Mice," more. 32 illustrations.

If you want kids to do God’s Word and not just hear it—you’re in exactly the right place. Each session focuses on one key Bible truth—kids will discover it, think about it, talk about it, pray about it, and apply what they learn. You’ll drive that point home through Bible exploration, fun discussions, giggle-worthy games, and oh-wow activities that engage kids in multiple ways. Just add an adult or teenage leader to these easy-to-lead sessions to keep kids engaged, entertained, and growing in their faith! Each session is Flexible—sessions work for 1 or 2 kids, 12 kids, or more Multi–aged—suitable for all elementary kids Low–prep—using easy-to-find supplies 45 minutes of fun—with time stretchers to fill an hour Relational—children grow close to Jesus and each other Perfect for any children’s ministry program—Sunday school, children’s church, and more! Help kids discover the faith-building, life-changing truths tucked into 13 of Jesus’ very cool stories. They will meet a lost and found son, a rich fool, disgruntled vineyard workers, a pretty good Samaritan, and many others. And along the way, kids will explore the eternal truths Jesus wrapped in those stories—and what those truths mean in their lives.

These 22 “Why” stories from the Blackfeet, Chippewa, and Cree tribes were handed down from father to son, with little variation, through countless generations. These 22 stories were used to teach the young ones about the environment in which they lived but also the lessons of life. But the time of the tribal story-teller has passed, and only here and there is to be found a patriarch who loves the legends from the old days. This book is an attempt to ensure that these memories are forever on record and never lost to future generations. Herein you will find the stories of: Why The Chipmunk's Back Is Striped How The Ducks Got Their Fine Feathers Why The Kingfisher Always Wears A War-Bonnet Why The Curlew's Bill Is Long And Crooked Old-Man Remakes The World Why Blackfeet Never Kill Mice How The Otter Skin Became Great "Medicine" Old-Man Steals The Sun's Leggings Old-Man And His Conscience Old-Man's Treachery Why The Night-Hawk's Wings Are Beautiful Why The Mountain-Lion Is Long And Lean The Fire-Leggings The Moon And The Great Snake Why The Deer Has No Gall Why The Indians Whip The Buffalo-Berries From The Bushes Old-Man And The Fox Why The Birch-Tree Wears The Slashes In Its Bark Mistakes Of Old-Man How The Man Found His Mate Dreams Retrospection This volume was written and recorded in a time when the great Northwest was rapidly becoming a settled country. With the passing of the traditional ways of the Indian, much of the America’s aboriginal folk-lore, rich in its fairy-like characters, and its relation to the lives of its native people, has been lost. There is a wide difference between folk-lore of the so-called Old World and that of America. The folk-stories of our European ancestors, transmitted orally through countless generations, show many evidences of distortion and of change in material particulars; but the American Indian seems to have been too fond of nature and too proud of tradition to have forgotten or changed the teachings of his forefathers. Like Polynesian folklore, they have changed little and have a childlike in simplicity, beginning with creation itself, and reaching to the whys and wherefores of nature's moods and eccentricities, these tales impress as being well worth saving. YESTERDAY'S BOOKS for TODAY'S CHARITIES 10% of the net sale will be donated to Charities. ====================== TAGS: fairy tales, folklore, myths, legends, children’s stories, children’s stories, bygone era, fairydom, fairy land, classic stories, children’s bedtime stories, fables, cultural, setting, American Indian, native American, why stories, Blackfeet, Chippewa, Cree, tribes, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Great Falls, Helena, Lewis and Clark, Flathead, Custer, Beaverhead, Deerlodge, Fort Peck, Wolf point, I15, I90, i94, why the chipmunk's back is striped, ducks, fine feathers, kingfisher, wears, war-bonnet, curlew's bill, long, crooked, old-man, remake, world, blackfeet, never kill, mice, otter skin, great medicine, old-man, steal, sun's leggings, conscience, treachery, night-hawk's wings. Beautiful, mountain-lion, long, lean, fire-leggings, moon, great snake, deer, no gall, whip, buffalo-berries, old-man, fox, birch-tree, slashes, bark, mistakes, how the man found his mate, dreams, retrospection

Thornton W. Burgess's children's tales have enchanted generations. Wildside Press is pleased to release new editions of all the "Mother West Wind."

Thornton W. Burgess was a bird-watching, berry-picking student of nature, who took up writing children's stores including those collected in Old Mother West Wind "Why" Stories which were published in 1920. Grandfather Frog is very old and very wise, and he knows all about the days when the world was young. When he is feeling just right, he dearly loves to tell about those long-ago days. "Chug-a-rum!" says Grandfather Frog. And then he told why Peter Rabbit -- and all rabbits -- cannot bend their wrists. In fact, he told a thousand stories, because that's what Grandfather Frog was meant to do. Stories of Rabbits, Chipmunks, Possums, Foxes and more forest animals. Grandfather Frog knows the important stuff about everybody who lives around the meadow. Burgess sets his tales at a time "when the world was young," back when Peter Rabbit's "great-great-ever-so-great grandfather" was a young hopper, and Old Mother Nature still had some work to do on basic designs. She sees that a duck needs webbed feet to swim, and a prairie dog needs a burrow designed to keep dry. Burgess's animals are proud of their unique features and abilities, but the real voice of enthusiasm is the author's own, sharing the delights he found in the woods of New England. Typical of the book's charm is the story of where "Dippy the loon got the name of being crazy." The bird is smarter than he looks -- and that's how Dippy always gets the last laugh. 10% of the profit from the sale of the book will be donated to charities. =================================== Thornton W. (Waldo) Burgess (1874-1965), American author, naturalist and conservationist, wrote popular children's stories including the Old Mother West Wind series (1910). He would go on to write more than 100 books and thousands of short-stories during his lifetime. Thornton Burgess loved the beauty of nature and its living creatures so much that he wrote about them for 50 years in books and his newspaper column, "Bedtime Stories". He was sometimes known as the Bedtime Story-Man. By the time he retired, he had written more than 170 books and 15,000 stories for the daily newspaper column. =================================== KEYWORDS/TAGS: Mother West Wind, why stories, childrens stories, fables, folklore, animal stories, forest stories, children’s book, Striped Chipmunk, Stripes, Peter Rabbit, rabbit Hands, Unc' Billy Possum, Play Dead, Reddy Fox, Red clothes, Jimmy Skunk, Never Hurries, Sammy Jay, Fine Coat, Jerry Muskrat, House In The Water, Old Man Coyote, Miner The Mole, Live Under Ground, Mr. Snake, Cannot Wink, Bobby Coon, Rings On His Tail, Black Head, Buzzard Family, Buster Bear, Appears To Have No Tail, Flitter The Bat, Flies At Night, Spotty The Turtle, Carries His House, Paddy The Beaver, Broad Tail, Forest Feast, Grandfather Frog, stick out his Tongue, Old King Bear, Wish, Wish to fly, Thornton W Burgess,

An interdisciplinary framework for sustainable helping through cross-system collaboration This hands-on resource provides clear, practical guidance for supportive service professionals working in a home-based environment. Drawing on best practices from a range of disciplines, this book provides a clear map for dealing with the complex and often ambiguous situations that arise with individuals and families, with applications extending to supervision and organizational change. Readers gain the advice and insight of real-world frontline helpers, as well as those who receive care, highlighting new ways to approach the work and re-think previous conceptualizations of problems and strengths. Helping efforts are organized around a shared, forward-thinking vision that anticipates obstacles and draws on existing and potential supports in developing a collaborative plan of action. The book begins with stories that illustrate core concepts and context, presenting a number of useful ideas that can reorient behavioral services while outlining a principle-based practice framework to help workers stay grounded and focused. Problems are addressed, and strength-based work is expanded into richer conversations about strengths in the context of intention and purpose, value and belief, hopes, dreams, and commitments. Topics include: Contextual guidance with helping maps Engaging people and re-thinking problems and strengths Dilemmas in home and community services Sustainable helping through collaboration and support A strong collaboration between natural networks, communities, and trained professionals across systems creates an effective helping endeavor. Ensuring sustainability may involve promoting systems change, and building institutional supports for specific supervisory, management, and organizational practices. Collaborative Helping provides a framework for organizing these efforts into a coherent whole, serving the needs of supportive services workers across sectors.