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.

A powerful critique of the stories that feminists tell about the past four decades of Western feminist theory.

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.

While trapping in Montana during the 1880s, young Frank B. Linderman listened to stories and legends told by Kootenai Indians around their campfires. In 1926 he translated the tales for KOOTENAI WHY STORIES. These stories explain the "why" of nature--such as why the coyote has thin legs. Linderman's retelling captures the mystery and spirit of a forested world. Illustrated.

Thornton W. Burgess' 'Mother West Wind 'Why' Stories' is a delightful collection of charming and whimsical tales centered around the whimsical character of Mother West Wind and her woodland friends. Written in a simple and engaging style, these stories are perfect for children and adults alike. The book not only entertains but also imparts moral lessons through each story, making it a valuable addition to any library of classic children's literature. Burgess' ability to bring the natural world to life in his stories adds depth and richness to the narratives, creating a captivating reading experience. Thornton W. Burgess, a naturalist and conservationist, drew inspiration from his love of the outdoors and his deep understanding of animal behavior when writing 'Mother West Wind 'Why' Stories'. His passion for the environment and wildlife shines through in the vivid descriptions and characterizations present in each story. Burgess' commitment to educating readers about the wonders of nature is evident throughout the book. I highly recommend 'Mother West Wind 'Why' Stories' to anyone looking for a charming and educational read that will transport them to the enchanting world of the forest. Burgess' timeless tales are sure to captivate readers of all ages and leave a lasting impression.

"Indian Why Stories: Sparks from War Eagle's Lodge-Fire" by Frank Bird Linderman is a collection of legends from the Native American cultures of the American West. The volume contains: 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 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, and Retrospection.

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,

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