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The Bedtime Story Books
The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk illustrated
Contents
CHAPTERPAGE
IPeter Rabbit Plans a Joke1
IIPeter Makes a Flying Jump7
IIIWhat Happened at the Old Barrel12
IVJimmy Skunk is Very Mad Indeed17
VReddy Fox Sneaks Away23
VIPeter Rabbit Doesn't Enjoy His Joke28
VIISammy Jay Does Some Guessing33
VIIIJimmy Skunk Looks for Peter39
IXJimmy Visits Johnny Chuck's Old House44
XPeter Rabbit is Most Uncomfortable50
XIJimmy Skunk Keeps His Word55
XIIJimmy Skunk and Unc' Billy Possum Meet61
XIIIJimmy Skunk Explains66
XIVA Little Something About Eggs70
XVA Second Meeting75
XVIA Matter of Politeness80
XVIIJimmy Skunk Gets a Bump85
XVIIIA Sad, Sad Quarrel90
XIXJimmy Skunk is True to His Word94
XXFarmer Brown's Boy Arrives98
XXIThe Nest-Egg Gives Unc' Billy Away103
XXIIUnc' Billy Possum Tries His Old Trick108
XXIIIUnc' Billy Gives Himself Away113
CHAPTERPAGE
IPeter Rabbit Plans a Joke1
IIPeter Makes a Flying Jump7
IIIWhat Happened at the Old Barrel12
IVJimmy Skunk is Very Mad Indeed17
VReddy Fox Sneaks Away23
VIPeter Rabbit Doesn't Enjoy His Joke28
VIISammy Jay Does Some Guessing33
VIIIJimmy Skunk Looks for Peter39
IXJimmy Visits Johnny Chuck's Old House44
XPeter Rabbit is Most Uncomfortable50
XIJimmy Skunk Keeps His Word55
XIIJimmy Skunk and Unc' Billy Possum Meet61
XIIIJimmy Skunk Explains66
XIVA Little Something About Eggs70
XVA Second Meeting75
XVIA Matter of Politeness80
XVIIJimmy Skunk Gets a Bump85
XVIIIA Sad, Sad Quarrel90
XIXJimmy Skunk is True to His Word94
XXFarmer Brown's Boy Arrives98
XXIThe Nest-Egg Gives Unc' Billy Away103
XXIIUnc' Billy Possum Tries His Old Trick108
XXIIIUnc' Billy Gives Himself Away113
56 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1918
34 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
About the author
Thornton W. Burgess
824 books203 followersThornton W. (Waldo) Burgess (1874-1965), American author, naturalist and conservationist, wrote popular children's stories including the Old Mother West Wind (1910) series. 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.
Born in Sandwich, Massachusetts, Burgess was the son of Caroline F. Haywood and Thornton W. Burgess Sr., a direct descendant of Thomas Burgess, one of the first Sandwich settlers in 1637. Thornton W. Burgess, Sr., died the same year his son was born, and the young Thornton Burgess was brought up by his mother in Sandwich. They both lived in humble circumstances with relatives or paying rent. As a youth, he worked year round in order to earn money. Some of his jobs included tending cows, picking trailing arbutus or berries, shipping water lilies from local ponds, selling candy and trapping muskrats. William C. Chipman, one of his employers, lived on Discovery Hill Road, a wildlife habitat of woodland and wetland. This habitat became the setting of many stories in which Burgess refers to Smiling Pool and the Old Briar Patch.
Graduating from Sandwich High School in 1891, Burgess briefly attended a business college in Boston from 1892 to 1893, living in Somerville, Massachusetts, at that time. But he disliked studying business and wanted to write. He moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he took a job as an editorial assistant at the Phelps Publishing Company. His first stories were written under the pen name W. B. Thornton.
Burgess married Nina Osborne in 1905, but she died only a year later, leaving him to raise their son alone. It is said that he began writing bedtime stories to entertain his young son, Thornton III. Burgess remarried in 1911; his wife Fannie had two children by a previous marriage. The couple later bought a home in Hampden, Massachusetts, in 1925 that became Burgess' permanent residence in 1957. His second wife died in August 1950. Burgess returned frequently to Sandwich, which he always claimed as his birthplace and spiritual home.
In 1960, Burgess published his last book, "Now I Remember, Autobiography of an Amateur Naturalist," depicting memories of his early life in Sandwich, as well as his career highlights. That same year, Burgess, at the age of 86, had published his 15,000th story. He died on June 5, 1965, at the age of 91 in Hampden, Massachusetts.
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September 12, 2024Such a fun 1st grade read-aloud! They were begging for more.
May 18, 2019
Jimmy Skunk threw some perfume in Reddy Fox's eyes. And Reddy Fox was wiping it because some even got in his eyes. And the words said "poor Reddy". Done.
January 31, 2011
The Burgess Books
This is a phrase that brings a smile to my face as often as I hear it. As a young child, I would lose myself for hours in the simple world of the wood and pond inhabited by Little Joe Otter, Buster Bear, Grandfather Frog, and terrorized by Farmer Brown's Boy. I can remember the very shelf, even the exact spot in the little library in Felton, CA where these books were kept. I would return practically every week with a new armload to last me until our next trip to the library. Often I would carry out stories that I read several times before, just so I could once again escape into this imaginary world of furry mischief.
I remember these books well in concept, though the specifics of most of the stories elude me. It was easily fifteen years ago when I began reading them and has been over a decade since I last picked up one of Burguess' stories to read it. That being said, this review is being written as a look back.
These stories are very simple and very fun. Of course, they are children's literature, so that's to be expected, but these stories strike me as especially so. Even still, I can remember some fascinating things I gleaned between the their covers.
For one thing, Burgess did a fantastic job of presenting the ideas of persepective and motivation in simplistic terms. For example, "The Adventures of Danny Field Mouse" would cast Old Man Coyote as a vicious, mean creature wishing to prey on Danny and his friends and family. Yet, pick up instead "The Adventures of Old Man Coyote" and you'll see that when the story is told with him as the protagonist, those pesky field mice are annoying and useful for little more than a snack. After reading both books, you're no more inclined to think of Old Man Coyote as a villian than you are to think of Danny Field Mouse as a pest that should be exterminated. (Note: This is a generic example. I do not recall if Old Man Coyote plays a role in Danny Field Mouse's story or the other way around, but this concept was presented several times. It made an impression on me.)
The only characters consistantly presented as antagonists were Farmer Brown and his boy. This would be one of the only things that I chalk up as odd, or maybe just a little "off" in these books. Humans and their influence on nature are presented as a negative influence on nature and animals - always. It's interesting to note though that while humans are seen as a negative, humanity is lauded and held up as virtuous. All of the animals take on not only human personalities but characteristics, traits, and mannerisms. From a frog with a monocle and an otter with a handkerchief tied to a stick, to a busy-body Jay and a reclusive owl who desires only to be left alone, humanity and it's traits keep cropping up.
Which would be another thing of value I feel that I saw in the Burgess books. These stories are full of social interaction and personality conflicts, even if they are charicatured more often than not. We see over and over again a working out of peace, if not harmony, between conflicting personalities. It may not always be easy to point out a scripture to reinforce the lesson implied, but social harmony is presented and more often than not, resolution is through reconciliation, forgiveness, or a similar method that is not only laudable, but distinctly Christian in action if not motivation.
All in all, the world created by Thornton W. Burgess is imaginative, innocent, fun, and educational. My reccomendation? Grab a handful from your local library, gather a group of kids as an excuse, and lose yourselves in childhood imaginations as you read aloud the stories that have captivated several generations of young readers with the antics of our furry, albiet elusively human, friends.
(Disclaimers: As I said, it has been over a decade since I actually read one of Burgess' books. As such, there may be a specific example that's a little off in this review or something that I would have noticed as an adult that my childhood memories are missing. Also, all of these books say I read them in 1998. While I'm certain I read several of them that year, I'm sure I read some before and after that date as well.)
This is a phrase that brings a smile to my face as often as I hear it. As a young child, I would lose myself for hours in the simple world of the wood and pond inhabited by Little Joe Otter, Buster Bear, Grandfather Frog, and terrorized by Farmer Brown's Boy. I can remember the very shelf, even the exact spot in the little library in Felton, CA where these books were kept. I would return practically every week with a new armload to last me until our next trip to the library. Often I would carry out stories that I read several times before, just so I could once again escape into this imaginary world of furry mischief.
I remember these books well in concept, though the specifics of most of the stories elude me. It was easily fifteen years ago when I began reading them and has been over a decade since I last picked up one of Burguess' stories to read it. That being said, this review is being written as a look back.
These stories are very simple and very fun. Of course, they are children's literature, so that's to be expected, but these stories strike me as especially so. Even still, I can remember some fascinating things I gleaned between the their covers.
For one thing, Burgess did a fantastic job of presenting the ideas of persepective and motivation in simplistic terms. For example, "The Adventures of Danny Field Mouse" would cast Old Man Coyote as a vicious, mean creature wishing to prey on Danny and his friends and family. Yet, pick up instead "The Adventures of Old Man Coyote" and you'll see that when the story is told with him as the protagonist, those pesky field mice are annoying and useful for little more than a snack. After reading both books, you're no more inclined to think of Old Man Coyote as a villian than you are to think of Danny Field Mouse as a pest that should be exterminated. (Note: This is a generic example. I do not recall if Old Man Coyote plays a role in Danny Field Mouse's story or the other way around, but this concept was presented several times. It made an impression on me.)
The only characters consistantly presented as antagonists were Farmer Brown and his boy. This would be one of the only things that I chalk up as odd, or maybe just a little "off" in these books. Humans and their influence on nature are presented as a negative influence on nature and animals - always. It's interesting to note though that while humans are seen as a negative, humanity is lauded and held up as virtuous. All of the animals take on not only human personalities but characteristics, traits, and mannerisms. From a frog with a monocle and an otter with a handkerchief tied to a stick, to a busy-body Jay and a reclusive owl who desires only to be left alone, humanity and it's traits keep cropping up.
Which would be another thing of value I feel that I saw in the Burgess books. These stories are full of social interaction and personality conflicts, even if they are charicatured more often than not. We see over and over again a working out of peace, if not harmony, between conflicting personalities. It may not always be easy to point out a scripture to reinforce the lesson implied, but social harmony is presented and more often than not, resolution is through reconciliation, forgiveness, or a similar method that is not only laudable, but distinctly Christian in action if not motivation.
All in all, the world created by Thornton W. Burgess is imaginative, innocent, fun, and educational. My reccomendation? Grab a handful from your local library, gather a group of kids as an excuse, and lose yourselves in childhood imaginations as you read aloud the stories that have captivated several generations of young readers with the antics of our furry, albiet elusively human, friends.
(Disclaimers: As I said, it has been over a decade since I actually read one of Burgess' books. As such, there may be a specific example that's a little off in this review or something that I would have noticed as an adult that my childhood memories are missing. Also, all of these books say I read them in 1998. While I'm certain I read several of them that year, I'm sure I read some before and after that date as well.)
July 21, 2020
Read this aloud to the kids but I think I enjoy these as much as they do (maybe more) :). I like these books because it presents habits of these animals in an easy to suggest manner without having to memorize facts.
February 22, 2018
Great read
Great read with my 4 year old son. My son is now obsessed with skunks. And keeps reminding me that they eat beetles and eggs
Great read with my 4 year old son. My son is now obsessed with skunks. And keeps reminding me that they eat beetles and eggs
December 31, 2020
I really enjoyed these fun short stories and would definitely recommend this book for kids!
May 5, 2018
my 7 yr old gave this a 5. I agree. I liked the way morals were told in an entertaining way. I bet my daughter didn't feel she was being moralized at because she wanted to hear the whole book. I've tried others that had a distinct 'moral' or 'value' and she hates it.(Books that go ... is thankful or ... learns to be honest. blah.
Burgess books are interesting entertaining and a good read. Hopefully the little lessons learned by the animals were also learned and put away in the back of my daughter's mind!
But if not, that's ok. A book is meant to entertain and if it did that, that works for me.
The books themselves:
Adventures of Jimmy Skunk: Jimmy is the butt of a bad joke gone wrong by Peter Rabbit. See how he deals with Peter. Jimmy loves eggs but his disappointment of not finding any at the henhouse ends up with him and Billy Possum in a funny fix. Enjoyable for an adult to read to a child.
Burgess books are interesting entertaining and a good read. Hopefully the little lessons learned by the animals were also learned and put away in the back of my daughter's mind!
But if not, that's ok. A book is meant to entertain and if it did that, that works for me.
The books themselves:
Adventures of Jimmy Skunk: Jimmy is the butt of a bad joke gone wrong by Peter Rabbit. See how he deals with Peter. Jimmy loves eggs but his disappointment of not finding any at the henhouse ends up with him and Billy Possum in a funny fix. Enjoyable for an adult to read to a child.
October 3, 2016
Nog een verhaaltje voor het slapengaan van Burgess. Jimmy Skunk, het stinkdier, beleeft vele avonturen met zijn vrienden en medebewoners van het bos, de wei en de boomgaard.
Het leuke is dat verschillende dieren telkens terugkomen in de verhalen, zoals Peter Rabbit, Buster Bear, Billy Possum, Sammy Jay... En ook de boerderij van boer Brown en zijn bewoners speelt een rol in het leven van de dieren.
Ik hou wel van deze verhaaltjes.
Het leuke is dat verschillende dieren telkens terugkomen in de verhalen, zoals Peter Rabbit, Buster Bear, Billy Possum, Sammy Jay... En ook de boerderij van boer Brown en zijn bewoners speelt een rol in het leven van de dieren.
Ik hou wel van deze verhaaltjes.
July 2, 2025
First sentence: The Imp of Mischief, woe is me, is always busy as a bee. That is why so many people are forever getting into trouble. He won't keep still. No, Sir, he won't keep still unless he is made to. Once let him get started there is no knowing where he will stop. Peter Rabbit had just seen Jimmy Skunk disappear inside an old barrel, lying on its side at the top of the hill, and at once the Imp of Mischief began2 to whisper to Peter. Of course Peter shouldn't have listened. Certainly not. But he did. You know Peter dearly loves a joke when it is on some one else. He sat right where he was and watched to see if Jimmy would come out of the barrel. Jimmy didn't come out, and after a little Peter stole over to the barrel and peeped inside. There was Jimmy Skunk curled up for a nap. Peter tiptoed away very softly. All the time the Imp of Mischief was whispering to him that this was a splendid chance to play a joke on Jimmy. You know it is very easy to play a joke on any one who is asleep. Peter doesn't often have a chance to play a joke on Jimmy Skunk. It isn't a very safe thing to do, not if Jimmy is awake. No one knows that better than Peter.
Premise/plot: Though Jimmy Skunk is perhaps the central character in this classic animal fantasy novel by Thornton Burgess, plenty of other characters get their moments to shine as well. (INCLUDING UNC' Billy Possum). Over half the novel features JIMMY SKUNK and UNC' BILLY POSSUM together getting into trouble--chiefly having to do with their love for EGGS. (The first half of the novel focuses on Peter Rabbit and Jimmy Skunk pranking each other.)
Burgess' animal world is DELIGHTFUL.
My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. Did I love it more than The Adventures of Unc' Billy Possum???? Good question. Fair question. I think I loved them both equally. Because they share main characters--Jimmy Skunk and Unc' Billy Possum.
Quotes:
Jimmy Skunk ambled along down the Lone Little Path through the Green Forest. He didn't hurry. Jimmy never does hurry. Hurrying and worrying are two things he leaves for his neighbors. Now and then Jimmy stopped to turn over a bit of bark or a stick, hoping to find some fat beetles. But it was plain to see that he had something besides fat beetles on his mind.
Up the Lone Little Path through the Green Forest shuffled Unc' Billy Possum. He didn't hurry. It was too warm to hurry. Unlike Jimmy Skunk,62 he does hurry sometimes, does Unc' Billy, especially when he suspects that Bowser the Hound is about. And sometimes Unc' Billy does worry. You see, there are people who think that Unc' Billy would make a very good dinner. Unc' Billy doesn't think he would. Anyway, he has no desire to have the experiment tried. So occasionally, when he discovers one of these people who think he would make a good dinner, he worries a little.
But just now Unc' Billy was neither hurrying nor worrying. There was no need of doing either, and Unc' Billy never does anything that there is no need of doing. So Unc' Billy shuffled up the Lone Little Path, and Jimmy Skunk ambled down the Lone Little Path, and right at a bend in the Lone Little Path they met.
Premise/plot: Though Jimmy Skunk is perhaps the central character in this classic animal fantasy novel by Thornton Burgess, plenty of other characters get their moments to shine as well. (INCLUDING UNC' Billy Possum). Over half the novel features JIMMY SKUNK and UNC' BILLY POSSUM together getting into trouble--chiefly having to do with their love for EGGS. (The first half of the novel focuses on Peter Rabbit and Jimmy Skunk pranking each other.)
Burgess' animal world is DELIGHTFUL.
My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. Did I love it more than The Adventures of Unc' Billy Possum???? Good question. Fair question. I think I loved them both equally. Because they share main characters--Jimmy Skunk and Unc' Billy Possum.
Quotes:
Jimmy Skunk ambled along down the Lone Little Path through the Green Forest. He didn't hurry. Jimmy never does hurry. Hurrying and worrying are two things he leaves for his neighbors. Now and then Jimmy stopped to turn over a bit of bark or a stick, hoping to find some fat beetles. But it was plain to see that he had something besides fat beetles on his mind.
Up the Lone Little Path through the Green Forest shuffled Unc' Billy Possum. He didn't hurry. It was too warm to hurry. Unlike Jimmy Skunk,62 he does hurry sometimes, does Unc' Billy, especially when he suspects that Bowser the Hound is about. And sometimes Unc' Billy does worry. You see, there are people who think that Unc' Billy would make a very good dinner. Unc' Billy doesn't think he would. Anyway, he has no desire to have the experiment tried. So occasionally, when he discovers one of these people who think he would make a good dinner, he worries a little.
But just now Unc' Billy was neither hurrying nor worrying. There was no need of doing either, and Unc' Billy never does anything that there is no need of doing. So Unc' Billy shuffled up the Lone Little Path, and Jimmy Skunk ambled down the Lone Little Path, and right at a bend in the Lone Little Path they met.
August 16, 2020
4 stars & 4/10 hearts. This is a particularly humorous Burgess book. Jimmy Skunk, Unc’ Billy Possum, & Peter Rabbit bring humour to almost every page. Definitely one of my favourite Burgess books.
A Favourite Quote: “‘I really don't want to go back there tonight,’ he muttered, ‘but I guess I'll have to. I said I would, and so I'll have to do it. I believe in keeping my word. If I shouldn't and some day he should find it out, he wouldn't believe me the next time I happened to say I would do a thing. Yes, Sir, I'll have to go back. There is nothing like making people believe that when you say a thing you mean it. There is nothing like keeping your word to make people respect you.’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘Ah reckons, Brer Skunk,’ said he, ‘that there isn't anybody wants to go fo' to meddle with yo' and Brer Porky. Ah reckons most folks knows what would happen if they did, and that yo' and Brer Porky are folks it's a sight mo' comfortable to leave alone. Leastways, Ah does. Ah ain't aiming fo' trouble with either of yo'. That li'l bag of scent yo' carry is cert'nly most powerful, Brer Skunk, and Ah isn't hankering to brush against those little spears Brer Porky is so free with. Ah knows when Ah's well off, and Ah reckons most folks feel the same way.’”
A Favourite Quote: “‘I really don't want to go back there tonight,’ he muttered, ‘but I guess I'll have to. I said I would, and so I'll have to do it. I believe in keeping my word. If I shouldn't and some day he should find it out, he wouldn't believe me the next time I happened to say I would do a thing. Yes, Sir, I'll have to go back. There is nothing like making people believe that when you say a thing you mean it. There is nothing like keeping your word to make people respect you.’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘Ah reckons, Brer Skunk,’ said he, ‘that there isn't anybody wants to go fo' to meddle with yo' and Brer Porky. Ah reckons most folks knows what would happen if they did, and that yo' and Brer Porky are folks it's a sight mo' comfortable to leave alone. Leastways, Ah does. Ah ain't aiming fo' trouble with either of yo'. That li'l bag of scent yo' carry is cert'nly most powerful, Brer Skunk, and Ah isn't hankering to brush against those little spears Brer Porky is so free with. Ah knows when Ah's well off, and Ah reckons most folks feel the same way.’”
April 11, 2018
We are continuing to love these books. I think the appeal lies in a few things for the kids. They are funny, the illustrations are well-done, and the author does a great job of drawing us into the story and creating believable adventures for the animals that live in the Green Meadow, the Green Wood, and Smiling Pool.
I love the language, and how the stories tell moral lessons without getting preachy. It is woven into the story and, I think, situations that my kids can relate to. Highly recommend for the elementary years.
I love the language, and how the stories tell moral lessons without getting preachy. It is woven into the story and, I think, situations that my kids can relate to. Highly recommend for the elementary years.
July 5, 2018
Loved reading allowed this book to my sons who are 3 and 5. Perfect for littles who love animals and parents who want good, quality literature to read to said littles! We are looking forward to reading lots more of these books!
May 13, 2019
To easy to read for me, but still it is interesting. It is not as much about Jimmy Skunk as I thought though, becuase there are large parts about the fox and the rabbit, along with a bit about the possum.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2019
"I like it. My favorite part is when the skunk sprayed Reddy Fox. That part was the funniest."
~K, age 4
~K, age 4
March 9, 2019
This is one of several Thornton W. Burgess books that I remember my dad reading to me and my sister when we were little. Loved them. Later read it on my own.
April 17, 2019
This one is a really good one to read as a stand alone if you are only going to read one Burgess book. More action than normal and fun situations. We loved it. Need to buy a copy of this one.
July 17, 2020
Love the humor!
November 25, 2020
Reading this to my daughter at bed time! Great life lessons and funny situations! Loved it!!
January 14, 2021
Love all the Thornton Animal books so much!
May 14, 2021
Probably my favourite of the Wilder books I’ve read.
August 24, 2022
I like these books. This one has a bunch of Unc Billy Possum who has a southern accent. This would be a great book if you want to try speaking southern and want help of reading the words.
February 25, 2023
Yet another Burgess for the win!
Read
April 5, 2023Reading this again. My children love anything from the Mother West Wind series!
October 15, 2023
Not essential childhood reading but enjoyable. Silly characters in odd situations teaching old fashioned morals.
March 25, 2024
Youtube
August 15, 2024
Cute story about mischievous and stubborn animals and their adventures. Easy and engaging read.
April 12, 2025
Read as a kid
May 30, 2025
I first read Thornton Burgess as a kid and loved them. I found this book and one other at Landis Farm in Pennsylvania.
December 26, 2011
Thornton Burgess books are guilty pleasures to be sure. I was a somewhat sickly child growing up - missing over a third of my first grade year due to bad ear infections. Like so many bedridden kids before me, I learned a love for reading and writing during those convalescent days. And much of my appreciation therein can be attributed directly to the works of Thornton Burgess. I remember with great fondness my father bringing me an armful of Burgess books from the corner library. They might have been ones I read before - but I didn't care a whit - they were great friends to me.
I know that Rose Kennedy was famously dismissive of future President John Kennedy's love for the Burgess books as a child and referred to them in the most condescending of terms. These are not works of great erudition to be sure. But neither do they aspire to be. They are simple homespun tales showing the anthropomorphosed interactions of the natural world. Old Man Coyote does indeed try to eat Peter Rabbit, Sammy Jay does indeed squawk and steal glittery objects. But yes, they do wear clothes and speak. It is perhaps inevitable that we try to put the animal world in a human context - why even the beloved Jane Goodall does that with her studies of the Chimpanzee in Gombe, Tanzania. Harrison Cady's drawings in the original reinforcing this humanizing by placing the animals in country-style overalls that give the characters a sort of folksy-ness that Burgess aspired to.
"The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk" is one of my most favorite of the Green Forest series of books by Burgess. Ostensibly it is two simple stories tied together in one fast paced book. The first story concerns the misfortunes of Reddy Fox who is blamed for waking a blissfully sleeping Jimmy Skunk (though Peter Rabbit is responsible) and the second concern Unc' Billy Possum and Jimmy trying to get an easy meal of eggs in Farmer Brown's henhouse.
Like many of the series, "The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk" is a cautionary tale. The morality of the stories is reinforced through the consequences of actions and some not so subtle, though quaintly apropos epigraphs:
"Tis little things that often seem
Scarce woth a passing thought.
Which in the end may prove that they
With big results are fraught."
But it is the fun of the language that made me return to the stories again and again. Even now I get giddy at the prospect of new releases from Dover Thrift Editions to complete my collection. For one thing - how many kids books use the word 'fraught'? How lovely! Just great simple storylines written with an elegance and flow that draws one in effectively. Beautiful, beautiful books.
I know that Rose Kennedy was famously dismissive of future President John Kennedy's love for the Burgess books as a child and referred to them in the most condescending of terms. These are not works of great erudition to be sure. But neither do they aspire to be. They are simple homespun tales showing the anthropomorphosed interactions of the natural world. Old Man Coyote does indeed try to eat Peter Rabbit, Sammy Jay does indeed squawk and steal glittery objects. But yes, they do wear clothes and speak. It is perhaps inevitable that we try to put the animal world in a human context - why even the beloved Jane Goodall does that with her studies of the Chimpanzee in Gombe, Tanzania. Harrison Cady's drawings in the original reinforcing this humanizing by placing the animals in country-style overalls that give the characters a sort of folksy-ness that Burgess aspired to.
"The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk" is one of my most favorite of the Green Forest series of books by Burgess. Ostensibly it is two simple stories tied together in one fast paced book. The first story concerns the misfortunes of Reddy Fox who is blamed for waking a blissfully sleeping Jimmy Skunk (though Peter Rabbit is responsible) and the second concern Unc' Billy Possum and Jimmy trying to get an easy meal of eggs in Farmer Brown's henhouse.
Like many of the series, "The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk" is a cautionary tale. The morality of the stories is reinforced through the consequences of actions and some not so subtle, though quaintly apropos epigraphs:
"Tis little things that often seem
Scarce woth a passing thought.
Which in the end may prove that they
With big results are fraught."
But it is the fun of the language that made me return to the stories again and again. Even now I get giddy at the prospect of new releases from Dover Thrift Editions to complete my collection. For one thing - how many kids books use the word 'fraught'? How lovely! Just great simple storylines written with an elegance and flow that draws one in effectively. Beautiful, beautiful books.
February 13, 2024
Peter Rabbit decides to play a joke on Reddy Fox that has lasting effects. One day, Peter watches Jimmy crawl into an old barrel for a nap. When Peter sees Reddy Fox, the rabbit devises a plan that will send Jimmy and the barrel rolling down the hill. Peter makes Sammy Jay mad in order to catch Reddy’s attention, because Peter knows that as soon as Reddy sees him, he will try to catch him. The rabbit didn’t think of the consequences if his plans didn’t work out the way he planned. He was too focused on the prank. As Reddy chases Peter, the rabbit jumps over the barrel. Reddy is running too quickly and is too focused on catching Peter so he runs right into the barrel and knocks it down the hill. From all the noises coming from the barrel, Reddy realizes that someone is in it and follows it down the hill. When the barrel stops, Jimmy comes out and sprays the innocent Reddy. Meanwhile, Peter hides in Johnny Chuck's old tunnel. The wasps that have set up housekeeping at the entrance sting Peter and drive him into the depths of the hole. Meanwhile, Sammy Jay figures out that Peter was the culprit and tells Jimmy who, then, goes to the old woodchuck hole to give Peter a bit of payback. The wasps which are very agitated keep Jimmy from finding Peter, but Jimmy realizes he doesn’t have to worry about Peter suffering from his own prank. The wasps are more than happy to keep Peter hold up in Jimmy Chuck’s old bedroom deep in the tunnel. Jimmy calls down the tunnel and tells Peter that he will come back at dark when the wasps are sleeping so he can “thank” Peter for his clever prank. That night, Jimmy calls his threat down the tunnel again. Then, he leaves. Peter stays in Johnny Chuck’s bedroom most of the night with his stomach growling and his stings smarting. Just before dawn when the wasps will wake up for the day, a worried and desperate Peter runs out of the tunnel. To his relief, Jimmy is not waiting for him. Later, Jimmy Skunk meets Unc’ Billy Possum at Farmer Brown’s hen house where they are both intent on stealing a few eggs. Unfortunately, the only eggs in the nests are china ones. Unc' Billy, in a pique of anger kicks a china egg out of a nest. It falls on Jimmy's head. Unc’ Billy spends a miserable night on the upper levels of the henhouse, stuck there by Jimmy's anger. In the morning, Jimmy ambles out of the house when Farmer Brown's son opens the door. Unc' Billy is discovered and is forced to play dead while the boy has sport with him. He lets his dog sniff him and brings him in the house to show his mother. Then, the boy lets Unc' Billy go unharmed.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
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