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Old Granny Fox
Winter's here, and there's a carpet of deep snow covering the Green Forest and the nearby meadow — which means Reddy Fox and Granny Fox are having trouble finding food. Reddy, of course, is full of reckless ideas, such as getting into Farmer Brown's chicken house in daylight.
Using the wisdom she's acquired over the years, Granny overrules many of Reddy's foolhardy suggestions, taking the conceit out of a youngster who thinks he knows more than anyone else. Granny also teaches Reddy quite a bit about patience, common sense, and resourcefulness.
A timeless fable by master storyteller Thornton W. Burgess, Old Granny Fox will delight youngsters with an entertaining story while teaching important lessons — in a painless and enjoyable way — about wildlife, the environment, and personal conduct.
Using the wisdom she's acquired over the years, Granny overrules many of Reddy's foolhardy suggestions, taking the conceit out of a youngster who thinks he knows more than anyone else. Granny also teaches Reddy quite a bit about patience, common sense, and resourcefulness.
A timeless fable by master storyteller Thornton W. Burgess, Old Granny Fox will delight youngsters with an entertaining story while teaching important lessons — in a painless and enjoyable way — about wildlife, the environment, and personal conduct.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1920
44 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Thornton W. Burgess
819 books204 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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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 29, 2025
I love these Thornton Waldo Burgess books for the nostalgia they bring, but even more for the actual stories themselves. Old Granny Fox is mentioned in earlier stories, especially in relation to Reddy Fox and the Bedtime Stories collection. By the time, Burgess published Old Granny Fox, he had been writing and publishing nature stories for 10 years. It was time for Granny Fox to gain some love.
Burgess was an observer of nature. He would go for nature walks, see a squirrel and then communicate what he saw in an anthropomorphized way, from the squirrel's point of view. By the time, he gets to Old Granny Fox, she has been cast as a predator to most of the denizens of the Green Forest, Green Meadow, but because he understands that her predatory ways make her and Reddy Fox seem villainous, Burgess tells this story to make his readers understand the pragmatic reality of a fox's existence: that it too must eat or die.
Consequent to this pragmatism, Old Granny Fox has a theme which is not the same as the earlier more cutesy stories. Don't get me wrong. There is no death in this story, nor what I believe would be objectionable content. Granny Fox is old, and her health is addressed. Her demise is hinted at as an inevitability.
Harrison Cady was the illustrator to most of these stories. His fantastic artwork added so much to these stories that I consider him a co-creator to the entire world of the Green Forest, Green Meadow.
Burgess was an observer of nature. He would go for nature walks, see a squirrel and then communicate what he saw in an anthropomorphized way, from the squirrel's point of view. By the time, he gets to Old Granny Fox, she has been cast as a predator to most of the denizens of the Green Forest, Green Meadow, but because he understands that her predatory ways make her and Reddy Fox seem villainous, Burgess tells this story to make his readers understand the pragmatic reality of a fox's existence: that it too must eat or die.
Consequent to this pragmatism, Old Granny Fox has a theme which is not the same as the earlier more cutesy stories. Don't get me wrong. There is no death in this story, nor what I believe would be objectionable content. Granny Fox is old, and her health is addressed. Her demise is hinted at as an inevitability.
Harrison Cady was the illustrator to most of these stories. His fantastic artwork added so much to these stories that I consider him a co-creator to the entire world of the Green Forest, Green Meadow.
March 16, 2017
Read through this with my 6 year old son. Good life lessons.
June 5, 2019
I didn't know what Granny Fox and Reddy Fox were doing at the beginning, but then when I started reading it they were going to Farmer Brown's hen house to get some fat hens. Then skip ahead to the middle where they both go to the hen house again, and I liked the chapter when Farmer Brown's Boy forgets to close the gate. I'm not done. Actually yeah.
January 1, 2023
Love the Thornton Burgess books. Caleb will listen to these on repeat all day if I let him. (Audio on CanonPlus)
June 22, 2016
This series is all about animal stories. I liked it a lot b
December 5, 2017
The work is highly influential for a child reader and adult one in its style of writing and its content.
As usual, every chapter begins with a title and a wisdom or it could be a rhyming couplet adding a further scope to the story. Old Granny Fox the rational is in disagreement with her mischievous radical grandcub or grandpup Reddy Fox who is always eager to head to Brown's farm immediately with neither plans nor predictions. The plot is involving with its episodic actions with suspense and surprise in most of the chapters around the Green Forest and the Green Meadows until the biggest expected event. The writing style is simple and easy to read, but it is completely engaging in describing the characters and their inner and outer feelings in a way that is realistic for an animal attitude, but also it is semi-anthropomorphised which is amusing.
As usual, every chapter begins with a title and a wisdom or it could be a rhyming couplet adding a further scope to the story. Old Granny Fox the rational is in disagreement with her mischievous radical grandcub or grandpup Reddy Fox who is always eager to head to Brown's farm immediately with neither plans nor predictions. The plot is involving with its episodic actions with suspense and surprise in most of the chapters around the Green Forest and the Green Meadows until the biggest expected event. The writing style is simple and easy to read, but it is completely engaging in describing the characters and their inner and outer feelings in a way that is realistic for an animal attitude, but also it is semi-anthropomorphised which is amusing.
August 16, 2025
The Thornton Burgess series in general is quite an endearing series of children's books, which do a fine job of being readable by young readers and having interesting plots and introducing young people to a variety of animals in a semi-anthropomorphized way. This particular entry, "Old Granny Fox" is one of the best of the lot, and it's a delightful read for a youngster, or for an older person who is willing to be a child again for the hour or so that it would take to read it. And as an added bonus, unlike many of the books in the series, the carnivores actually DO manage to find food; in far too many of the stories, you would think that the carnivores must surely starve, because they never do manage to eat! ;)
September 26, 2025
So glad OKC bought these Dover editions. Young me would have adored them - I always liked learning about nature and science, and about human nature, too. Some readers nowadays might think them a little quaint, maybe even a little preachy, but I strongly believe there's enough of an audience to keep them in print.
They're probably work great as a family read aloud. The adult could skip some of the 'yes indeed he sure did that' clauses if they find them bothersome or twee. Otherwise, they're beautifully written. I wish I had time to read the whole set.
As a person of 'Granny' age myself, I appreciate how much Reddy learns from this wise, clever, & brave mentor.
"People who themselves do ill
For others seldom have good will."
They're probably work great as a family read aloud. The adult could skip some of the 'yes indeed he sure did that' clauses if they find them bothersome or twee. Otherwise, they're beautifully written. I wish I had time to read the whole set.
As a person of 'Granny' age myself, I appreciate how much Reddy learns from this wise, clever, & brave mentor.
"People who themselves do ill
For others seldom have good will."
August 16, 2020
3 stars & 3/10 hearts. This is a fun story with quite a bit of shrewd wisdom in it. There’s a couple references to Mother Nature, but not many. And there are quite a few good lessons, too.
A Favourite Quote: “The thing to do is to make the most of the sunshine while it lasts, and when it rains to look forward to the corning of the sun again, knowing that come it surely will.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘How would you like to eat a dinner of Bowser the Hound’s?’ [...]
“‘I certainly would like it, Granny. ... You—you don’t suppose he will give us one, do you?
“Granny chuckled. ‘No, Reddy,’ said she. ‘Bowser isn’t so generous as all that, especially to Foxes.’”
A Favourite Quote: “The thing to do is to make the most of the sunshine while it lasts, and when it rains to look forward to the corning of the sun again, knowing that come it surely will.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘How would you like to eat a dinner of Bowser the Hound’s?’ [...]
“‘I certainly would like it, Granny. ... You—you don’t suppose he will give us one, do you?
“Granny chuckled. ‘No, Reddy,’ said she. ‘Bowser isn’t so generous as all that, especially to Foxes.’”
June 17, 2018
poi gzbzsh
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2018
Delightful book.
January 13, 2019
Another good Burgess book. The chapters are a little longer than most of his books so that was nice. Granny and Reddy up to typical adventures.
Read
September 7, 2020Delightful. Read at the recommendation of my aunt and cousins.
January 15, 2022
My kids enjoyed this a lot.
June 22, 2023
Very dry wit
Sometimes I like to relax with dry wit from a bygone era. This seem to fit the bill nicely! 😁
Sometimes I like to relax with dry wit from a bygone era. This seem to fit the bill nicely! 😁
July 6, 2022
Pretty simplistic moral story.
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.)
October 30, 2014
Some of my childhood favorites were the animal stories of Thornton W. Burgess. I remember that Granny Fox and Reddy Fox were two of my favorite characters (I also liked Billy Possum and Jimmy Skunk, and Old Mr. Toad). They are a big moralistic and pedantic; Old Granny Fox has morals about good living as well; she's full of homilies. But they are still strong, simple animal stories, a lighter version of Bambi or the child that grows into Watership Down. Burgess also has an ecological heart; he's very much of the Theodore Roosevelt school of hunting and wilderness ecology. Old Granny Fox is definitely not for every child, but I still think there is value is these old fashioned books.
January 30, 2015
Burgess presents life as a fox and the struggles that Old Granny Fox and her nephew, Reddy, find themselves.
Winter is hard when mice, birds and rabbits are not available. They seek the farmhouse for help. Old Granny's wit is matched with Bouswer the Hound.
Her experience is challenged by Reddy as he learns to appreciate her age with its wisdom, especially when he doesn't go hungry because of it.
A good book for nighttime, since the chapters are short and review what has happened prior.
A good book for a beginner book to practice with parents.
Winter is hard when mice, birds and rabbits are not available. They seek the farmhouse for help. Old Granny's wit is matched with Bouswer the Hound.
Her experience is challenged by Reddy as he learns to appreciate her age with its wisdom, especially when he doesn't go hungry because of it.
A good book for nighttime, since the chapters are short and review what has happened prior.
A good book for a beginner book to practice with parents.
February 9, 2016
I LOVE it
This is a stupid review so don't read it.
JK I AM JUST KIDDING
This book has many good lessons and morals. A great book for everyone.
This is a stupid review so don't read it.
JK I AM JUST KIDDING
This book has many good lessons and morals. A great book for everyone.
June 14, 2017
Amusing tale that teaches animal behavior and that elders often know best!
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