The Adventures of Unc' Billy Possum

by Thornton W. Burgess

When Unc' Billy Possum learns how easy it is to get into trouble, it takes some doin' to get himself out of his predicament. First of all, he didn't go home when he should have. The next thing he knew, he was a prisoner! But with the help of his friends, especially Happy Jack Squirrel, Unc' manages to find a way out of his difficult situation.
Master storyteller Thornton Burgess beguiles young readers and nature lovers with another tale about the delightful creatures of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows.

Genres: Classics, Animals, Fiction, Childrens, Fantasy, Audiobook, Nature

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1914

About the author

Thornton 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.

Reviews

[Katja Labonté · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. Like most of the Burgess books, this is a light-hearted, humorous read with good little messages. I get this story a little confused with The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk though, because both involve Unc’ Billy in the Browns’ henhouse!

A Favourite Quote: So Unc’ Billy Possum learned how easy it is to get into trouble and how hard to get out of it.
A Favourite Humorous Quote: Unc’ Billy isn’t any too fond of work. He had a lot rather that some one else should do the work for him, and he is smart enough to fix it so that usually some one else does.

[Noella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ol' Billy Possum besluit te verhuizen van Virginia naar het Groene Woud. Hij heeft het er erg naar zijn zin, en laat ook zijn familie overkomen. Peter Rabbit wil een verrassingsfeestje organiseren voor de Possums, maar Sammy Jay en Reddy Fox zijn niet uitgenodigd. Zij komen het toch te weten en willen het feestje saboteren. Maar Mr. Toad heeft van hun plannetje gehoord en kan de andere dieren waarschuwen, en zo wordt het feestje gered.
Billy heeft zin in eieren, en gaat ze stelen bij Farmer Brown. Maar door zoveel eieren te eten, wordt hij slaperig en valt in slaap in een oud kippenest. Gelukkig vindt Farmer Brown's Boy hem niet, maar deze zet vallen, zodat Bily niet meer buiten kan. Eindelijk weet hij toch te ontsnappen, maar hij maakt sporen in de sneeuw, dus nu durft hij niet naar zijn eigen holle boom vluchten. Hij brengt enkele nachten door in een andere boom, terwijl Mrs. Possum heel erg ongerust is. Maar dan begint het op een avond te sneeuwen, en de Eekhoorn vertelt Billy dat hij nu gerust naar huis kan, want tegen de volgende morgen zullen alle sporen uitgewist zijn. Zo gezegd, zo gedaan. Billy krijgt een enorme uitbrander van Mrs. Possum, maar als Farmer Brown's Boy de volgende morgen naar the Green forest komt, is er geen enkel spoor te zien, en moet hij onverrichterzake weer naar huis.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unc’ Billy possum has a hankering for eggs, so he sneaks into Farmer Brown’s henhouse for a surreptitious meal. But then Farmer Brown’s son comes in and discovers the theft, and Unc’ Billy can’t get out without being caught. Moral: it’s much easier to get into trouble than to get out of it. All Thornton Burgess’s books teach moral lessons, with animals that look and act like humans, sort of like the Uncle Remus stories. But these are a lot thinner. Children of yesteryear might have been enchanted with them, but today’s kids have a lot more to choose from, and I’m not sure they would choose these.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Jon E · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was amazing because Farmer Brown's Boy kept trying to trap Unc' Billy Possum but in the other book, I think it was "Peter Rabbit", Farmer Brown's Boy caught Unc' Billy Possum by the tail.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: THE Green Meadows were thrown into great excitement late one afternoon, just as the black shadows came creeping down from the Purple Hills. Reddy Fox brought the news, and when he told it he grinned as if he enjoyed it and was glad of it. "Old Billy Possum is dead. I know it because I saw Farmer Brown's boy carrying him home by the tail," said Reddy. "So you see he wasn't so smart as you thought he was," he added maliciously. No one really believed Reddy Fox, for every one knows that he seldom tells the truth, but when Jimmy Skunk came mournfully down the Crooked Little Path and said that it was true, they had to believe it. Then everybody began to talk about Unc' Billy and say nice things about him and tell how much they had enjoyed having him live in the Green Forest since he came up from "Ol' Virginny." That is, everybody but Reddy Fox said so. Reddy said that it served Unc' Billy right, because he was of no account, anyway. Then everybody began to hoot and hiss at Reddy until he was glad enough to slink away.

Premise/plot: What you see is what you get: the ADVENTURES of Uncle Billy Possum. Thornton W. Burgess published a series of children's books--fantasy books, animal fantasy books--in the early twentieth century. Unc' Billy Possum LOVES to steal eggs from Farmer Brown. Jimmy Skunk is a friend and cohort. They both love to steal eggs from Farmer Brown. Usually, Unc' Billy is clever enough NOT to get caught directly by Farmer Brown or his son(s). But not always--so this one has some adventures AND misadventures.

The simple plot could be condensed to Uncle Billy Possums' family comes to live with him in the Green Meadows and his friends throw a surprise party to celebrate. Not all the animals are invited, pranks are planned, and plots are foiled. Uncle Billy finds himself in a series of scrapes when his wits become 'sleepy' and he doesn't think through his 'criminal' activities (egg stealing). While his family worries, Unc' Billy feels stressed. Will he ever find his way back to his family?! Will lessons be learned?!

My thoughts: This is the first Thornton Burgess that I remember reading--at least reading on my own! Mom assures me that she read aloud some of his animal stories when we were young. I definitely LOVED this one. I thought the characters were fun. The stories were charming; perhaps a few instances where people might feel them to be NOT politically correct--a few 'dated' terms that are not perfectly ideal. However, especially adult readers could still find these stories delightful, charming, and perhaps nostalgic.
I would always prefer to read classics in their original form--rooted in the time and place in which they were written--than to have 'edited' versions that are seeking to appease.

Favorite quote:

Now it never does to let one's wits go to sleep. Some folks call it forgetting, but forgetting is nothing but sleepy wits. And sleepy wits get more people into trouble than anything else in the world. Unc' Billy Possum's wits were asleep when he left Farmer Brown's hen-house. If they hadn't been, he would have remembered this little saying:

The wits that live within my head
Must never, never go to sleep,
For if they should I might forget
And Trouble on me swiftly leap.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The primary reason I like this book is my daughters, 7 and 9 at time of reading, loved it. I also love it's timelessness. A child's introduction to nature through the lens of the animals. The love and respect the animals have for each other, and the disrespect of some, are palpable and engaging

[Boyschool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love It!

So fun to read in the accent of Unc' Billy Possum! A great read to little ones! Highly recommend all the books by this author.

[Hà Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is good, but not the best book i like of this series

[Leila Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, but I liked the previous ones more.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jahz: (6 years old) We love this story! Mama and I acted it out while listening to the Librivox version and it was so much fun!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids love these. Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed that they're not more accurate as to behaviour of animals (in the drawings the animals are wearing clothes).

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

i liked it

[Jonathan Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.)

[Michael & Photini Holverson · Rating 3 out of 5]

We were greatly anticipating this book after loving the first of the series but alas Billy Possum fell quite flat. While the children did laugh at times as a whole it failed to hold their attention. As the reader and parent I disliked the frequent repetition of the same phrases such as “yes sir I did. Yes sir I did” and similar lines. In the first book, Bob White, there were notes of wisdom at the front of each chapter which were delightful to ponder and explain to children. This second account however only had a few sprinkled through out the book. As a whole Unc’ Billy Possum was about the less desirable of forest characters, the thieves and predators. While necessary to discuss it made for not as nice of a story. Overall nothing wrong with it simply unenjoyable.

[Tasha Worth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute little read.

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a kid, my father actually read these Bedtime Stories to my brother and I. My own boys didn't enjoy these as much as we did, but as an adult, I collected these stories for the sake of the nostalgia. I think it is the unique domain of the older person to carry that burden. These books have many illustrations of the animal characters of Billy Possum, Reddy Fox, Bowser the Hound, Johnny Chuck, Granny Fox, Drummer the Woodpecker, Peter Rabbit, and the other inhabitants of both, the Green Meadow and the Green Forest.

The Adventures of Unc' Billy Possum is a book about a possum who raids a chicken coop and with the help of Happy Jack Squirrel must try to find a way out before the farmer's son shoots him for poaching (following his instincts as an animal).

As an educator, I found some of the methodology of repetition, silly names, and poetic insertions adequate strategies to not only teach, but also keep children engaged and entertained. I give this 3 stars because of my sense that some parents in the post-modern milieu may find the themes overly violent with hunting and gun culture language sprinkled throughout although everything really remains PG IMHO.

[Emma Filbrun · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Adventures of Unc Billy Possum, poor Unc Billy is hungry for eggs, and finds his way into Farmer Brown’s hen house—but when Farmer Brown’s boy sets traps around while he is sleeping, he is stuck until snow covers the traps. Then, Farmer Brown’s boy is able to track him to his hiding place by his tracks in the snow, and Unc Billy is still stuck! He must learn that greed will often lead to a person’s downfall.

Read my full review here.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

these Thornton Burgess books were writen in the early 1900's (this one in 1914) I'm reading them to my kids .... they were actually my favorite books as an elementary schooler. I bought about 25 of them a year or so ago on Amazon... and now that i'm reading them out loud to my kids I remember why I enjoyed them so much as a child.!!!! So fun, i'll be reading all of them this summer.

[Ashish Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its very unfair for Reddy fox because all he did was same to what billy possum did. But In the end all the stardom goes to billy possum.
Thornton preaches more logical things rather to be only Saint things.

[Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

MCL. It was funny. Unc' Billy lived far away from the rest of his family.