Mother West Wind "Where" Stories

In Short

This collection of fable-like origin tales follows inquisitive Peter Rabbit as he travels through the meadows and forests, gathering lore from his animal neighbors. Each story answers a "where" or "how" question about a specific creature, such as how Grandfather Frog received his wide mouth, why the bison bears a heavy hump, or how the loon earned a reputation for madness. Through these encounters with old travelers and woodland residents, the book presents light moral lessons about pride, greed, resourcefulness, and cleverness, persisting as a beloved children's classic due to its gentle storytelling and enduring affection for the natural world.

The Story

The book opens as Peter Rabbit notices the distinctive physical traits and habits of the creatures living around him. Wondering why Grandfather Frog possesses such a vast mouth, Peter listens to a story about how Great-grandfather Frog once choked on a fish too large for his jaws. Old Mother Nature rescued him and stretched the corners of his mouth so he and his kin would never starve, leaving Peter wishing for a similar gift. Moving from one neighbor to another, Peter learns how various animals gained their unique characteristics through historical choices, accidents, or divine intervention.

Old Man Coyote recounts how Miser the Trade Rat began leaving shiny trinkets in exchange for nuts after helping himself to a neighbor's storehouse, founding a legacy of fair trade. Peter hears how Yap-Yap the Prairie Dog used his wits during heavy rains to build a dirt mound around his burrow entrance, protecting his deep home from floods. He discovers that Yellow-Wing the Flicker developed a taste for ants on the ground, and learns from Old Man Coyote how Little Chief the Pika learned to harvest and dry hay for harsh winters—a habit of thrift that Peter himself notoriously lacks.

The tales shift to distant lands as Honker the Goose describes Glutton the Wolverine, whose insatiable appetite in times of famine turned into a permanent bad habit that earned him his name. Mrs. Quack tells how Old Mrs. 'Gator made the very first incubator by covering her eggs with mud and letting the sun hatch them down south, and Mr. Quack explains how Old Mother Nature granted his family webbed feet and wide bills after an accidental fall into the water. Digger the Badger reveals that Thunderfoot the Bison gained his heavy hump and low head as punishment for proudly trampling Mrs. Meadow Lark's nest, while Danny Meadow Mouse tells how Limberheels the Jumping Mouse received a long tail from Old Mother Nature to balance his powerful leaps.

Further encounters expose moral shortcomings and clever tricks. Grandfather Frog explains that Big Tom Gobbler's bare head turns red when he struts because he once boasted of his bravery before running from a wolf and injuring himself on a twig. Seek-Seek the Ground Squirrel shows off the spotted brown coat Mother Nature gave him so he would no longer be mistaken for a chipmunk. Old Mr. Osprey learns to fish rather than hunt birds after a clever sparrow shows him a sunbathing fish in exchange for his freedom. Grandfather Frog explains how Dippy the Loon asked for backward-set legs to swim faster, only to be deemed crazy when he flopped across the land and laughed with delight in the water. Finally, Digger the Badger recounts how Old Man Coyote tricked the proud ram Big-Horn into charging a rock, curling his sharp horns into circles and stripping him of his dangerous weapon. Through every tale, Peter returns home with a deeper understanding of his wild companions.

How It Unfolds

The wide jaw of the pond Grandfather Frog tells Peter how Old Mother Nature stretched his ancestor's mouth sideways after he nearly choked on a fish, ensuring that frogs could easily eat their fill without starving.

Trading for survival Ol' Mistah Buzzard explains that the first Trade Rat left a shiny shell in Brer Squirrel's storehouse to pay for stolen nuts, initiating a tradition of swapping unwanted items for fresh supplies.

Designing against the rain Old Man Coyote describes how Yap-Yap the Prairie Dog built a firm mound of sand around his burrow opening, keeping floodwaters out and creating a sunbathing lookout post.

Learning the haymaker's art Peter hears how Little Chief the Pika learned to cut, dry, and store hay high in the western mountains, protecting his family from winter starvation through hard work and planning.

The penalty of pride Digger the Badger reveals that Thunderfoot the Bison was struck on the neck by Mother Nature's staff for carelessly trampling a lark's eggs, leaving him hump-backed and head-bowed in shame.

Balancing the leap Danny Meadow Mouse shares how Old Mother Nature lengthened his cousin Limberheels's short tail, allowing the mouse to land cleanly on his feet after making enormous bounds across the grass.

Losing honor in the woods Peter learns that Yowler the Bob-cat became a despised outcast after stealing a turkey's eggs, leaving his self-respect behind and rendering him unable to look Mother Nature in the eye.

Curling the ram's weapons Digger the Badger describes how Old Man Coyote stood before a massive rock, causing the proud ram Big-Horn to charge forward and bend his straight horns into harmless loops upon impact.

The People

• Peter Rabbit is an intensely curious, happy-go-lucky rabbit who roams the meadows. He lives in the present, avoids manual work, and continually uses his big ears to eavesdrop or ask questions about how his neighbors came to be.
• Old Mother Nature acts as the wise ruler and caretaker of the animal world. She steps in to fix physical shortcomings—stretching mouths, lengthening tails, or webbing feet—while administering firm justice to those who display cruelty, greed, or pride.
• Grandfather Frog is an ancient, green-capped resident of the Smiling Pool. Sitting upon his lily pad, he shares ancestral lore about frog jaws, vain turkeys, and loons with a deep, patient humor.
• Old Man Coyote is a clever, opportunistic predator who frequently chases Peter. Despite his appetite, he willingly shares historic tales of prairie dogs, pikas, and wild sheep when he is not actively hunting.
• Mrs. Quack is a Mallard duck who travels between the northern wilderness and the southland. She educates Peter on distant marvels, explaining alligator nests and duck anatomy with great patience.
• Thunderfoot the Bison was once a proud creature called the Lord of the Prairies. His arrogance caused him to ignore smaller animals, leading to a permanent hump and lowered head when he crushed a bird's nest.
• Glutton the Wolverine is a northern beast driven by insatiable appetite. Originally saving food during a severe famine, he turned greed into a permanent lifestyle, leaving his descendants with mean dispositions and bad reputations.

In Its Own Voice

"He choked and choked and choked, until it looked very much as if he might choke to death. Just in time, in the very nick of time, who should come along but Old Mother Nature."

Grandfather Frog recounts the moment Old Mother Nature rescued his ancestor before stretching the sides of his mouth to solve his feeding troubles forever.

"There stood Old Mother Nature, looking up at him. 'Mr. Gobbler,' said she, 'you have acquired a bad habit, a very bad habit. Hereafter, whenever you become vain and strut, your head and neck shall become as red as they now are..."

Grandfather Frog shares how the turkey's vanity resulted in a physical mark of shame that appears whenever he begins to brag.

"There lay Big-Horn on the ground, looking mighty puzzled, as if he wasn't quite sure what had happened. And there sat Old Man Coyote, grinning at him!"

Digger the Badger describes the aftermath of Old Man Coyote's trick, which turned a charging ram's straight horns into heavy, rounded curves against a boulder.

What It's Really About

Beneath its simple animal fables, the book explores how physical adaptations reflect moral choices and character traits. Physical forms are presented not as random evolutionary quirks, but as direct consequences of behavior: greed produces a wolverine's harsh reputation, vanity turns a turkey's head bright red, and destructive pride bends the bison's spine.

The stories emphasize harmony within the natural order. Mother Nature intervenes when balance is disrupted, rewarding foresight—such as the pika's haymaking—and punishing those who disregard the rights of weaker creatures. The core argument suggests that every animal has a distinct place in the world, and that survival depends on using one's wits while respecting one's neighbors.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate gentle, episodic storytelling and classic animal lore will find great charm in this collection. It offers an easy, comforting rhythm, making it well-suited for reading aloud or introducing younger readers to short-form fiction. The narrative carries a light, playful tone that highlights small details of wildlife—from how ducks paddle to how jumping mice land—without ever feeling overly dense or academic.

The book retains the period style of early twentieth-century children's literature, utilizing repeated character epithets, anthropomorphic dialogue, and straightforward moral lessons. Readers should expect traditional fable structures where animal behaviors directly parallel human vices like vanity, greed, and shiftlessness. Its dialect elements are minimal, appearing mostly in light, expressive phrasing within the embedded stories. What remains with the reader is an affectionate view of the natural world, where every creature's unique shape holds a story worth hearing.