Thornton W. Burgess

Thornton Waldo Burgess

Thornton Waldo Burgess (January 14, 1874 – June 5, 1965). Born in Sandwich, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, he was a conservationist and author of children's stories featuring the wildlife of his native state —Peter Cottontail, Jimmy Skunk, Grandfather Frog, etc. His first book was Old Mother West Wind (1910). Following its success, he wrote a syndicated daily newspaper column, "Bedtime Stories" (illustrated by Harrison Cady), which appeared without interruption from 1912 to 1960. His output comprises over 15,000 stories collected in over 170 books.

A sample from "Billy Mink's Swimming Party" in Old Mother West Wind:

Just then Billy Mink saw a little brown head swimming along one edge of the Smiling Pool.

"Hello, Jerry Muskrat!" shouted Billy Mink.

"Hello your own self, Billy Mink," shouted Jerry Muskrat. "Come in and have a swim; the water's fine!"

"Good," said Billy Mink. "We'll have a swimming party."

So Billy Mink called all the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind, who were playing with the flowers on the bank, and sent them to find Little Joe Otter and invite him to come to the swimming party. Pretty soon back came the Little Breezes, and with them came Little Joe Otter.