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A Book of Whales

A Book of Whales is a natural history of whales for the layman. - Summary by A. Gramour

A Collection of Beatrix Potter Stories

A collection of original classic editions of Beatrix Potter stories.

A DOGs TALE & THE STOLEN WHITE ELEPHANT – Two Short Stories

The two short animal stories in this book are written by Mark Twain. They are ?A Dogs Tale? and ?The Stolen White Elephant?. A DOGS TALE is told from the perspective of a loyal pet, starting with first sentence of the story, ?My father was a St. Bernard, my mother was a collie, but I?m a Presbyterian.? This is followed by a description of the life of the dog as a puppy and its separation from its mother. When a fire breaks out in the nursery, the dog risks his life to drag the child to safety. In the process, her are motives misunderstood and cruelly beaten. This mirrors the legend of Prince Llewellyn 1st of Wales and his loyal dog. Soon, however, the truth about the situation and she discovered endless praise. Later in history, his puppy dies after his owner conducted biological experiments. Only a servant seems to realize the irony and said, ?Poor little dog, you saved his child!? Ultimately, the dog is inconsolable and pines at the tomb of the puppy with clear implications that it will do so until death In THE STOLEN WHITE ELEPHANT, a detective mystery, a Siamese (Thai) white elephant, en route from Siam to Britain as a gift to Queen Victoria, breaks free and disappears in New Jersey. The local police department goes into high gear to solve the mystery. The elephant?s actions and movements are related in a number of telegrams sent by the detectives tracking the animal. The inspector becomes suspicious of the telegram?s content and tracks down the elephant himself, unfortunately with tragic consequences. ============ KEYWORDS/TAGS: fairy tales, Animal stories, childrens book, folklore, myths, legends, children?s stories, childrens stories, bygone era, ethereal, fairy land, classic stories, famous authors, Mark Twain, Samuel Clemens, children?s bedtime stories, childrens books, happy place, happiness, laughter, A dogs tale, The Stolen White Elephant, puppy, pine, loyal, loyalty, save, fire, rescue, scold, praise, ignore, White Elephant, enroute, India, England, Queen Victoria, New York, escape, break free, steal, hide, false, reports, investigate, actions,

Aaron in the Wildwoods

Thus it came about that the lad got both his name and his crutches, for his father insisted on calling him Little Crotchet after that, and he also insisted on sending all the way to Philadelphia for the crutches. They seemed to be a long time in coming, for in those days they had to be brought to Charleston in a sailing vessel, and then sent by way of Augusta in a stage-coach; but when they came they were very welcome, for Little Crotchet had been inquiring for them every day in the week, and Sunday too. And yet when they came, strange to say, he seemed to have lost his interest in them. His mother brought them in joyously, but there was not even a glad smile on the lad's face. He looked at them gravely, weighed them in his hands, laid them across the foot of the bed, and then turned his head on his pillow, as if he wanted to go to sleep. His mother was surprised, and not a little hurt, as mothers will be when they do not understand their children; but she respected his wishes, darkened the room, kissed her boy, and closed the door gently. When everything was still, Little Crotchet sat up in bed, seized his crutches, and proceeded to try them. He did this every day for a week, and at the end of that time surprised everybody in the house, and on the place as well, by marching out on his crutches, and going from room to room without so much as touching his feet to the floor. It seemed to be a most wonderful feat to perform, and so it was; but Providence, in depriving the lad of the use of his legs, had correspondingly strengthened the muscles of his chest and arms, so that within a month he could use his crutches almost as nimbly and quite as safely as other boys use their feet. He could go upstairs and downstairs and walk about the place with as much ease, apparently, as those not afflicted, and it was not strange that the negroes regarded the performance with wonder akin to awe, declaring among themselves that their young master was upheld and supported by "de sperits." And indeed it was a queer sight to see the frail lad going boldly about on crutches, his feet not touching the ground. The sight seemed to make the pet name of Little Crotchet more appropriate than ever. So his name stuck to him, even after he got his Gray Pony, and became a familiar figure in town and in country, as he went galloping about, his crutches strapped to the saddle, and dangling as gayly as the sword of some fine general. Thus it came to pass that no one was surprised when Little Crotchet went cantering along, his Gray Pony snorting fiercely, and seeming never to tire. Early or late, whenever the neighbors heard the short, sharp snort of the Gray Pony and the rattling of the crutches, they would turn to one another and say, "Little Crotchet!" and that would be explanation enough. There seemed to be some sort of understanding between him and his Gray Pony. Anybody could ride the Gray Pony in the pasture or in the grove around the house, but when it came to going out by the big gate, that was another matter. He could neither be led nor driven beyond that boundary by any one except Little Crotchet. It was the same when it came to crossing water. The Gray Pony would not cross over the smallest running brook for any one but Little Crotchet; but with the lad on his back he would plunge into the deepest stream, and, if need be, swim across it. All this deepened and confirmed in the minds of the negroes the idea that Little Crotchet was upheld and protected by "de sperits." They had heard him talking to the Gray Pony, and they had heard the Gray Pony whinny in reply. They had seen the Gray Pony with their little master on his back go gladly out at the big gate and rush with a snort through the plantation creek,?a bold and at times a dangerous stream. Seeing these things, and knowing the temper of the pony, they had no trouble in coming to the conclusion that something supernatural was behind it all.

Adventures of Reddy Fox

Reddy Fox lived with Granny Fox. You see, Reddy was one of a large family, so large that Mother Fox had hard work to feed so many hungry little mouths and so she had let Reddy go to live with old Granny Fox. Granny Fox was the wisest, slyest, smartest fox in all the country round, and now that Reddy had grown so big, she thought it about time that he began to learn the things that every fox should know. So every day she took him hunting with her and taught him all the things that she had learned about hunting: about how to steal Farmer Brown's chickens without awakening Bowser the Hound, and all about the thousand and one ways of fooling a dog which she had learned.

American Big-Game Hunting

The first book published by The Boone and Crockett Club founded by Theodore Roosevelt and George Grinnell, who declared in their Editors Note: "Hunting big game in the wilderness is, above all things, a sport for a vigorous and masterful people. The rifle-bearing hunter, whether he goes on foot or on horseback, whether he voyages in a canoe or travels with a dog-sled, must be sound of body and firm of mind, and must possess energy, resolution, manliness, self-reliance, and capacity for hardy self-help. In short, the big-game hunter must possess qualities without which no race can do its life-work well; and these are the very qualities which it is the purpose of this Club, so far as may be, to develop and foster." A bit outdated as to the equipment they used, this book is nevertheless an intense look at the west in early days, and at the beginnings of the conservationist movement in America. Each chapter focuses on a different animal, from buffalo, mountain goat, elk, pronghorn sheep, grizzlies, etc., indigenous peoples, different areas like the Rockies and Yellowstone, and it still captures the essence of the spirit of the hunt. The book ends with a list of the club's original 100 members, a veritable Who's Who of Generals, Colonels, Doctors, Senators and Representatives, amongst them that most illustrious Gen'l William T. Sherman. ( ~ Michele Fry, read by LibriVox Volunteers)

Amphibians and Reptiles in Captivity

In recent years the number of people interested in keeping amphibians and reptiles in captivity has grown rapidly. All too often, these same people have little knowledge of the proper care needed for their captives, nor do they know where to turn in order to learn the needs of their animals. It is the intent of the authors of this special issue to offer the proper information needed to successfully keep amphibians and reptiles in captivity. We are by no means THE experts on the subject, nor do we claim to cover all the facts. However, we do hope that enough information is furnished to answer most of the common questions asked by people. - Summary by Tom R. Johnson

Anecdotes of Dogs

"Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends." The character, sensibilities, and intellectual faculties of animals have always been a favourite study, and they are, perhaps, more strongly developed in the dog than in any other quadruped, from the circumstance of his being the constant companion of man. I am aware how much has been written on this subject, but having accumulated many original and interesting anecdotes of this faithful animal, I have attempted to enlarge the general stock of information respecting it. It is a pleasing task, arising from the conviction that the more the character of the dog is known, the better his treatment is likely to be, and the stronger the sympathy excited in his behalf. (Summary by Edward Jesse, extracted from the Preface)

Anecdotes of the Habits and Instinct of Animals

Stories about unusual interactions between animals and humans that reflect some attitudes to the wild in the mid-eighteen hundreds, including trophy hunting. "Chronically ill and often in pain," the author, Mary Custis Lee, experienced "hardship with sturdy and radiant faith." Maybe that's why she did not turn away in this book, from unpleasant and often gory accounts of animal encounters. (Summary by Czandra)

Animals of the Past

Prior to the emergence of paleontology and comparative anatomy as scientific disciplines at the end of the 18th century, it was generally known that there were species of animals that had disappeared completely. The term "extinction" originally applied to the extinguishing of fires or erasing of one's debt. It was not until 1784 that the term extinction was used to denote the complete eradication of a species of living being. In 1901, Frederic A. Lucas penned an overview of vertebrate animals whose only evidence of being remained in fossil records. The book focuses primarily on vertebrate animals, from fish to mammals. - Summary by Jeffery Smith