The Land of Little Rain is a book of sketches which portray the high desert country of southern California, where the Sierras descend into the Mojave Desert. Mary Austin finds beauty in the harsh landscape: "This is the sense of the desert hills--that there is room enough and time enough. . . The treeless spaces uncramp the soul." Her story begins with the water trails that lead toward the few life giving springs--the way marked for men by ancient Indian pictographs. Life and death play out at these springs...

This delightful children's story can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike! A mischievous goat, Billy Whiskers, gets into trouble so often that the book could be named, "Billy Trouble Whiskers"! This humorous story will bring you many chuckles and give you a chance to get lost in Billy's adventures with childlike enthusiasm. From riding in a police car, to being a firehouse mascot, getting married, and finding himself a circus goat, Billy's adventures will certainly keep you entertained! (Introduction by Allyson Hester)

Bud Sloan was an orphan who had been 'sold out' of the orphanage to work on a farm once he'd been old enough to labor. The farm where he was to work was owned by an aging farmer and his wife who had raised a large family and were now left alone. One day, after his chores were done, Bud wandered into the woods nearby and with mouth agape, he noticed a newborn jet black fawn all alone and apparently confused in his new surroundings. Bud resolved that day that this baby fawn was just like himself, an orphan, and would be bound to him in spirit...

Toto and his grandmother become friends with many of the Forest Folk (such as Bruin, Racoon, Woodchuck, and Cracker the Squirrel) in this first Toto book.

The Englishman Harrison Weir organized the first cat show in England in 1871. In 1887 he founded the National Cat Club and was its first President and Show Manager until his resignation in 1890.Our Cats and all about them is concerned with cats and all about them. It describes numerous breeds of cats and what to look for in a cat show champion, and deals with the general management and common diseases of cats, as well as how to raise healthy kittens. But there is also a hodge podge of cat related stories, games, nursery rhymes, superstitions, as well as a list of cat lovers and a chapter of "The Cat in Shakespeare".

Full Revelations of a Professional Rat-Catcher, after 25 Years' ExperienceBy Ike Matthews. INTRODUCTION. In placing before my readers in the following pages the results of my twenty-five years' experience of Rat-catching, Ferreting, etc., I may say that I have always done my best to accomplish every task that I have undertaken, and I have in consequence received excellent testimonials from many corporations, railway companies, and merchants. I have not only made it my study to discover the different...

This is a book of myths told by the Indians of North America to their children. They could be compared to present day Fairy Tales.

This is a collection of poems by Marietta Holley, better known as Josiah Allen's Wife.

Myths and Legends of the Great Plains is a compendium of myths and legends from the Great Plains region of the US. It includes many short stories, and also quite a few songs and poems. Each tale is tagged with what culture it is from -

"...The preparation of a volume of the quainter, purer myths, suitable for general reading, authentic, and with illustrations of the country portrayed, but with no pretensions to being a purely scientific piece of work.... This volume is intended for popular use." As with most mythologies or religions, these stories tell how the world came to be, how places and peoples got their names, how social customs and mores developed, adventures of the ancestors or gods, and much, much more.

Bunyip Bluegum the koala sets out on his travels taking only a walking stick. At about lunchtime, feeling more than slightly peckish, he meets Bill Barnacle the sailor and Sam Sawnoff the penguin who are eating a pudding. The pudding is a magic one which, no matter how much you eat it, always reforms into a whole pudding again. He is called Albert, has thin arms and legs and is a bad-tempered, ill-mannered so-and-so into the bargain. His only pleasure is being eaten. The book is divided into four "slices" instead of chapters. (Introduction by Wikipedia)

A wonderful children's book filled with engaging stories about various farmyard animals. Each book ending with a moral which gently encourages children towards better behaviour and attitudes.

Another delightful children's book by Clara Dillingham Pierson about various forest animals - what they do, and what they are like. Each one also giving subtle moral and life lessons to young children.

Lovely book of nature written for children by teacher and naturalist Clara Dillingham Pierson. This book in the "Among the People" series explores the animal inhabitants of the meadow and garden. The charming prose shrinks us down and puts us in the fascinating world of the tiny insects, amphibians, and birds who call the field their home. From the author's Introduction: "In selecting the tiny creatures of field and garden for the characters in this book, I have remembered with pleasure the way in...

Lovely book for children written by teacher and naturalist Clara Dillingham Pierson. This book in the "Among the People" series explores the animal inhabitants of a pond. The beautiful writing brings the pond creatures into being in the reader's imagination and allows them a glimpse of the mysterious lives being carried out above and below the water's surface.

Dawson published over thirty books, the one best remembered today probably being the animal adventure story Finn the Wolfhound (1908)…. His own dog Tynagh and her son Gareth, who was described as the largest and finest specimen of his breed to date, served as the models for Tara and Finn in Finn the Wolfhound (1908). This is probably Dawson’s best-remembered and certainly his most frequently reprinted work: Finn, a champion Irish Wolfhound, is taken from England to Australia where he undergoes a series of adventures, being exhibited as a wild animal in a circus and escaping to live in the outback before eventually finding his old master and saving his life.

"On that bright spring afternoon when three happy, interested children went off to the woods with their governess to take their first lesson in the study of wild flowers, they saw also some other things which made a fresh series of "Elmridge Talks," and these things were found among the trees of the roadside and forest."

This gifted nature writer who is so good at describing animals and their habitat and habits here gives us a look at many of the fascinating creatures that can be found on the seashore. Starfish, the many types of crabs, shrimp, sea weed and finally something called the Precious Wentletrap which I will allow your imagination to think about for a while. His writing is clear and, as always, easy to read. Note that these are presented as educational 'lessons' on the various animals found near the sea and each lesson or chapter ends with a few questions called 'Exercises' which the student is asked to see if the main points of the chapter are retained...

"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...

The continued success of the "Jataka Tales," as retold and published ten years ago, has led to this second and companion volume. Who that has read or told stories to children has not been lured on by the subtle flattery of their cry for "more"? The Jataka tales, regarded as historic in the Third Century B. C., are the oldest collection of folk-lore extant. They come down to us from that dim far-off time when our forebears told tales around the same hearth fire on the roof of the world.

How do elephants drink? What is the Law of the Jungle at the water hole? How does an elephant baby learn to feed and learn to swim? How do they walk under water? In what order do buffaloes drink? How do buffaloes fight the tiger? These and other wild inhabitants of the Indian jungle such as pigs, wild dogs, deer, camels, bears and birds are discussed in lively stories to entertain but mainly educate children of school age. "One of the great thinkers of the world has said that all the sciences are embodied in natural history...

A collection of folk stories and fairy tales from Southern Nigeria gathered by Elphinstone Dayrell, deputy commissioner of the region when the book was published. - Summary by Elsie Selwyn

The adventures of an Indian boy and his beloved elephant. Born near Calcutta, Mukerji won the Newbury Medal for children's fiction.

LibriVox volunteers bring you 14 recordings of An Afternoon in July by Rosanna Eleanor Leprohon. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for July 7, 2013.Rosanna Eleanor Leprohon, born Rosanna Eleanor Mullins, was a Canadian writer and poet. She was "one of the first English-Canadian writers to depict French Canada in a way that earned the praise of, and resulted in her novels being read by, both anglophone and francophone Canadians."Leprohon's novels were popular in both English and French Canada in the late 19th-century, and were still being reprinted in French in the mid-1920s...

Wolf's essay considers the homeopathic medicine Apis Mellifica, or the poison of the honey bee, as a therapeutic agent based on his experience as a practicing physician.

This volume contains stories, poems, myths, and facts about lots of different birds, intended for teaching children. It is divided into nine parts, each covering a different type of bird.

A collection of my favorite short children's stories and rhymes.

Cat Tales is the first of a series of kid-friendly collections of animal stories and non-fiction. There’ll be one or two grade-school-level texts on the animal, with eight-nine fiction works. Source for these is Project Gutenberg.

The Lords of the Housetops reveals the cat through the creative lenses of 13 authors. Consequently, this carefully chosen collection of stories is as complex, charismatic and clever as a cat.

Barks and Purrs is a collection of seven episodes in the lives of Toby-Dog, a French Bulldog, and Kiki-the-Demure, a Maltese cat, living in a comfortable household. The episodes cover a hot afternoon, a train ride, and what happened when dinner was late or their mistress was ill. We hear about the first fire in autumn, a heavy storm, and about a visitor in the household.Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette-Willy was throughout her life a controversial French novelist. She published around 50 novels; the best known is “Gigi”.

The title of this book quotes its object. To tell something of night hunting, and especially to suggest how the ever necessary dog can best be selected, trained, maintained and utilized, is the consideration of first importance. To round out the subject all forms of hunting will receive some notice, and the various breeds of dogs will be so far dealt with, that their value and usefulness in their given fields may be determined. Best of all, the contents of this volume are based on the opinions and declarations of men who have had years of experience in the matters on which they presume to write.(Extracted from the Introduction)

Zip, a little fox terrier, lives in the town of Maplewood in the house of his owner, Dr. Elsworth. Each day when Dr. Elsworth drives his carriage to visit his patients, Zip goes along with him so that he can keep the doctor company and, most importantly, visit with the other animals in the town. Zip likes to find out all the latest news so that he can tell it to his best friend, Tabby the cat, who also lives with Dr. Elsworth. However, he also finds himself getting into mischief, whether it's trying to solve a burglary, sneaking fried chicken from a picnic, getting stuck in a stovepipe or fighting with Peter-Kins the monkey. Zip is one dog who never has a dull day.

If you have read any accounts of adventure in Africa, you will know that travelers never mention animals of any kind that are gifted with the faculty of speech, or gazelles that are overseers for native princes, or hares that eat flesh. No, indeed; only the native-born know of these; and, judging by the immense and rapid strides civilization is making in those parts, it will not be long before such wonderful specimens of zoölogy will be as extinct as the ichthyosaurus, dinornis, and other poor creatures who never dreamed of the awful names that would be applied to them when they were too long dead to show their resentment...

Delightful fables, collected by a devotee of Indian lore, recounts many of the legends told to him by tribal members, among them intriguing explanations of "Why the Chipmunk's Back is Striped," "How the Otter Skin Became Great Medicine," "How the Man Found His Mate," and "Why Blackfeet Never Kill Mice."

Follow, “A Very Small Bunny Has a Very Big Adventure” as Nibble Rabbit romps through the clover patch and into the woods where he founds the other woodland creatures including Doctor Muskrat, Chatter Squirrel, Hooter the Owl, and Silvertip the Fox. This is part of the “Told at Twilight Stories” by John Breck - Summary by Larry Wilson

Charles Sternberg was an American fossil collector and paleontologist. He was active in both fields from 1876 to 1928, and collected fossils for private collectors as well as for international museums. This book is part travelogue, part paleontology, and part historical narrative of life on the open prairie. In it, Sternberg tells of his early interest in fossil hunting as a boy, and scientific expeditions from his first in 1876 to one for the Munich Museum in 1901. - Summary by Ava

The People Who Wanted To Live in Caves. This little book takes us back to the time when our ancestors lived, or wanted to live, in caves. Unfortunately the caves of that time were mostly used by large animals like the Sabre Toothed Tiger and bears who could easily kill and eat our ancestors. Thus the subtitle of this book is The Age of Combat. This book, aimed at children, tries to show how certain things could have taken place to enable our species to eke out a living alongside the much stronger beasts, such as why we wanted to live in caves; the hazards and rewards of living in caves; the taming of fire; and how early tools were invented...

The Living Animals of the Natural world, subtitled "a popular Natural History", proposed to present the most updated version of the wonders of the Animal World in a new and clearer form. It used photography instead of the traditional illustrations of the life of beasts, birds, fishes, insects, corals, and the subjects photographed were obtained from every part of the world, many of them from the most distant islands of the Southern Ocean, the great barrier reef of Australia, the New Zealand hills, the Indian jungle, the South African veldt, and the rivers of British Columbia...

Sharp Eyes, the Silver Fox is another tale of adventure that follows a young silver fox from his birth in the woods of England, through training by his parents in how to survive, to some rather bad mistakes he makes leading to his capture and being placed in a zoo.

This is another in the Kneeland Animal Stories by Richard Barnum. Follow the many adventures of the little Chunky Hippo from his home in Africa to the circus. - Summary by Larry Wilson

Although David Alec Wilson is best known for his writings about Thomas Carlyle, he was a Scottish civil servant who spent much time in India. This collection of stories draw from those experiences, where tales of tigers, leopards, crocodiles, elephants and monkeys are part of the cultural fabric. These range from short vignettes to several multi-part stories, all sure to entertain. - Summary by Larry Wilson

David Cory is the author of more than 40 childrens books. This book is in his series of Puss in Boots, Jr. The roots of the legend of Puss in Boots seems to go back to Italian folklore. These books are written for younger readers, about second grade and up, hence the "junior" designation - Summary by Larry Wilson

Toto is the littlest beaver in his family and in the pond. He has much to experience and learn as he experiences the world and has adventures. A fun children's story that has many animals all chipping in to make life interesting for the newest beaver. - Summary by phil chenevert

Old Joe was the biggest, fightingest, craftiest coon in the Creeping Hills. No one had ever been able to catch him; not even Precious Sue, a bluetick hound peerless in tracking down coons. But Harky felt that this autumn the hunting would be different. Old Joe was in for trouble. Precious Sue had a pup who looked like a natural-born coon hunter. With his web-footed paws he was as skillful in the water as any coon. And on land, Duckfoot had a nose that beat every other hound hollow. Harky had a few troubles of his own...

This is a story on the circus animal series by Richard Barnum. Follow adventures of Shaggo, The Mighty Buffalo from prairie to circus life. - Summary by Larry Wilson

Winkie is a girl woodchuck that is always up for any adventure. And she and her sister Blinky have a lot of them as they scurry through the forest with their friends looking for things to eat and to have fun with. Winkie is not called the wily woodchuck for no reason; she manages to evade trouble most times but not all and those times makes us hold our breath wondering if Winkie will manage to grow up to be a big woodchuck at all. - Summary by phil chenevert

Birds, Illustrated by Color Photography was a monthly publication of the Nature Study Publishing Company of Chicago. It includes short poems, anecdotes and factual descriptions of birds with accompanying color plates. The magazine was published from 1898-1907 under the various titles, "Birds," "Birds and all Nature," "Nature and Art" and "Birds and Nature." Later issues were expanded to include animals, plants, etc. Summary by J. M. Smallheer

Soon after his arrival to the lovely, cool summer escape of Devering Farm, Bonnie Prince Fetlar knows his new home will be a good one. Set in the mountainous Canadian countryside, the farm is a nurturing home for children and a safe-haven for animals both domestic and wild. But Prince Fetlar is a wise Shetland pony, and senses that the place is not without mysterious secrets. From saving the life of the beautiful "White Phantom" to solving the mystery regarding his boy owner's lost mother, there is never a dull moment for the small horse with a big heart. Additional proof-listening by Jessie Wang

London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. Opening in 1828, it was originally intended to be used as a collection for the scientific study of animals. The animals of the Tower of London menagerie were transferred to the zoo's collection in 1831-32. It was opened to the public in 1847. It is managed by the Zoological Society of London , and is situated at the northern edge of Regent's Park. Charles John Cornish was a well known popular English naturalist and author; he published this book in 1895. - Summary by David Wales

This mother and son team, each distinguished in their field, collaborate to give charming portraits of a dozen of our favorite song birds. Their use of poetry and flowing prose makes each of these birds come alive in and endearing and accessible way. - Summary by Larry Wilson

Book I Grouping of animals and the parts of the human body. Book II Different parts of red-blooded animals. Book III Internal organs. Book IV Animals without blood . Books V & VI Animal reproduction. Book VII Human reproduction. Book VIII Habits . Book IX Social behavior. Book X Dealing with barrenness in women was excluded from the translation of D'Arcy Thompson for being spurious so the translation of the Clergyman Richard Cresswell is used instead. Sir D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson was a biologist, mathematician and classicist who also wrote On Growth and Form which discusses the mathematical patterns and structures formed in plants and animals.

Roger North, son of Dudley North, 4th Baron North, was a successful member of the bar and later member of parliament. But he had wide ranging interests from architecture to music. He has an avid collector of books and is best known as the biographer of the North family. Here we sample his interest in raising fish. He presents fifteen short sketches of esculent fish, and a longer essay as "A Discourse of Fish and Fish Ponds." - Summary by Larry Wilson

Simple and unpretentious as a statement by Francis d’Assisi, yet full of a gentle modern sophistication and humour, this little work will bring delight and refreshment to all who seek flight from the heavy-laden hour. It is, moreover, one of the most subtle and penetrating studies of the psychology of the dog that has ever been written—tender yet unsentimental, realistic and full of the detail of masterly observation and description, yet in its final form and precipitation a work of exquisite literary art. - Summary from the Foreword by Herman George Scheffauer

The American Bee Journal is the “oldest bee paper in America established in 1861 devoted to scientific bee-culture and the production and sale of pure honey. Published every Wednesday, by Thomas G. Newman, Editor and Proprietor” In this volume are short articles and correspondence on a variety of topics from Extracting Bees to Raspberry as a Honey Plant. - Summary by Larry Wilson

You get to choose what you want to read! So long as the source is Public Domain for you, any short story or chapter that tells of legends, heroes, myths, or ancient lore, is welcome. We are looking for representations of many different cultures within each collection. If you have questions of whether a source is Public Domain for you , I recommend asking about that in this project's discussion before you begin recording. Simply post the question with a link to the source you've found. :) Limit of 2 sections per reader in a given Myths & Legends collection. - Summary by Lynette Caulkins

] Birds, Illustrated by Color Photography was a monthly publication of the Nature Study Publishing Company of Chicago. It includes short poems, anecdotes and factual descriptions of birds with accompanying color plates. The magazine was published from 1898-1907 under the various titles, "Birds," "Birds and all Nature," "Nature and Art" and "Birds and Nature." Later issues were expanded to include animals, plants, etc. Summary by J. M. Smallheer

The land of the Eskimo is the most inhospitable desolate portion of Mother Earth inhabited by man. Well has the Eskimo need of his cheerful watch word, or salutation, of Aksuse, which means be strong. This is the story of a Polar Bear and his involvement with his environment and men. But not just any polar bear, the biggest and fiercest of them all. The Czar of the Frozen North, is in a class quite by himself. He is not nearly as large as his cousin the Kadiak bear, but that huge beast inhabits a comparatively small area and is little known, while the white Czar ranges along the shores of the Arctic sea round the entire world...

Birds, Illustrated by Color Photography was a monthly publication of the Nature Study Publishing Company of Chicago. It includes short poems, anecdotes and factual descriptions of birds with accompanying color plates. The magazine was published from 1898-1907 under the various titles, "Birds," "Birds and all Nature," "Nature and Art" and "Birds and Nature." Later issues were expanded to include animals, plants, etc. Summary by J. M. Smallheer

“Tommy scuffed his bare, brown feet in the grass … A scowl, a deep, dark, heavy scowl, had chased all merriment from his round, freckled face. It seemed as if the very freckles were trying to hide from it. Tommy didn’t care. He said so. He said so right out loud. He didn’t care if all the world knew it. He wanted the world to know it. It was a horrid old world anyway…” Soon, Tommy finds the “wishing stone.” His wishes transform him into a mouse, and then a succession of animals of the forest giving him a new perspective and exciting adventures, including times with Peter Rabbit and other forest friends...

Birds, Illustrated by Color Photography was a monthly publication of the Nature Study Publishing Company of Chicago. It includes short poems, anecdotes and factual descriptions of birds with accompanying color plates. The magazine was published from 1898-1907 under the various titles, "Birds," "Birds and all Nature," "Nature and Art" and "Birds and Nature." Later issues were expanded to include animals, plants, etc. Summary by J. M. Smallheer