Why Jimmy Skunk Wears Stripes

A story retold from Old Mother West Wind, by Thornton W. Burgess

Thornton W. Burgess (1874–1965) wrote the Old Mother West Wind stories in the early 1900s to teach children about animals and consequences. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised. The story is a "pourquoi tale" (a why-story) that explains how Jimmy Skunk got his stripes — by breaking a rule and getting caught. It shows children that actions have consequences, and that trying to hide wrongdoing does not work for long.

Band

Purple · Pre-readers and first readers, about 4 to 5

Length

short · about 390 words in 5 sections · 4 pictures

Source

Old Mother West Wind, Thornton W. Burgess · Project Gutenberg

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (6 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.