When Old Mr. Grouse Got His Snowshoes

From Mother West Wind "When" Stories, by Thornton W. Burgess

Thornton W. Burgess (1874–1965) wrote hundreds of nature stories for children, blending gentle humour with real animal facts. This tale, first published in 1917, explains why grouse grow feathery fringes on their toes each winter—nature's snowshoes. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised. Burgess's stories taught children to observe the natural world closely, and this one rewards patience and gratitude with a gift from nature herself.

Band

Yellow · Emerging readers, about 6 to 8

Length

medium · about 539 words in 6 sections · 4 pictures

Source

Mother West Wind "When" Stories, 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 (8 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Colouring page

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.