Father Thrift and His Animal Friends

As from the days your father’s father knew This little story book now comes to you.So when you turn its pages heed them well: Though strange the stories many truths they tell.They tell of animals and birds and trees Of children flowers and honeybees;Of a queer old man and a quaint old town With crooked streets that ran up and down.They tell of these and many many more. Still this I’d add to what has gone before:In the wood there grows a tree—the thrifty tree— As wonderful as anything can be!Its trunk is copper; silver are its leaves; Its blossoms from bright golden threads it weaves;Its fruit is health and wealth and honest joy— So seek this goodly tree wise girl and boy.THE QUEER LITTLE OLD MANOnce upon a time in a quaint old town there lived a queer little old man. His name was Thrift—Father Thrift people called him although he really was no father at all.As I said before he was just a queer little old man. He had no wife no children no home of his own.But he had a kind heart within his queer little body. Also he had willing hands and feet and these brought him many friends.How old the queer little man was or how long he had lived in the quaint old town no one seemed to know.The present grandfathers and grandmothers remembered how the queer little man used to take them as children on his lap and tell them stories.He had told the same stories to their children and to their children’s children. Yet to none of them did he look any different to-day than he did when they first saw him.You must not think that telling stories was all the queer little old man had to do. He was a sort of all-round village helper. He helped everybody who needed help.But it was for his good advice that the queer little old man was most sought. He always thought well for everybody and the people profited by following his teaching.In fact the whole town grew prosperous extremely prosperous by heeding Father Thrift’s advice.You would suppose that the queer little old man would be well rewarded.Not so! For when these people became very very prosperous they felt that the queer little old man was only in their way.What further need had they of his advice?He had taught them to live simply to spend wisely and to waste nothing. He had taught them to enjoy simple pleasures and to form simple habits.“Of what good is time or money body or brain if we do not know how to use any of them?� he would say.“What will become of good health if we do not take care of it?“Of what good is study-time or play-time unless we get the most we can out of it?“Or of what worth is life itself if we waste it?�But the townspeople would not listen to him now. Young Mr. Spendthrift had come to town and they followed him. They only laughed at Father Thrift.CONTENTSTHE QUEER LITTLE OLD MANTHE LITTLE OLD MAN DECIDESHIS FIRST DAY IN THE FORESTGREAT GRAY OWLTHE ANIMALS OF THE FORESTWHAT MADE THE BEAR SICKHOW THE WOODPECKERS HELPEDTHE BUSY BEAVERSTHE GRAY FOXES AND THE RED FOXESRED SQUIRREL AND BUNNY COTTONTAILSHAGGY BEAR’S MISTAKETHE SWEETEST THING IN THE FORESTROBINS CROWS AND BLACKBIRDSTHE LITTLE RAINDROPSTROUBLE IN THE FORESTTWO BAD BOYSTHE BOYS AND THE BIRDSINSECTS AND WORMSAFTER MANY DAYS