Arthur Ransome is best known for his ‘Swallows and Amazons’ series of children’s books. This is the only example of his fiction in the public domain. These stories are all from Russian folklore, some comparatively well-known, others less so. Ransome spent some years in Russia as a newspaper correspondent fir the ‘Daily News’ and the ‘Manchester Guardian’ and was peripherally involved in the revolution. In the late twenties he married Evgenia Shvelpina, Trotsky’s secretary, retired from newspapers and started writing his children’s books.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: On August 27, 1914, in London, I made this note in a memorandum book: "Met Arthur Ransome at_____'s; discussed a book on the Russian's relation to the war in the light of psychological background--folklore." The book was not written but the idea that instinctively came to him pervades his every utterance on things Russian. The versatile man who commands more than respect as the biographer of Poe and Wilde; as the (translator of and commentator on Remy de Gourmont; as a folklorist, has shown himself to be consecrated to the truth...

Arthur Schopenhauer, an early 19th century philosopher, made significant contributions to metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics. His work also informed theories of evolution and psychology, largely through his theory of the will to power – a concept which Nietzsche famously adopted and developed. Despite this, he is today, as he was during his life, overshadowed by his contemporary, Hegel. Schopenhauer’s social/psychological views, put forth in this work and in others, are directly derived from his metaphysics, which was strongly influenced by Eastern thought...

In 1837, the Danish Royal Society of Sciences offered a prize to any essayist who could satisfactorily answer the question, "Is the fountain and basis of Morals to be sought for in an idea of morality which lies directly in the consciousness , and in the analysis of the other leading ethical conceptions which arise from it? Or is it to be found in some other source of knowledge?" The Basis of Morality is the essay submitted in 1840 by German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. In it, he first mercilessly...

Arthur Scott Bailey (1877 – 1949) was author of more than forty children’s books. Bailey’s writing has been described thusly by the Newark Evening News: “Mr. Bailey centered all his plots in the animal, bird and insect worlds, weaving natural history into the stories in a way that won educator’s approval without arousing the suspicions of his young readers. He made it a habit to never ‘write down’ to children and frequently used words beyond the average juvenile vocabulary, believing that youngsters respond to the stimulus of the unfamiliar.”

Summary text (Arthur Scott Bailey (1877 – 1949) was author of more than forty children’s books. He was born on November 15, 1877, in St. Albans, Vermont, United States, the second child of Winfield Scott Bailey and Harriet Sarah Goodhue. THERE was great excitement in the neighborhood of Farmer Green’s house. Rusty Wren had found some strange tracks. And nobody knew whose they were. Now, when they were puzzled like that the field- and forest-folk usually went straight to Mr. Crow for advice...

One of Bailey’s “Sleepy-Time Tales,” this is the story of Timothy Turtle, a grumpy old turtle trying to live his life alongside Black Creek. Timothy’s adventures lead him to encounters with other Black Creek creatures, Fatty Coon, Mr. Crow, Brownie Beaver, Peter Mink, Ferdinand Frog, and even the local boy, Johnnie Green.

Arthur Scott Bailey was the author of more than forty children’s books.Mr. Bailey centered all his plots in the animal, bird and insect worlds, weaving natural history into the stories in a way that won educator’s approval without arousing the suspicions of his young readers.

Mr. Bailey centered all his plots in the animal, bird and insect worlds, weaving natural history into the stories in a way that won educator’s approval without arousing the suspicions of his young readers. He made it a habit to never ‘write down’ to children and frequently used words beyond the average juvenile vocabulary, believing that youngsters respond to the stimulus of the unfamiliar.”

This volume in the series, Sleepy-Time Tales, follows the adventures of Master Meadow Mouse as he moves his home to various (safer) places, and tells how he cleverly avoids creatures such as Fatty Coon, Mr. Crow, and Mr. Great Blue Heron, just to name a few.

Bailey’s writing has been described thusly by the Newark Evening News: “Mr. Bailey centered all his plots in the animal, bird and insect worlds, weaving natural history into the stories in a way that won educator’s approval without arousing the suspicions of his young readers. He made it a habit to never ‘write down’ to children and frequently used words beyond the average juvenile vocabulary, believing that youngsters respond to the stimulus of the unfamiliar. (Wikipedia)

Arthur Scott Bailey (1877 – 1949) was the author of more than forty children’s books. “Mr. Bailey centered all his plots in the animal, bird and insect worlds, weaving natural history into the stories in a way that won educator’s approval without arousing the suspicions of his young readers. He made it a habit to never ‘write down’ to children and frequently used words beyond the average juvenile vocabulary, believing that youngsters respond to the stimulus of the unfamiliar.” (Wikipedia)

Arthur Scott Bailey (1877 – 1949) was the author of more than forty children’s books.Bailey’s writing has been described thusly by the Newark Evening News: “Mr. Bailey centered all his plots in the animal, bird and insect worlds, weaving natural history into the stories in a way that won educator’s approval without arousing the suspicions of his young readers. He made it a habit to never ‘write down’ to children and frequently used words beyond the average juvenile vocabulary, believing that youngsters respond to the stimulus of the unfamiliar.”

Arthur Scott Bailey was the author of more than forty children’s books, centered all his plots in the animal, bird and insect worlds, weaving natural history into the stories in a way that won educator’s approval without arousing the suspicions of his young readers. The Tale of Brownie Beaver is another adventure of the friends and neighbours of Pleasant Valley. You will hear how Brownie keeps a house safe from a Freshet and how he receives his weekly newspaper and not to forget the making of a new suit.

The rats and the mice thought that Miss Kitty Cat was a terrible person. She was altogether too fond of hunting them. They agreed, however, that in one way it was pleasant to have her about the farmhouse. When she washed her face, while sitting on the doorsteps, they knew—so they said!—that it was going to rain. And then Mrs. Rat never would let her husband leave home without taking his umbrella. As a rule Miss Kitty Cat didn't look at all frightful. Almost always she appeared quite unruffled, going about her business in a quiet way and making no fuss over anything...

"All the four-footed folk in the neighborhood agreed that Dickie Deer Mouse was well worth knowing. Throughout Pleasant Valley there was no one else so gentle as he . . . He was always tastefully dressed in fawn color and white. And except sometimes in the spring, when he needed a new coat, he was a real joy to see. For he both looked and acted like a well-bred little person."In one of Bailey's "Sleepy-Time Tales", we follow a polite little mouse called Dickie as he hunts for a summer home, finds food, and avoids various predators...

Buster Bumblebee and his family move into a new home. Excitement and buzzing abound. Buster meet a strange fellow called a carpenter bee, way too many chirpy crickets, and even finds his own long lost sister. Later in his adventurous life, Buster learns of another kind of Bee, a Raising Bee and how much food is available for everyone there. All in all, this tale will bring smiles and grins to listeners young and old as it tells of Buster Bumblebee, a young bee with a lot to learn but a heart of gold.

A whimsical tale about the life of Cuffy bear on Blue Mountain. Cuffy is a very mischevious, disobedient bear who gets into all kinds of scrapes because he refuses to listen to his parents. He most always ends up in trouble or pain as a result of his mishaps.

Have you ever seen a LadyBug and wondered what the cute little bug with the dots on her back was thinking? And why she seemed in such a rush? Well here is your chance to peek into her thoughts and enjoy some of her daily triumphs and disasters. "Little Mrs. Ladybug was a worker. Nobody could deny that. To be sure, she had to stop now and then to talk to her neighbors, because Mrs. Ladybug dearly loved a bit of gossip. At the same time there wasn't anyone in Pleasant Valley that helped Farmer Green more than she did...

The Tale of Henrietta Hen is a cute children's book filled with the adventures of a hen named Henrietta.

"When Johnnie Green sent him along the road at a trot, Twinkleheels' tiny feet moved so fast that you could scarcely have told one from another. Being a pony, and only half as big as a horse, he had to move his legs twice as quickly as a horse did in order to travel at a horse's speed. Twinkleheels' friends knew that he didn't care to be beaten by any horse, no matter how long-legged. "It's spirit, not size, that counts," Farmer Green often remarked as he watched Twinkleheels tripping out of the yard, sometimes with Johnnie on his back, sometimes drawing Johnnie in a little, red-wheeled buggy...

He was able to draw a deep breath again as they reached the field of red clover, where Peppery Polly Bumblebee settled quickly upon a clover-top and began sucking up the sweet nectar with her long tongue. For some time she worked busily without saying a word. And indeed, how could she have spoken with her tongue buried deep in the heart of a clover blossom? (From The Tale of Freddy Firefly)

"Little Mrs. Ladybug was a worker. Nobody could deny that. To be sure, she had to stop now and then to talk to her neighbors, because Mrs. Ladybug dearly loved a bit of gossip. At the same time there wasn't anyone in Pleasant Valley that helped Farmer Green more than she did. She tried her hardest to keep the trees in the orchard free from insects." - Summary by the author and phil chenevert

For a fellow that can only waddle slowly and spends a lot of time sleeping on the bottom of the pond, Timothy Turtle has a surprising number of adventures. This is another fun book about creatures that behave surprisingly like humans.

Betsy Butterfly has an exciting time in the meadow. Some dangers of course but lots of fun and productive work. Join her as she flutters from adventure to adventure. - Summary by phil chenevert

MIss Kitty Cat lives on a farm with the human family that she has adopted. Little Johnny Green is her favorite even though sometimes he plays trickson Miss Kitty. The many other animals, from the dog to the little mice all have adventures with with her but she always finds time to do what a cat is best at; taking a nap. Join in reading a delightful chapter of this book; they are all fairly short and fun to do. - Summary by phil chenevert

This charming collection of short stories features a bumblebee called Buster, his family, and a great number of other animals who he meets after they move home to a new meadow. - Summary by Rosslyn Carlyle

Arthur Scott Bailey, a native of the state of Vermont, wrote over forty children's books using a variety of animals, birds and even insects to entertain. The Tale of Reddy Woodpecker is one of 16 stories of his Tuck-Me-In Tales series. - Summary by Larry Wilson

Another Slumbertown and Tuck-Me In Tale book by Arthur Scott Bailey, this time we meet Turkey Proudfoot at Farmer Greens farm in Pleasant Valley and his fellow yard mates who loved to mimic his beautiful tail. - Summary by Lynda Marie Neilson

A delightful tale of an owl who moves into the woods of Pleasant Valley. Everything is not smooth of course and his amusing adventures are all related here. Fun stuff for children and adults - Summary by phil chenevert

Let's follow the adventures of Benny the Badger as he bumbles around the meadows digging everywhere and trying to be friends with all the animals. Unless they threaten him of course, then it's another matter and his ability to fight is legendary. But he is a peaceful soul, full of inquisitiveness and natural good humor.

"There was a queer old person that lived in Farmer Green's garden. Nobody knew exactly how long he had made his home there because his neighbors seldom saw him. He might have been in the garden a whole summer before anybody set eyes on him. Those that were acquainted with him called him Grandfather Mole. And the reason why his friends didn't meet him oftener was because he spent most of his time underground. Grandfather Mole's house was in a mound at one end of the garden. He had made the house himself, for he was a great digger...