Cawein's poetry allied his love of nature with a devotion to earlier English and European literature, mythology, and classical allusion. - Summary by Wikipedia

Each summer, in the ancient hill town of Siena, Italy, there erupts one of the most extraordinary, exciting, and dangerous horse races in the world— the Palio. So furious is the rivalry that it is often said the Palio is more battle than race, and that "Fate is the Queen of the Palio." This magnificent book is a true story of the Palio —a thrilling, heart-stirring tale of a boy and a beautiful half-Arabian mare who won undying fame. Marguerite Henry tells—as only she can—how the life of Giorgio Terni, a boy of the Maremma marshes, became linked in strange and dramatic fashion with that of the cart horse Gaudenzia, whose Arabian blood brought her into the contest of the Palio...

Misty is a Chincoteague pony mare who is close to foaling, and the Beebe family is anxious about it. Unfortunately, a terrible storm system arrives first, setting up over Chincoteague with floods, hurricane winds, ice, and snow. The story is fictional, but is based on historical characters, human and equine. Stormy describes events on Chincoteague Island during the Ash Wednesday Storm that hit the Eastern Seaboard March 6, 1962. This is the sequel to Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry

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

A sentimental short story praised for its moving plot and condemnation of scientific experimentation on animals, Mark Twain efficiently delivers a truly captivating piece. First appearing in Harper’s Magazine in 1903, A Dog's Tale was later published as a pamphlet for the National Anti-Vivisection Society. The tale focuses on the life of Aileen, a misunderstood dog who experiences the ups and downs of life, while cruelly subjected to suffering because of the shallow belief of her inferiority amidst humans...

Beautiful Joe is a real dog, and “Beautiful Joe” is his real name. He belonged during the first part of his life to a cruel master, who mutilated him in the manner described in the story. He was rescued from him, and is now living in a happy home with pleasant surroundings, and enjoys a wide local celebrity.The character of Laura is drawn from life, and to the smallest detail is truthfully depicted. The Morris family has its counterparts in real life, and nearly all of the incidents of the story are founded on fact.

Another 'dog's-eye view' book for children by this early activist for the American Humane Society. In this tale, we follow the travels and adventures of Boy, a loveable and loyal wire-haired fox-terrier in city and country. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

When the story of 'Tilda Jane appeared serially in The Youth's Companion in 1901, the original manuscript was very much condensed. When the time for book publication arrived nearly all the omitted matter was restored. However, some incidents were still left out, and they have formed the beginning of a new story written to please the many boys and girls who have expressed a wish to know something more of the fortunes of the orphan and her dogs.That the orphan's old friends will follow with interest, her often groping and stumbling, yet never-wearying steps along the path of uplift for human beings and dumb creatures, is the earnest hope of the author.

"My name is Pussy Black-Face, and I am a naughty young kitten. I wish I were good like my mother. She is the best cat that I ever saw. I try to be like her, and sometimes I succeed, but most times I don't." From the start of this darling book about a kitten and her mis-adventures in the house and the more dangerous place outside. Follow her as she learns about people, children, dogs and other cats. - Summary by phil chenevert

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

Dear little Princess Sukey sitting by the fire—pretty little pigeon—of what is she thinking as she dreamily eyes the blazing wood? If a pigeon could review its past life, what she has of bird mind would be running back over the series of adventures that she had ere she established herself in this well ordered household. Has she any mentality of her own, or are all pigeons stupid as has been said? Listen to her story, and judge for yourself. Additional proof-listening by KHand and Oreki.

"To the memory of TROLLEY, This little story is dedicated." When young Caro goes to stay with her Aunt and Grandfather, the seminary president, she learns to not be afraid of the dark and to "be a candle" by "sharing her light" with the help of Trolley the cat. In doing so, she is able to help others, including a reclusive invalid, renew their old friendships. - Summary by JHedrick

Short descriptions of different kinds of English birds and their nests. The following birds are discussed: wren, goldfinch, song thrush, blackbird, dipper or water-ousel, nightingale, skylark, linnet, peewit, house-martins or window-swallows, chiff-chaffs or oven-builders, golden-crested wrens, wagtail, jackdaw, spotted fly-catchers, wood-pigeons, white-throat, bull-finch, missel-thrushes, yellow-hammer or yellow-head, magpie, nuthatch.

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 is a story of a wild horse who many said could not be caught or broken, and the man who set out to prove them wrong.

A collection of seven tales about cats. Caution: Some of these tales have very sad endings.

A humorous book, hitting off the many writers who have returned to nature and made intimate friends in the Animal World. The author describes the super-human intelligence to be found by the discerning among our kindred of the wild. All those who love gentle humor will be entertained by the whimsical story of “Little Upsidaisi” and no reader can fail to laugh at the antics of “Jagg, The Skootaway Goat”.

A collection of stories exploring the psychological and paranormal, some stories bordering on the macabre. - Summary by Luke Castle

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)

She-wolf Nitka finds an abandoned Native American baby and raises him with her cubs. Shasta learns the wolf ways and meets his kin, where he learns his true history. Eventually he can walk with the wolves and his human kin, which leads to more adventures.

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)

The Kitten's Garden of Verses is a book of short poetry, modeled after Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses. Of course, the poems in this book are intended for kittens rather than children!

"Down South" is the fifth and last volume but one of the "Great Western Series." The action of the story is confined entirely to Florida; and this fact may seem to belie the title of the Series. But the young yachtsman still maintains his hold upon the scenes of his earlier life in Michigan, and his letters come regularly from that State. If he were old enough to vote, he could do so only in Michigan; and therefore he has not lost his right to claim a residence there during his temporary sojourn in the South...

The Man With Two Left Feet, and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on March 8, 1917 by Methuen & Co., London, and in the United States in 1933 by A.L. Burt and Co., New York. All the stories had previously appeared in periodicals, usually the Strand in the UK and the Red Book magazine or the Saturday Evening Post in the US. It is a fairly miscellaneous collection — most of the stories concern relationships, sports and household...

Back in the day before automobiles, a good horse trainer and veterinarian was the equivalent of “Mr Goodwrench”. A badly behaving or unhealthy equine was equivalent to breaking down on the highway or running out of gas on a lonely stretch of highway somewhere in Utah. My sources tell me that most of the training methods are ok, but stay away from the medical tips unless you are prepared to become the poster boy or girl for the local SPCA. Listen with tongue in cheek, and check with a professional before attempting any of these techniques on a real animal.

"The origin of the domestic cat (Felis domestica) is a subject about which there has been much conjecture and scientific discussion, but without any positive issue. Very long before the cat was kept in this country as a domesticated animal it was possessed by the ancient Egyptians in a tame state, and was, moreover, held in reverence by that remarkable and superstitious people, being regarded sacred to the goddess Pasht. As the domestic cat in different parts of the world will breed occasionally with the wild races of the locality, and as cats are conveyed from country to country, it is probable that our cats are of somewhat compound pedigree...

An English translation of Pierre Loti's charming 19th century memoir of his cats. - Summary by S Caulkins

"Naturalis Historia" (Latin for "Natural History") is an encyclopedia published circa AD 77-79 by Pliny the Elder. It is one of the largest single works to have survived from the Roman empire to the modern day and purports to cover the entire field of ancient knowledge, based on the best authorities available to Pliny. The work became a model for all later encyclopedias in terms of the breadth of subject matter examined, the need to reference original authors, and a comprehensive index list of the contents...

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...

The author of this book, Ralph Henry Barbour, was a prolific writer of scholastic and college sports and adventure fiction for boys. Here is a departure from that niche. This is a story about the good, and not so good, adventures of Fritz the dachshund, as a puppy and an adult dog , as told by ... Fritz the dachshund. A very heart-warming story for children. - Summary by Donald Cummings

Rex Brasher is best known for his having painted in watercolor a complete set of all the extant American birds during his lifetime. This is a collection of his writing that serves as a kind of memoir. These are set on his 150-acre farm purchased in 1911 and never developed in his lifetime beyond a simple house and an outbuilding or two. - Summary by KevinS

"This comical children's tale about the funny adventures of a funny pig written by an unknown author. The publisher has hired authors to write children's tales, and gave them "house names". The "name" of the author who wrote this tale is Richard Barnum. It became very successful, the most well known of Richard Barnum's tales. So, if you want to laugh a little, even if you are not a child, read this book".

The Squirrel family lived half-way up a tall tree in their cozy little home, lined with soft, dried leaves and white, fluffy cotton. Slicko and her siblings are getting jumping lessons today from Mr. Squirrel. Slicko meets a new friend and goes on an adventure which gets her into a bit of trouble. What will happen to poor Slicko?

Don was one of five little puppies. With his brothers and sisters he cuddled up close to Mrs. Gurr, the mother dog, to keep warm, for it was rather cool for little dogs, even though there was plenty of straw in the kennel, or house, where they lived. Don shivered and trembled, but when his mother put her soft, warm paw over him and the other little dogs, Don felt better.

Blackie is a coal black cat who lives with two children and their parents. One day she is led astray by a neighboring cat and decides to go for an adventure. Not knowing what to expect, she walks away from her cushion in the sun, plentiful food and lots of petting attention. All does not go as she expects an indeed her scary adventures cause her much anxiety not to mention an empty belly in the days ahead. Follow Blackie on her stroll through the streets and byways of a busy town. A cute story and I promise a happy ending. - Summary by phil chenevert

"Once upon a time, not so very many years ago, a family of rabbits lived in the woods near the top of a mountain. There were six in the family, counting Flop Ear, the funny rabbit, and I speak of him first because this story is going to be mostly about him and his adventures, or what happened to Flop Ear." Another hippity-hoppty tale about an adventurous little rabbit whose left ear just would not stand up straight. - Summary by Phil Chenevert

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

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

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

Lightfoot is a delightful little goat who jumps from one adventure to another, some heroic some just mischief, but always a lot of fun. This is one of the Kneetime Animal Stories series written under the name of Richard Barnum. - Summary by Larry Wilson

Richard Barnum was the pseudonym adopted by several authors of the Studemeyer Syndicate when writing the Kneetime Animal Stories for children. In this tale, we meet Tamba, the Tame Tiger and follow his escape from the circus and search for something to eat.

The Kneetime Animal Stories are charming children's stories about animals. The friends each have their own story, but make appearances in other books. In this tale, the clever Tinkle gets himself into trouble before being taken into the circus and meeting some of the other animals. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

One of the Kneetime Animal Stories for children, Dido the Dancing Bear may seem unethical today, but when it was written in 1916, such spectacles were a relatively common and "harmless" entertainment, In this story, we follow Dido as he is caught, trained and put in a circus. Along the way, he meets several other animals from the series. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

Richard Jefferies (1848 – 1887) was born and spent his childhood on a farm at Coate,Wiltshire. He joined the ‘Wiltshire and Gloucestershire Standard’ in 1868 and also started to write articles and pamphlets on various agricultural issues and local history topics. He is best known for his depiction of English rural life in essays, books of natural history, and novels. This classic of English nature writing gives an idea of the life of a gamekeeper in southern England in the second half of the nineteenth century.

This comprehensive guide on dog-rearing looks at dogs as more than just pets - as people's best friends. The author describes each breed of dog in a detailed and systematic way, with complete notes on show-dogs.

Beloved by many generations of children, A Child’s Garden of Verses is a beautiful collection of children’s poetry. Sometimes thoughtful, sometimes whimsical, but always fun.

This is a story of an adventure involving a young man, his dog, and two friends. Together they wander through the Western prairies on a mission to make peace between the “pale-faces” and the “Red men”. They face many perils and become heroes many times over. This wonderful story takes the characters (and the reader) on an action-packed journey through the Western prairies during the times when relations between the white man and the Natives were not always peaceful.

Although the book's title Black Ivory denotes dealing in the slave trade it is not our heroes who are doing it. At the very first chapter there is a shipwreck, which leaves the son of the charterer of the sinking ship, and a seaman friend of his, alone on the east coast of Africa, where Arab and Portuguese slave traders were still carrying out their evil trade, despite the great efforts of patrolling British warships to limit it and free the unfortunates whom they found being carried away in the Arab dhows...

This story surrounds a child waif, a young woman, a young gentleman doctor, and an elderly lady. This tale unfolds the story of a bond that brings these unlikely friends together and merges their separate paths of life into one common path. The bond is "Dumps", or "Pompey", the "doggie". With many twists, turns, and uncertainties, the ending may surprise the reader. All's well that ends well in this doggie "tail". (Introduction by Allyson Hester)

Ralph Rover is happily at home from his adventure on The Coral Island and wondering if he should settle down when he receives a visit from an eccentric stranger that won't give his name. This visit starts him on a string of adventures that find him getting charged by rhinoceroses, chased by African natives, and facing down a larger-than-life gorilla on his own. Of course, this is only the start of his adventure in to the land of the gorillas. Please note: this book has some words now considered derogatory, which are used in a generic way without any derogatory meaning...

Charlie Brooke is always rescuing others, and sometimes even himself! His latest rescue, though, could turn out to be fatal...

Jarwin is an English sailor who has been shipwrecked. He is stranded on a raft with only his dog Cuffy, and land is nowhere in sight. Their food and water is running out. What can Jarwin do to save his dog's (and his own) life?

In recent years the number of people interested in keeping amphibians and reptiles in captivity has grown rapidly. All too often, these same people have little knowledge of the proper care needed for their captives, nor do they know where to turn in order to learn the needs of their animals. It is the intent of the authors of this special issue to offer the proper information needed to successfully keep amphibians and reptiles in captivity. We are by no means THE experts on the subject, nor do we claim to cover all the facts. However, we do hope that enough information is furnished to answer most of the common questions asked by people. - Summary by Tom R. Johnson

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

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...

Originally written for his young daughter Josephine, who died tragically aged six, The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling is a collection of short stories which were published separately in magazines before being compiled into a book. The stories are in the form of fables, where animals communicate and speak to each other as humans do and the purpose of each story was to convey a moral or message to the reader. Modern readers would be more familiar with the Disney animated version in which Mowgli the little “man-cub” is raised by wolves...

Kipling shows his love of the sub continent and its people and understanding of their beliefs in these tales. An older Mowgli roams the jungle with his old friends and investigates the ways of his people, a Prime Minister becomes wandering holy man, scavengers tell their tale and we leave India for the far,far north of Canada.

These are selections of Kipling's writings; some poems, some fiction, some history but all by the master storyteller himself. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi' -- William the Conqueror, Part I -- William the Conqueror, Part II -- Wee Willie Winkie -- A matter of fact -- Mowgli's brothers -- The lost legion -- Namgay Doola -- A germ-destroyer -- 'Tiger! Tiger!' -- Tods' amendment -- The story of Muhammad Din -- The finances of the gods -- Moti Guj, Mutineer.

In the Jungle Books, Kipling tells 9 wonderful and exciting tales about Mowgli, the human baby raised by a pack of wolves in the jungles of India. His exploits and adventures are many and varied especially his dealing with the other animals such as his wolf mother and father and brother wolves, Baloo the wise bear who teaches him the Law of the Jungle, and in his life long battle with Shere-Kahn, the lame human killing tiger. I have enjoyed these stories so much that I decided to take all 9 of...

A story about a boy who befriends a cat and then sets off on an adventure to rescue a dragon. Illustrations from the original book can be seen at the e-text link.

This is an adventure story about a horse in the wild west.

Sanni Metelerkamp was a South African playwright and author born in 1867. She is well known for her biography of her great-grandfather, George Rex, the British born entrepreneur who founded the town of Knysna and was rumoured to have been an illegitimate son of King George III. Possibly her greatest legacy however is the publication of a collection of folk tales which in her own words "… are the common property of every country child in South Africa." By the time she published "Outa Karel’s Stories: South African Folk-Lore Tales" in 1914, South Africa had come through a time of great turmoil...

Between these pages you will find only the good, old-fashioned, every-day cat. No Angora or thoroughbred has been entered here, unless it be "Hansie," who is little more than mentioned. These are true incidents and true lives, with the exception of the one chapter, "The Mission of the Cat." The reader will pardon the intrusion of Victor, the dog. I have added him as the cook adds her trace of spice, but feeling also that he is entirely in place, being an ardent cat-lover himself.

Dogs are great, everyone knows that. And they can be heroes, too! This book brings together eleven dogs from around the world who have proven themselves heroes. - Summary by Carolin

A story which shows that strength of character, and belief in the good in everything is above all else The old fisherman had a good dog, Boley, and an evil black cat, Sershina. "Master, this cat will be our undoing! Let's drive her away! Black cat, evil cat!" yelped Boley "Don't say that! You'll see that Serzhina will change and become good!" answered the old fisherman... Excerpt: There once lived an old man on the shore of a beautiful sea. All day he wove nets and caught fish. There were so many that the old fisherman shared them with his animals...

Deputy Sheriff Tug Blackstock wanted a dog to help with his work. As for Jim, at first glance he might almost have been taken for a slim, young black bear rather than a dog. They were a pair, indeed, to strike the most stolid imagination, let alone the sensitive, brooding, watchful imagination of the backwoods. Plus three other stories. - Summary by Story text and David Wales

Action and adventure short stories of men and animals in the wild. - Summary by David Wales

A woman and her daughter take refuge in a cabin deep in the Canadian forest. This is a tale of survival from the land, friendship and love. - Summary by Czandra

The most careless reader can hardly fail to see that many of the Tales in this volume have the same groundwork as those with which he has been familiar from his earliest youth. They are Nursery Tales, in fact, of the days when there were tales in nurseries–old wives’ fables, which have faded away before the light of gas and the power of steam. (Excerpt from Popular Tales from the Norse.)

Jock of the Bushveld is a true story by South African author Sir Percy Fitzpatrick when he worked as a storeman, prospector's assistant, journalist and ox-wagon transport-rider. The book tells of Fitzpatrick's travels with his dog, Jock, during the 1880s. Jock was saved by Fitzpatrick from being drowned in a bucket for being the runt of the litter. Jock was very loyal towards Percy, and brave. Jock was an English Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

These are the first two chapters of Natsume Sōseki's masterpiece, "I Am A Cat" . It is recognized as a landmark of modern Japanese literature, with its humorous but insightful depiction of society as seen through the eyes of a cat. The full work was published in serial form, in ten installments, in 1905-1906. Soon after, Kan-ichi Ando published an English translation of the first two chapters. Sadly, there is no translation of the full work in the public domain, but because of its episodic structure, this excerpt can easily stand on its own. - Summary by Peter Eastman

"To devour others and to avoid being devoured oneself,that is life’s end and aim." This is the fascinating and exciting story of a girl pike named Grimm from her early life as an innocent fish to the wily and wise Pike she ultimately becomes. But many are the perils and dangers she must avoid to get there. Translated by John Muir.

Theodore Roosevelt was one of the most passionate of natural conservationsts having establish five national parks, 18 national monuments, and 150 national forests and other protected areas. Part of his enchantment with the wild lands of the American West was big game hunting. These chapters were originally published in Harper’s Round Table, stories of the elk, bear, wolf, antelopes, and goats, concluding with a view of ranching. - Summary by Larry Wilson

KI-YI, the coyote, is chasing and causing terrible havoc for Doctor Rabbit and all the little creatures of the Big Green Woods. Whatever can they do to solve this problem? - Summary by Laur

All Doctor Rabbit and his friends want is peace in the Big Green Woods. But peace alludes them as long as Tom Wildcat is around because T. Wildcat is bound and determined to have rabbit, woodchuck, squirrel, or any of the other little creatures in the woods for a meal! Doctor Rabbit must think of a scheme to make all the little wood's creatures safe, but it won't be easy!