"The Adventures of Old Mr. Toad" is a children's book written by Thornton W. Burgess. The book follows the adventures of Old Mr. Toad, a wise and mischievous toad who lives in the Green Meadows. The story starts with Mr. Toad's hibernation, but he wakes up early because he can't wait to explore the world. He meets his friends, Sammy Jay, Blacky the Crow, and Jerry Muskrat, who all warn him about the dangers that he may face. But Mr. Toad is stubborn and determined to explore. Throughout the book, Mr. Toad goes on many adventures, including getting lost in the woods, being captured by a boy and almost becoming a pet, and narrowly escaping from the clutches of Farmer Brown's boy and his dog. The book teaches valuable lessons about the importance of listening to advice and learning from mistakes. It also highlights the beauty and wonder of nature and the importance of respecting and appreciating it.
A naturalist and writer of children's literature, Thornton W. Burgess was an American who lived from January 17, 1874, to June 5, 1965. He was occasionally referred to as the Bedtime Story-Man because of his weekly piece Bedtime Stories. By the time of his resignation, he had produced over 170 books and 15,000 stories for the daily newspaper column. Burgess was a direct descendant of Thomas Burgess, one of the earliest residents of Sandwich in 1637, and was born on January 17, 1874, in Sandwich, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. His parents were Caroline F. Haywood and Thornton W. Burgess. When Thornton, Sr. passed on the same year his son was born, Thornton, Jr. was raised in Sandwich by his mother. They had a modest way of life. He worked tending cows, harvesting many flowers or berries, exporting water lilies from nearby ponds, hawking candies, and capturing muskrats when he was younger. One of his employers, William C. Chipman, resided on Discovery Hill Road, which had a marsh and woodland habitat for wildlife. Many of Burgess' writings that include Smiling Pool and the Old Briar Patch are placed in this habitat.
