
audiobook
Produced by Al Haines
GREEN FIELDS AND RUNNING BROOKS - JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY - INDIANAPOLIS - THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY - PUBLISHERS - COPYRIGHT 1893 - BY JAMES W. RILEY - TO MY SISTERS - ELVA AND MARY - GREEN FIELDS AND RUNNING BROOKS - GREEN FIELDS AND RUNNING BROOKS
A COUNTRY PATHWAY.
ON THE BANKS O' DEER CRICK.
I.
II.
III.
A WATER-COLOR.
THE CYCLONE.
WHERE-AWAY.
A walk through this lyrical landscape feels like stepping onto a sun‑dappled trail where every turn reveals a new vignette of countryside wonder. The poet’s voice blends playful observation with quiet reverence, turning simple sights—running brooks, rustling reeds, a startled chipmunk—into vivid, rhythmic snapshots that linger long after the line ends. The verses dance between light‑hearted whimsy and deeper reflections on memory, solitude, and the pull of home.
In the longer, wandering pieces the narrator drifts along imagined paths, inviting listeners to follow through meadow, forest, and creek as if they were companions on a shared adventure. Natural details sparkle with humor—a mischievous garter‑snake, buzzing bumble‑bees, fluttering butterflies—while the cadence carries a gentle, musical quality that feels both nostalgic and fresh.
Together, these poems create a tapestry of rural America that celebrates the ordinary as extraordinary, offering a soothing, immersive experience for anyone who loves to let language lead them into the heart of the landscape.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (142K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
Feb 16, 2005
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1849–1916
Best known for warm, funny poems in everyday Midwestern speech, this beloved Indiana writer brought small-town life and childhood memories vividly to the page. His work helped make pieces like “Little Orphant Annie” and “The Raggedy Man” part of American popular culture.
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