
Tommy Smith is a mischievous boy who spends his days tormenting the creatures of the countryside—hurling stones at birds, chasing rats with his dog, and stealing eggs from nests without a second thought. His thoughtless cruelty leaves the animals of the woods frightened and angry, and even his own family watches his antics with indifferent tolerance. The story paints a vivid picture of rural life, full of bustling wildlife and the quiet rhythms of spring, while exposing the unsettling gap between Tommy’s behavior and the natural world around him.
One moonlit night, the animals decide they have had enough. An owl calls a secret meeting in a moss‑covered clearing, and creatures from rats and hares to frogs, snakes and birds gather to discuss how to teach the boy a lesson. Their council is both humorous and earnest, hinting at a clever plan that will turn Tommy’s world upside down—without revealing exactly how the reckoning unfolds. Listeners will be drawn into this charmingly moral tale of empathy, community, and the surprising power of those who cannot speak for themselves.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (207K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Giovanni Fini, Emmanuel Ackerman and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2016-05-02
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1857–1934
A pioneering British naturalist and writer, he helped popularize bird-watching through vivid field observations and a patient, deeply attentive way of looking at wildlife. His books brought readers close to the lives of birds and other animals at a time when careful watching in nature was becoming a pastime of its own.
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