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Wood Folk #1
Ways of Wood Folk
Reverend William Joseph Long (1866-1952) who wrote under the pen name Peter Rabbit was an American author. His works include: Ways of Wood Folk (1899), Wilderness Ways (1900), Secrets of the Woods (1901), Beasts of the Field (1901), School of the Woods (1902), Following the Deer (1903), Wood Folk at School (1903), Little Brother to the Bear, and other Animal Studies (1903), Northern Trails: Some Studies of Animal Life in the Far North (1905), A History of English Literature (1908), English Literature: Its History and its Significance (1909), American Literature (1913), Outlines of English and American Literature (1917), How Animals Talk, and Other Pleasant Studies of Birds and Beast (1919), Mother Nature: A Study of Animal Life and Death (1923), America: A History of Our Country (1923), Outlines of American Literature, With Readings (1925), Outlines of English Literature, With Readings (1925), Our Country (1929), The Spirit of the Wild (1956) and Wings of the Forest (1957).
148 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1899
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128 people want to read
About the author
William Joseph Long
73 books10 followersWilliam Joseph Long (1867-1952) was an American writer, naturalist and minister. He lived and worked in Stamford, Connecticut as a minister of the First Congregationalist Church.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 30, 2025
I love all of these books! Patient naturalists shares his experience with us city slickers so we can gain a little more insight into creatures we don't know.
July 25, 2022
5 stars & 5/10 hearts. I honestly don’t remember having read this ever before, although according to my kindle, I have years and years ago. Like the rest of the books in the series, it was delightfully woodsy, yet somehow it was lacking compared to the others—perhaps because there were fewer stories, or as much of the delightful humour and beautiful descriptions that characterizes Long’s writings. It was still a beautiful, enjoyable piece of natural history, and I enjoyed it—hopefully I will more next time.
A Favourite Quote: Really, he is a wonderful little fellow; there is no end to the good he does. Again and again I have seen a man grow better tempered or more cheerful, without knowing why he did so, just because Chickadee stopped a moment to be cheery and sociable. I remember once when a party of four made camp after a driving rain-storm. Everybody was wet; everything soaking. The lazy man had upset a canoe, and all the dry clothes and blankets had just been fished out of the river. Now the lazy man stood before the fire, looking after his own comfort. The other three worked like beavers, making camp. They were in ill humor, cold, wet, hungry, irritated. They said nothing.
A flock of chickadees came down with sunny greetings, fearless, trustful, never obtrusive. They looked innocently into human faces and pretended that they did not see the irritation there. "Tsic a dee. I wish I could help. Perhaps I can. Tic a dee-e-e?"—with that gentle, sweetly insinuating up slide at the end.
Somebody spoke, for the first time in half an hour, and it wasn't a growl. Presently somebody whistled—a wee little whistle; but the tide had turned. Then somebody laughed.
"'Pon my word," he said, hanging up his wet clothes, "I believe those chickadees make me feel good-natured. Seem kind of cheery, you know, and the crowd needed it."
A Favourite Quote: Really, he is a wonderful little fellow; there is no end to the good he does. Again and again I have seen a man grow better tempered or more cheerful, without knowing why he did so, just because Chickadee stopped a moment to be cheery and sociable. I remember once when a party of four made camp after a driving rain-storm. Everybody was wet; everything soaking. The lazy man had upset a canoe, and all the dry clothes and blankets had just been fished out of the river. Now the lazy man stood before the fire, looking after his own comfort. The other three worked like beavers, making camp. They were in ill humor, cold, wet, hungry, irritated. They said nothing.
A flock of chickadees came down with sunny greetings, fearless, trustful, never obtrusive. They looked innocently into human faces and pretended that they did not see the irritation there. "Tsic a dee. I wish I could help. Perhaps I can. Tic a dee-e-e?"—with that gentle, sweetly insinuating up slide at the end.
Somebody spoke, for the first time in half an hour, and it wasn't a growl. Presently somebody whistled—a wee little whistle; but the tide had turned. Then somebody laughed.
"'Pon my word," he said, hanging up his wet clothes, "I believe those chickadees make me feel good-natured. Seem kind of cheery, you know, and the crowd needed it."
October 9, 2020
We who are used to nature television programs with their spectacular close-up and slow-motion camera angles can perhaps be excused for finding it difficult to subside with a sigh into a book that describes animals and nature with mere words. (No pictures even!) But fortunately William J Long writes with a style that feels modern to me and is a pleasure to read.
He tells stories about animals and birds in Maine and Canada, real stories, he assures us, either because he observed these scenes himself or because a trusted Native American guide has passed it along to him. Like a camera in a nature show hidden out of sight, he would stay very still for a very long time and therefore witness activities by creatures who either didn't know he was there or who got used to him being there. I know I have sat still for a half-hour or slightly more and seen birds closer up than I usually see them, but Mr. Long sat tucked away for much longer than that. Some of the things the creatures do are amazing, almost unbelievable, while others are scary (for the author) or amusing or educational. There is a short chapter about a hornet that develops a fondness for getting drunk that is quite humorous, though not ultimately for the hornet itself.
As I indicated in my title for this review, however, there is one unfortunate way that his writing shows its age. He lived in a time when Native Americans were called Indians, but he shows that he has the greatest respect for his guide friends. Also, some of his stories reflect that he observed the game birds or other creatures as a part of the normal pursuit of hunting them for a meal or for his mantle piece. Having said that, however, I did notice that in one place he makes a statement that seems to show that he had mended his ways, as if the newer stories were written after he no longer hunted the creatures he observed.
So if you like this sort of writing, be prepared to be fascinated, or at the least entertained, by his stories about foxes, rabbits, moose, crows, Maine black bears and numerous other "Wood Folk." I know I am looking forward to reading a few more free books of his from Amazon, plus I see a few more available on the free site Gutenberg.org.
He tells stories about animals and birds in Maine and Canada, real stories, he assures us, either because he observed these scenes himself or because a trusted Native American guide has passed it along to him. Like a camera in a nature show hidden out of sight, he would stay very still for a very long time and therefore witness activities by creatures who either didn't know he was there or who got used to him being there. I know I have sat still for a half-hour or slightly more and seen birds closer up than I usually see them, but Mr. Long sat tucked away for much longer than that. Some of the things the creatures do are amazing, almost unbelievable, while others are scary (for the author) or amusing or educational. There is a short chapter about a hornet that develops a fondness for getting drunk that is quite humorous, though not ultimately for the hornet itself.
As I indicated in my title for this review, however, there is one unfortunate way that his writing shows its age. He lived in a time when Native Americans were called Indians, but he shows that he has the greatest respect for his guide friends. Also, some of his stories reflect that he observed the game birds or other creatures as a part of the normal pursuit of hunting them for a meal or for his mantle piece. Having said that, however, I did notice that in one place he makes a statement that seems to show that he had mended his ways, as if the newer stories were written after he no longer hunted the creatures he observed.
So if you like this sort of writing, be prepared to be fascinated, or at the least entertained, by his stories about foxes, rabbits, moose, crows, Maine black bears and numerous other "Wood Folk." I know I am looking forward to reading a few more free books of his from Amazon, plus I see a few more available on the free site Gutenberg.org.
July 18, 2022
Written in the 1890s, this is a fairly typical offering for Librivox. It arouses some mixed feelings as we hear the playful tones of a man anthropomorphising the creatures he has observed in the wild woods.
As a piece of historic chronicling, it captures the attitudes and life of a man who loves to observe and hunt. He is a hunter for both sport and food and does a turn as taxidermist.. an art which is much less favoured in the modern age with our ability to capture wild creatures in high definition digital video. Our hunter is armed with a rifle, spyglass, canoe and an "Indian guide". The casual way that he speaks of his native servants gets my hackles up, but at least he cedes to them having some knowledgeable authority as to the habits and ways of wild spaces, and he uses his guides' words for the names of some of the animals, by preference or as familiar nicknames.
The personification that he uses to describe his fancied inner thoughts of wild creatures, conveys his genuine affection for the animals he has observed, however, I think he has a romanticised idea of their motivations. In particular, his take on foxes seems utterly fanciful and the animal's supposed motivations are just whimsical concoctions.
His stories about crows, beavers, and ducks are quite engaging and I think I appreciate the tales that he tells from direct observation a lot more than the inner worlds he imagines. I think that in general he thinks of wild creatures as a lot more playful and tricksy than the animals are in reality. Many of the things he recounts as jolly are, to my reckoning, essential survival skills. Some of them are learned, though many seem to be instinctive rather than ingenious.
I know that I tend to give similar running commentary of my cats' inner workings when I regale people of their antics, so perhaps I shouldn't be so hard on the fellow.
I am amused by some of the narration in the Librivox recordings. That's really NOT how the word awry is pronounced. *chuckle*
As a piece of historic chronicling, it captures the attitudes and life of a man who loves to observe and hunt. He is a hunter for both sport and food and does a turn as taxidermist.. an art which is much less favoured in the modern age with our ability to capture wild creatures in high definition digital video. Our hunter is armed with a rifle, spyglass, canoe and an "Indian guide". The casual way that he speaks of his native servants gets my hackles up, but at least he cedes to them having some knowledgeable authority as to the habits and ways of wild spaces, and he uses his guides' words for the names of some of the animals, by preference or as familiar nicknames.
The personification that he uses to describe his fancied inner thoughts of wild creatures, conveys his genuine affection for the animals he has observed, however, I think he has a romanticised idea of their motivations. In particular, his take on foxes seems utterly fanciful and the animal's supposed motivations are just whimsical concoctions.
His stories about crows, beavers, and ducks are quite engaging and I think I appreciate the tales that he tells from direct observation a lot more than the inner worlds he imagines. I think that in general he thinks of wild creatures as a lot more playful and tricksy than the animals are in reality. Many of the things he recounts as jolly are, to my reckoning, essential survival skills. Some of them are learned, though many seem to be instinctive rather than ingenious.
I know that I tend to give similar running commentary of my cats' inner workings when I regale people of their antics, so perhaps I shouldn't be so hard on the fellow.
I am amused by some of the narration in the Librivox recordings. That's really NOT how the word awry is pronounced. *chuckle*
February 22, 2023
Read with Malachi for school, year 3. Long beautifully displays the art of slow and quiet observation of nature in his retelling of his observations of animals he comes across in the wild.
“All animals, whether wild or domestic, respect a man who neither fears nor disturbs them.”
“All animals, whether wild or domestic, respect a man who neither fears nor disturbs them.”
July 20, 2023
Perfect for any animal lover this book is a great snapshot of various animals’ behaviors. I will never look at a rabbit in my garden the same way.
It saddens me to think how much human-wildlife contact has changed many of these behaviors and what a new book would say about them now.
It saddens me to think how much human-wildlife contact has changed many of these behaviors and what a new book would say about them now.
June 26, 2018
Naturalist description 1800s
Kindle version does not have illustrations. But wonderful period writing of eastern fauna from the authors viewpoint. For all ages.
Kindle version does not have illustrations. But wonderful period writing of eastern fauna from the authors viewpoint. For all ages.
February 20, 2024
Read for AO year 3.5
December 16, 2015
I've always had a tender place in my heart for animals, but Long's books give me deeper knowledge, appreciation, respect and love for God's creatures. His stories are fascinating and entertaining. My favorite may have been the beaver chapter, though Jonas and I both got quit a kick out of the story of the drunk hornet.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews