`` Once upon a time -- '' The Merry Little Breezes clapped their hands and settled themselves among the buttercups and daisies , for they knew that soon they would know what Mr. Toad did with his old suit . `` Once upon a time , '' began Grandfather Frog again , `` when the world was young , old King Bear received word that old Mother Nature would visit the Green Meadows and the Green Forest . Of course old King Bear wanted his kingdom and his subjects to look their very best , so he issued a royal order that every one of the little meadow people and every one of the little forest folk should wear a new suit on the day that old Mother Nature was to pay her visit . `` Now like old King Bear , every one wanted to appear his very best before old Mother Nature , but as no one knew the exact day she was to come , every one began at once to wear his best suit , and to take the greatest care of it . Old King Bear appeared every day in a suit of glossy black . Lightfoot the Deer , threw away his dingy gray suit , and put on a coat of beautiful red and fawn . Mr. Mink , Mr. Otter , Mr. Muskrat , Mr. Rabbit , Mr. Woodchuck , Mr. Coon , who you know was first cousin to old King Bear , Mr. Gray Squirrel , Mr. Fox Squirrel , Mr. Red Squirrel , all put on brand new suits . Mr. Skunk changed his black and white stripes for a suit of all black , very handsome , very handsome indeed . Mr. Chipmunk took care to see that his new suit had the most beautiful stripes to be obtained . `` Mr. Jay , who was something of a dandy , had a wonderful new coat that looked for all the world as it if had been cut from the bluest patch of sky and trimmed with edging taken from the whitest clouds . Even Mr. Crow and Mr. Owl took pains to look their very best . `` But Mr. Toad could n't see the need of such a fuss . He thought his neighbors spent altogether too much time and thought on dress . To be sure he was anxious to look his best when old Mother Nature came , so he got a new suit all ready . But Mr. Toad could n't afford to sit around in idleness admiring his new clothes . No indeed ! Mr. Toad had too much to do . He was altogether too busy . He had a large garden to take care of , had Mr. Toad , and work in a garden is very hard on clothes . So Mr. Toad just wore his old suit over his new one and went on about his business .
`` By and by the great day came when old XXXXX Nature arrived to inspect the kingdom of old King Bear .
Chipmunk Coon Crow Forest King Mother Muskrat Skunk Squirrel first