
(Marilynn Mendell retains all rights as the sole author of the images under US copyright laws.)
Chapter Summaries







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PREFACE
The Robin’s View
Old-fashioned curiosity combined with sharp observation leads Liz the robin to write her book, The Tails of Furry Logic. “These stories recount the lives of villagers with tails,” Liz explains. From moles to wolves, these villagers make decisions about business, and their ethical choices matter in survival and to their society. Liz begins by sharing her own experiences in the business she and husband Harold own: Blossom Delivery. First, how a disgruntled rival black snake was thwarted by a good neighbor, and secondly, how it took a community forged by good business relations plus outside experts to battle an ambush of the Blossom Delivery carriers. Tails from other villagers will follow. Liz hopes that The Tails of Furry Logic will make a vivid, lasting and positive impression on young entrepreneurs.
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CHAPTER 1
Edward and May the Entrepreneurial Bears
Edward the bear is a meticulous, respected craftsman, building dry-stone walls. When he takes on a design group, Weasels & Badgers, Inc., as a client, the problems begin. The creative group repeatedly interferes in Edward’s work and breaks promises, until he resigns the job. When economic recession (or poor management) forces the design group out of business, their country retreat becomes Edward’s dream, a craft school. The tables turn completely when Edward’s wife May recruits the out of work designers into her clothing design studio, where their skills shine.
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CHAPTER 2
Missy the Pie Maker
Missy the hare runs a successful bakery with a preposterous name. She and her partner, Katy the deer, disagree over a branding issue: the name of the shop. Katy delivers Missy’s pies to pleasant and unethical clients, one of whom, Mr. Albert the weasel, is passing off Missy’s pies as his own to his customers. Missy tries several solutions: confrontation, legal, and practical. The practical, outside-of-the-pan one works. Mr. Albert is caught by his customers in his own lies, and loses business. In the process, Missy rebrands her baked goods with a new name, learns about contracts, and what keeps customers returning.​
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CHAPTER 3
May Starts Freedom Knits
May is a creative bear with several businesses, including her clothing design and manufacturing company, The First Talent Works. When she decides to expand the clothing line to knitted ski wear, she encounters two significant problems: employee resistance to change and finding reliable, economically sound, and sustainable sources for raw materials. In her search, May faces Carl the sheep whose store applies some unusual mathematics, only to lose customers. With her usual good humor and positive outlook, May finds some wonderful supply partners, led by Iggy the Alpaca and Molly the raccoon. Freedom Knits becomes another successful business for May.
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CHAPTER 4
Flint Discovers the Truth
When Flint Straddleback the squirrel comes out of retirement to start a pre-sorted nut business, Malcolm Mole Marketing helps out with package labels clearly stating contents. Customer Sarah Bentworth and her raccoon family discovers the labels are false—they have been cheated, and confront the business. As Flint discovers the truth that his manager has been cheating customers, he plans reparation. But Sarah takes this opportunity to teach her children about lying. With a story from local forest history, the family delves deeply into why lying is wrong and when there may be acceptable exceptions, such as protecting the innocent from evil. The children discuss schoolmates’ lies, the reasons, and how they can help, responding with compassion and generosity.
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CHAPTER 5
Skunks Open a Vegan Restaurant
As the Litton skunk family prepares to open a vegan restaurant, they are faced with prejudice from suppliers and potential clients. The restaurant seems doomed even before it opens, but brown bear May and her raccoon friend Molly seek a solution. Meanwhile the weather has taken a turn for the worst with the local Fish River at record flood levels putting children’s lives in jeopardy. The hated skunk family leads a rescue to save the helpless groundhog babies proving kindness can overcome discrimination.
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CHAPTER 6
Winter’s Glory
When an epidemic strikes in the dead of winter, the Pathfinder Clinic doctors Bran the raven and Spike the porcupine face a dire situation: the only vaccines are en route via Chocolate the moose and his sled. Chocolate’s route is blocked by avalanche and the old moose goes missing; meanwhile a different outbreak—deadly distemper—depletes the local wolf pack. The doctors must face the suspicious wolves’ den, wake dangerous hibernating bears and recruit the largest and smallest of animals to save the village. An impossible task for one is accomplished when the many join their disparate skills in urgency and mutual respect, celebrating the glory of Winter, tough times bringing out the best in everyone.
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EPILOGUE
The Robin’s Round
Liz the robin recaps her reasons for writing, and the business and life lessons learned from watching her neighbors.
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This children’s story is packed with character, conflict, business practices, and ethics. Clearly and naturally told, the story demonstrates and explores the issues of lying, cheating and stealing, with three local examples: retail sales, schoolmates, and a story-within-a-story of genocide and those who combat it. Only Marilynn Mendell could pull this off in a children’s story that also entertains adults! –
For the Skunk Story: Marilynn, I am enthralled by the story and there were tears coming to my eyes during the rescue!
- Deborah Wilbrink, Perfect Memoirs, Nashville, TN
