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diff --git a/old/289.txt b/old/289.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..92f04ff --- /dev/null +++ b/old/289.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6468 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Wind in the Willows + +Author: Kenneth Grahame + +Posting Date: July 12, 2008 [EBook #289] +Release Date: July, 1995 +[Last updated: January 13, 2012] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS *** + + + + +Produced by Mike Lough + + + + + +THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS + +By Kenneth Grahame + +Author Of "The Golden Age," "Dream Days," Etc. + + + + +CONTENTS + + CHAPTER + I. THE RIVER BANK + II. THE OPEN ROAD + III. THE WILD WOOD + IV. MR. BADGER + V. DULCE DOMUM + VI. MR. TOAD + VII. THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN + VIII. TOAD'S ADVENTURES + IX. WAYFARERS ALL + X. THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF TOAD + XI. "LIKE SUMMER TEMPESTS CAME HIS TEARS" + XII. THE RETURN OF ULYSSES + + + + + +I. THE RIVER BANK + +The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his +little home. First with brooms, then with dusters; then on ladders and +steps and chairs, with a brush and a pail of whitewash; till he had dust +in his throat and eyes, and splashes of whitewash all over his black +fur, and an aching back and weary arms. Spring was moving in the air +above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark +and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing. +It was small wonder, then, that he suddenly flung down his brush on the +floor, said 'Bother!' and 'O blow!' and also 'Hang spring-cleaning!' +and bolted out of the house without even waiting to put on his coat. +Something up above was calling him imperiously, and he made for +the steep little tunnel which answered in his case to the gavelled +carriage-drive owned by animals whose residences are nearer to the sun +and air. So he scraped and scratched and scrabbled and scrooged and +then he scrooged again and scrabbled and scratched and scraped, working +busily with his little paws and muttering to himself, 'Up we go! Up we +go!' till at last, pop! his snout came out into the sunlight, and he +found himself rolling in the warm grass of a great meadow. + +'This is fine!' he said to himself. 'This is better than whitewashing!' +The sunshine struck hot on his fur, soft breezes caressed his heated +brow, and after the seclusion of the cellarage he had lived in so long +the carol of happy birds fell on his dulled hearing almost like a shout. +Jumping off all his four legs at once, in the joy of living and the +delight of spring without its cleaning, he pursued his way across the +meadow till he reached the hedge on the further side. + +'Hold up!' said an elderly rabbit at the gap. 'Sixpence for the +privilege of passing by the private road!' He was bowled over in an +instant by the impatient and contemptuous Mole, who trotted along the +side of the hedge chaffing the other rabbits as they peeped hurriedly +from their holes to see what the row was about. 'Onion-sauce! +Onion-sauce!' he remarked jeeringly, and was gone before they could +think of a thoroughly satisfactory reply. Then they all started +grumbling at each other. 'How STUPID you are! Why didn't you tell +him----' 'Well, why didn't YOU say----' 'You might have reminded +him----' and so on, in the usual way; but, of course, it was then much +too late, as is always the case. + +It all seemed too good to be true. Hither and thither through the +meadows he rambled busily, along the hedgerows, across the +copses, finding everywhere birds building, flowers budding, leaves +thrusting--everything happy, and progressive, and occupied. And instead +of having an uneasy conscience pricking him and whispering 'whitewash!' +he somehow could only feel how jolly it was to be the only idle dog +among all these busy citizens. After all, the best part of a holiday +is perhaps not so much to be resting yourself, as to see all the other +fellows busy working. + +He thought his happiness was complete when, as he meandered aimlessly +along, suddenly he stood by the edge of a full-fed river. Never in +his life had he seen a river before--this sleek, sinuous, full-bodied +animal, chasing and chuckling, gripping things with a gurgle and +leaving them with a laugh, to fling itself on fresh playmates that shook +themselves free, and were caught and held again. All was a-shake and +a-shiver--glints and gleams and sparkles, rustle and swirl, chatter and +bubble. The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated. By the side of +the river he trotted as one trots, when very small, by the side of a man +who holds one spell-bound by exciting stories; and when tired at +last, he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to him, +a babbling procession of the best stories in the world, sent from the +heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea. + +As he sat on the grass and looked across the river, a dark hole in the +bank opposite, just above the water's edge, caught his eye, and dreamily +he fell to considering what a nice snug dwelling-place it would make for +an animal with few wants and fond of a bijou riverside residence, above +flood level and remote from noise and dust. As he gazed, something +bright and small seemed to twinkle down in the heart of it, vanished, +then twinkled once more like a tiny star. But it could hardly be a star +in such an unlikely situation; and it was too glittering and small for a +glow-worm. Then, as he looked, it winked at him, and so declared itself +to be an eye; and a small face began gradually to grow up round it, like +a frame round a picture. + +A brown little face, with whiskers. + +A grave round face, with the same twinkle in its eye that had first +attracted his notice. + +Small neat ears and thick silky hair. + +It was the Water Rat! + +Then the two animals stood and regarded each other cautiously. + +'Hullo, Mole!' said the Water Rat. + +'Hullo, Rat!' said the Mole. + +'Would you like to come over?' enquired the Rat presently. + +'Oh, its all very well to TALK,' said the Mole, rather pettishly, he +being new to a river and riverside life and its ways. + +The Rat said nothing, but stooped and unfastened a rope and hauled +on it; then lightly stepped into a little boat which the Mole had not +observed. It was painted blue outside and white within, and was just the +size for two animals; and the Mole's whole heart went out to it at once, +even though he did not yet fully understand its uses. + +The Rat sculled smartly across and made fast. Then he held up his +forepaw as the Mole stepped gingerly down. 'Lean on that!' he said. +'Now then, step lively!' and the Mole to his surprise and rapture found +himself actually seated in the stern of a real boat. + +'This has been a wonderful day!' said he, as the Rat shoved off and took +to the sculls again. 'Do you know, I've never been in a boat before in +all my life.' + +'What?' cried the Rat, open-mouthed: 'Never been in a--you never--well +I--what have you been doing, then?' + +'Is it so nice as all that?' asked the Mole shyly, though he was quite +prepared to believe it as he leant back in his seat and surveyed the +cushions, the oars, the rowlocks, and all the fascinating fittings, and +felt the boat sway lightly under him. + +'Nice? It's the ONLY thing,' said the Water Rat solemnly, as he +leant forward for his stroke. 'Believe me, my young friend, there is +NOTHING--absolute nothing--half so much worth doing as simply +messing about in boats. Simply messing,' he went on dreamily: +'messing--about--in--boats; messing----' + +'Look ahead, Rat!' cried the Mole suddenly. + +It was too late. The boat struck the bank full tilt. The dreamer, the +joyous oarsman, lay on his back at the bottom of the boat, his heels in +the air. + +'--about in boats--or WITH boats,' the Rat went on composedly, picking +himself up with a pleasant laugh. 'In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. +Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get +away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or +whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at +all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and +when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do +it if you like, but you'd much better not. Look here! If you've really +nothing else on hand this morning, supposing we drop down the river +together, and have a long day of it?' + +The Mole waggled his toes from sheer happiness, spread his chest with +a sigh of full contentment, and leaned back blissfully into the soft +cushions. 'WHAT a day I'm having!' he said. 'Let us start at once!' + +'Hold hard a minute, then!' said the Rat. He looped the painter through +a ring in his landing-stage, climbed up into his hole above, and after +a short interval reappeared staggering under a fat, wicker +luncheon-basket. + +'Shove that under your feet,' he observed to the Mole, as he passed +it down into the boat. Then he untied the painter and took the sculls +again. + +'What's inside it?' asked the Mole, wriggling with curiosity. + +'There's cold chicken inside it,' replied the Rat briefly; +'coldtonguecoldhamcoldbeefpickledgherkinssaladfrenchrollscresssan- +dwichespottedmeatgingerbeerlemonadesodawater----' + +'O stop, stop,' cried the Mole in ecstacies: 'This is too much!' + +'Do you really think so?' enquired the Rat seriously. 'It's only what I +always take on these little excursions; and the other animals are always +telling me that I'm a mean beast and cut it VERY fine!' + +The Mole never heard a word he was saying. Absorbed in the new life he +was entering upon, intoxicated with the sparkle, the ripple, the scents +and the sounds and the sunlight, he trailed a paw in the water and +dreamed long waking dreams. The Water Rat, like the good little fellow +he was, sculled steadily on and forebore to disturb him. + +'I like your clothes awfully, old chap,' he remarked after some half +an hour or so had passed. 'I'm going to get a black velvet smoking-suit +myself some day, as soon as I can afford it.' + +'I beg your pardon,' said the Mole, pulling himself together with an +effort. 'You must think me very rude; but all this is so new to me. +So--this--is--a--River!' + +'THE River,' corrected the Rat. + +'And you really live by the river? What a jolly life!' + +'By it and with it and on it and in it,' said the Rat. 'It's brother +and sister to me, and aunts, and company, and food and drink, and +(naturally) washing. It's my world, and I don't want any other. What it +hasn't got is not worth having, and what it doesn't know is not worth +knowing. Lord! the times we've had together! Whether in winter or +summer, spring or autumn, it's always got its fun and its excitements. +When the floods are on in February, and my cellars and basement are +brimming with drink that's no good to me, and the brown water runs by my +best bedroom window; or again when it all drops away and, shows patches +of mud that smells like plum-cake, and the rushes and weed clog the +channels, and I can potter about dry shod over most of the bed of it and +find fresh food to eat, and things careless people have dropped out of +boats!' + +'But isn't it a bit dull at times?' the Mole ventured to ask. 'Just you +and the river, and no one else to pass a word with?' + +'No one else to--well, I mustn't be hard on you,' said the Rat with +forbearance. 'You're new to it, and of course you don't know. The bank +is so crowded nowadays that many people are moving away altogether: O +no, it isn't what it used to be, at all. Otters, kingfishers, dabchicks, +moorhens, all of them about all day long and always wanting you to DO +something--as if a fellow had no business of his own to attend to!' + +'What lies over THERE' asked the Mole, waving a paw towards a background +of woodland that darkly framed the water-meadows on one side of the +river. + +'That? O, that's just the Wild Wood,' said the Rat shortly. 'We don't go +there very much, we river-bankers.' + +'Aren't they--aren't they very NICE people in there?' said the Mole, a +trifle nervously. + +'W-e-ll,' replied the Rat, 'let me see. The squirrels are all right. AND +the rabbits--some of 'em, but rabbits are a mixed lot. And then there's +Badger, of course. He lives right in the heart of it; wouldn't live +anywhere else, either, if you paid him to do it. Dear old Badger! Nobody +interferes with HIM. They'd better not,' he added significantly. + +'Why, who SHOULD interfere with him?' asked the Mole. + +'Well, of course--there--are others,' explained the Rat in a hesitating +sort of way. + +'Weasels--and stoats--and foxes--and so on. They're all right in a +way--I'm very good friends with them--pass the time of day when we meet, +and all that--but they break out sometimes, there's no denying it, and +then--well, you can't really trust them, and that's the fact.' + +The Mole knew well that it is quite against animal-etiquette to dwell +on possible trouble ahead, or even to allude to it; so he dropped the +subject. + +'And beyond the Wild Wood again?' he asked: 'Where it's all blue +and dim, and one sees what may be hills or perhaps they mayn't, and +something like the smoke of towns, or is it only cloud-drift?' + +'Beyond the Wild Wood comes the Wide World,' said the Rat. 'And that's +something that doesn't matter, either to you or me. I've never been +there, and I'm never going, nor you either, if you've got any sense +at all. Don't ever refer to it again, please. Now then! Here's our +backwater at last, where we're going to lunch.' + +Leaving the main stream, they now passed into what seemed at first sight +like a little land-locked lake. Green turf sloped down to either edge, +brown snaky tree-roots gleamed below the surface of the quiet water, +while ahead of them the silvery shoulder and foamy tumble of a weir, +arm-in-arm with a restless dripping mill-wheel, that held up in its +turn a grey-gabled mill-house, filled the air with a soothing murmur +of sound, dull and smothery, yet with little clear voices speaking up +cheerfully out of it at intervals. It was so very beautiful that the +Mole could only hold up both forepaws and gasp, 'O my! O my! O my!' + +The Rat brought the boat alongside the bank, made her fast, helped the +still awkward Mole safely ashore, and swung out the luncheon-basket. The +Mole begged as a favour to be allowed to unpack it all by himself; and +the Rat was very pleased to indulge him, and to sprawl at full length on +the grass and rest, while his excited friend shook out the table-cloth +and spread it, took out all the mysterious packets one by one and +arranged their contents in due order, still gasping, 'O my! O my!' at +each fresh revelation. When all was ready, the Rat said, 'Now, pitch +in, old fellow!' and the Mole was indeed very glad to obey, for he had +started his spring-cleaning at a very early hour that morning, as people +WILL do, and had not paused for bite or sup; and he had been through a +very great deal since that distant time which now seemed so many days +ago. + +'What are you looking at?' said the Rat presently, when the edge of +their hunger was somewhat dulled, and the Mole's eyes were able to +wander off the table-cloth a little. + +'I am looking,' said the Mole, 'at a streak of bubbles that I see +travelling along the surface of the water. That is a thing that strikes +me as funny.' + +'Bubbles? Oho!' said the Rat, and chirruped cheerily in an inviting sort +of way. + +A broad glistening muzzle showed itself above the edge of the bank, and +the Otter hauled himself out and shook the water from his coat. + +'Greedy beggars!' he observed, making for the provender. 'Why didn't you +invite me, Ratty?' + +'This was an impromptu affair,' explained the Rat. 'By the way--my +friend Mr. Mole.' + +'Proud, I'm sure,' said the Otter, and the two animals were friends +forthwith. + +'Such a rumpus everywhere!' continued the Otter. 'All the world seems +out on the river to-day. I came up this backwater to try and get a +moment's peace, and then stumble upon you fellows!--At least--I beg +pardon--I don't exactly mean that, you know.' + +There was a rustle behind them, proceeding from a hedge wherein last +year's leaves still clung thick, and a stripy head, with high shoulders +behind it, peered forth on them. + +'Come on, old Badger!' shouted the Rat. + +The Badger trotted forward a pace or two; then grunted, 'H'm! Company,' +and turned his back and disappeared from view. + +'That's JUST the sort of fellow he is!' observed the disappointed Rat. +'Simply hates Society! Now we shan't see any more of him to-day. Well, +tell us, WHO'S out on the river?' + +'Toad's out, for one,' replied the Otter. 'In his brand-new wager-boat; +new togs, new everything!' + +The two animals looked at each other and laughed. + +'Once, it was nothing but sailing,' said the Rat, 'Then he tired of that +and took to punting. Nothing would please him but to punt all day +and every day, and a nice mess he made of it. Last year it was +house-boating, and we all had to go and stay with him in his house-boat, +and pretend we liked it. He was going to spend the rest of his life in +a house-boat. It's all the same, whatever he takes up; he gets tired of +it, and starts on something fresh.' + +'Such a good fellow, too,' remarked the Otter reflectively: 'But no +stability--especially in a boat!' + +From where they sat they could get a glimpse of the main stream across +the island that separated them; and just then a wager-boat flashed into +view, the rower--a short, stout figure--splashing badly and rolling a +good deal, but working his hardest. The Rat stood up and hailed him, but +Toad--for it was he--shook his head and settled sternly to his work. + +'He'll be out of the boat in a minute if he rolls like that,' said the +Rat, sitting down again. + +'Of course he will,' chuckled the Otter. 'Did I ever tell you that good +story about Toad and the lock-keeper? It happened this way. Toad....' + +An errant May-fly swerved unsteadily athwart the current in the +intoxicated fashion affected by young bloods of May-flies seeing life. A +swirl of water and a 'cloop!' and the May-fly was visible no more. + +Neither was the Otter. + +The Mole looked down. The voice was still in his ears, but the turf +whereon he had sprawled was clearly vacant. Not an Otter to be seen, as +far as the distant horizon. + +But again there was a streak of bubbles on the surface of the river. + +The Rat hummed a tune, and the Mole recollected that animal-etiquette +forbade any sort of comment on the sudden disappearance of one's friends +at any moment, for any reason or no reason whatever. + +'Well, well,' said the Rat, 'I suppose we ought to be moving. I wonder +which of us had better pack the luncheon-basket?' He did not speak as if +he was frightfully eager for the treat. + +'O, please let me,' said the Mole. So, of course, the Rat let him. + +Packing the basket was not quite such pleasant work as unpacking' the +basket. It never is. But the Mole was bent on enjoying everything, and +although just when he had got the basket packed and strapped up tightly +he saw a plate staring up at him from the grass, and when the job had +been done again the Rat pointed out a fork which anybody ought to +have seen, and last of all, behold! the mustard pot, which he had been +sitting on without knowing it--still, somehow, the thing got finished at +last, without much loss of temper. + +The afternoon sun was getting low as the Rat sculled gently homewards in +a dreamy mood, murmuring poetry-things over to himself, and not paying +much attention to Mole. But the Mole was very full of lunch, and +self-satisfaction, and pride, and already quite at home in a boat (so he +thought) and was getting a bit restless besides: and presently he said, +'Ratty! Please, _I_ want to row, now!' + +The Rat shook his head with a smile. 'Not yet, my young friend,' he +said--'wait till you've had a few lessons. It's not so easy as it +looks.' + +The Mole was quiet for a minute or two. But he began to feel more and +more jealous of Rat, sculling so strongly and so easily along, and his +pride began to whisper that he could do it every bit as well. He jumped +up and seized the sculls, so suddenly, that the Rat, who was gazing out +over the water and saying more poetry-things to himself, was taken by +surprise and fell backwards off his seat with his legs in the air for +the second time, while the triumphant Mole took his place and grabbed +the sculls with entire confidence. + +'Stop it, you SILLY ass!' cried the Rat, from the bottom of the boat. +'You can't do it! You'll have us over!' + +The Mole flung his sculls back with a flourish, and made a great dig at +the water. He missed the surface altogether, his legs flew up above +his head, and he found himself lying on the top of the prostrate Rat. +Greatly alarmed, he made a grab at the side of the boat, and the next +moment--Sploosh! + +Over went the boat, and he found himself struggling in the river. + +O my, how cold the water was, and O, how VERY wet it felt. How it sang +in his ears as he went down, down, down! How bright and welcome the sun +looked as he rose to the surface coughing and spluttering! How black was +his despair when he felt himself sinking again! Then a firm paw gripped +him by the back of his neck. It was the Rat, and he was evidently +laughing--the Mole could FEEL him laughing, right down his arm and +through his paw, and so into his--the Mole's--neck. + +The Rat got hold of a scull and shoved it under the Mole's arm; then he +did the same by the other side of him and, swimming behind, propelled +the helpless animal to shore, hauled him out, and set him down on the +bank, a squashy, pulpy lump of misery. + +When the Rat had rubbed him down a bit, and wrung some of the wet out of +him, he said, 'Now, then, old fellow! Trot up and down the towing-path +as hard as you can, till you're warm and dry again, while I dive for the +luncheon-basket.' + +So the dismal Mole, wet without and ashamed within, trotted about till +he was fairly dry, while the Rat plunged into the water again, recovered +the boat, righted her and made her fast, fetched his floating +property to shore by degrees, and finally dived successfully for the +luncheon-basket and struggled to land with it. + +When all was ready for a start once more, the Mole, limp and dejected, +took his seat in the stern of the boat; and as they set off, he said in +a low voice, broken with emotion, 'Ratty, my generous friend! I am very +sorry indeed for my foolish and ungrateful conduct. My heart quite fails +me when I think how I might have lost that beautiful luncheon-basket. +Indeed, I have been a complete ass, and I know it. Will you overlook it +this once and forgive me, and let things go on as before?' + +'That's all right, bless you!' responded the Rat cheerily. 'What's a +little wet to a Water Rat? I'm more in the water than out of it most +days. Don't you think any more about it; and, look here! I really think +you had better come and stop with me for a little time. It's very plain +and rough, you know--not like Toad's house at all--but you haven't seen +that yet; still, I can make you comfortable. And I'll teach you to row, +and to swim, and you'll soon be as handy on the water as any of us.' + +The Mole was so touched by his kind manner of speaking that he could +find no voice to answer him; and he had to brush away a tear or two with +the back of his paw. But the Rat kindly looked in another direction, and +presently the Mole's spirits revived again, and he was even able to give +some straight back-talk to a couple of moorhens who were sniggering to +each other about his bedraggled appearance. + +When they got home, the Rat made a bright fire in the parlour, and +planted the Mole in an arm-chair in front of it, having fetched down +a dressing-gown and slippers for him, and told him river stories till +supper-time. Very thrilling stories they were, too, to an earth-dwelling +animal like Mole. Stories about weirs, and sudden floods, and leaping +pike, and steamers that flung hard bottles--at least bottles were +certainly flung, and FROM steamers, so presumably BY them; and about +herons, and how particular they were whom they spoke to; and about +adventures down drains, and night-fishings with Otter, or excursions far +a-field with Badger. Supper was a most cheerful meal; but very shortly +afterwards a terribly sleepy Mole had to be escorted upstairs by his +considerate host, to the best bedroom, where he soon laid his head on +his pillow in great peace and contentment, knowing that his new-found +friend the River was lapping the sill of his window. + +This day was only the first of many similar ones for the emancipated +Mole, each of them longer and full of interest as the ripening summer +moved onward. He learnt to swim and to row, and entered into the joy +of running water; and with his ear to the reed-stems he caught, at +intervals, something of what the wind went whispering so constantly +among them. + + + + +II. THE OPEN ROAD + + +'Ratty,' said the Mole suddenly, one bright summer morning, 'if you +please, I want to ask you a favour.' + +The Rat was sitting on the river bank, singing a little song. He had +just composed it himself, so he was very taken up with it, and would not +pay proper attention to Mole or anything else. Since early morning he +had been swimming in the river, in company with his friends the ducks. +And when the ducks stood on their heads suddenly, as ducks will, he +would dive down and tickle their necks, just under where their chins +would be if ducks had chins, till they were forced to come to the +surface again in a hurry, spluttering and angry and shaking their +feathers at him, for it is impossible to say quite ALL you feel when +your head is under water. At last they implored him to go away and +attend to his own affairs and leave them to mind theirs. So the Rat went +away, and sat on the river bank in the sun, and made up a song about +them, which he called + + + 'DUCKS' DITTY.' + + All along the backwater, + Through the rushes tall, + Ducks are a-dabbling, + Up tails all! + Ducks' tails, drakes' tails, + Yellow feet a-quiver, + Yellow bills all out of sight + Busy in the river! + + Slushy green undergrowth + Where the roach swim-- + Here we keep our larder, + Cool and full and dim. + + Everyone for what he likes! + _We_ like to be + Heads down, tails up, + Dabbling free! + + High in the blue above + Swifts whirl and call-- + _We_ are down a-dabbling + Uptails all! + + +'I don't know that I think so VERY much of that little song, Rat,' +observed the Mole cautiously. He was no poet himself and didn't care who +knew it; and he had a candid nature. + +'Nor don't the ducks neither,' replied the Rat cheerfully. 'They say, +"WHY can't fellows be allowed to do what they like WHEN they like and AS +they like, instead of other fellows sitting on banks and watching them +all the time and making remarks and poetry and things about them? What +NONSENSE it all is!" That's what the ducks say.' + +'So it is, so it is,' said the Mole, with great heartiness. + +'No, it isn't!' cried the Rat indignantly. + +'Well then, it isn't, it isn't,' replied the Mole soothingly. 'But what +I wanted to ask you was, won't you take me to call on Mr. Toad? I've +heard so much about him, and I do so want to make his acquaintance.' + +'Why, certainly,' said the good-natured Rat, jumping to his feet and +dismissing poetry from his mind for the day. 'Get the boat out, and +we'll paddle up there at once. It's never the wrong time to call on +Toad. Early or late he's always the same fellow. Always good-tempered, +always glad to see you, always sorry when you go!' + +'He must be a very nice animal,' observed the Mole, as he got into the +boat and took the sculls, while the Rat settled himself comfortably in +the stern. + +'He is indeed the best of animals,' replied Rat. 'So simple, so +good-natured, and so affectionate. Perhaps he's not very clever--we +can't all be geniuses; and it may be that he is both boastful and +conceited. But he has got some great qualities, has Toady.' + +Rounding a bend in the river, they came in sight of a handsome, +dignified old house of mellowed red brick, with well-kept lawns reaching +down to the water's edge. + +'There's Toad Hall,' said the Rat; 'and that creek on the left, where +the notice-board says, "Private. No landing allowed," leads to his +boat-house, where we'll leave the boat. The stables are over there to +the right. That's the banqueting-hall you're looking at now--very old, +that is. Toad is rather rich, you know, and this is really one of the +nicest houses in these parts, though we never admit as much to Toad.' + +They glided up the creek, and the Mole shipped his sculls as they passed +into the shadow of a large boat-house. Here they saw many handsome +boats, slung from the cross beams or hauled up on a slip, but none in +the water; and the place had an unused and a deserted air. + +The Rat looked around him. 'I understand,' said he. 'Boating is played +out. He's tired of it, and done with it. I wonder what new fad he has +taken up now? Come along and let's look him up. We shall hear all about +it quite soon enough.' + +They disembarked, and strolled across the gay flower-decked lawns in +search of Toad, whom they presently happened upon resting in a wicker +garden-chair, with a pre-occupied expression of face, and a large map +spread out on his knees. + +'Hooray!' he cried, jumping up on seeing them, 'this is splendid!' He +shook the paws of both of them warmly, never waiting for an introduction +to the Mole. 'How KIND of you!' he went on, dancing round them. 'I was +just going to send a boat down the river for you, Ratty, with strict +orders that you were to be fetched up here at once, whatever you were +doing. I want you badly--both of you. Now what will you take? Come +inside and have something! You don't know how lucky it is, your turning +up just now!' + +'Let's sit quiet a bit, Toady!' said the Rat, throwing himself into an +easy chair, while the Mole took another by the side of him and made some +civil remark about Toad's 'delightful residence.' + +'Finest house on the whole river,' cried Toad boisterously. 'Or anywhere +else, for that matter,' he could not help adding. + +Here the Rat nudged the Mole. Unfortunately the Toad saw him do it, and +turned very red. There was a moment's painful silence. Then Toad burst +out laughing. 'All right, Ratty,' he said. 'It's only my way, you know. +And it's not such a very bad house, is it? You know you rather like it +yourself. Now, look here. Let's be sensible. You are the very animals I +wanted. You've got to help me. It's most important!' + +'It's about your rowing, I suppose,' said the Rat, with an innocent air. +'You're getting on fairly well, though you splash a good bit still. With +a great deal of patience, and any quantity of coaching, you may----' + +'O, pooh! boating!' interrupted the Toad, in great disgust. Silly boyish +amusement. I've given that up LONG ago. Sheer waste of time, that's what +it is. It makes me downright sorry to see you fellows, who ought to +know better, spending all your energies in that aimless manner. No, I've +discovered the real thing, the only genuine occupation for a life time. +I propose to devote the remainder of mine to it, and can only regret the +wasted years that lie behind me, squandered in trivialities. Come with +me, dear Ratty, and your amiable friend also, if he will be so very +good, just as far as the stable-yard, and you shall see what you shall +see!' + +He led the way to the stable-yard accordingly, the Rat following with +a most mistrustful expression; and there, drawn out of the coach house +into the open, they saw a gipsy caravan, shining with newness, painted a +canary-yellow picked out with green, and red wheels. + +'There you are!' cried the Toad, straddling and expanding himself. +'There's real life for you, embodied in that little cart. The open road, +the dusty highway, the heath, the common, the hedgerows, the rolling +downs! Camps, villages, towns, cities! Here to-day, up and off to +somewhere else to-morrow! Travel, change, interest, excitement! The +whole world before you, and a horizon that's always changing! And mind! +this is the very finest cart of its sort that was ever built, without +any exception. Come inside and look at the arrangements. Planned 'em all +myself, I did!' + +The Mole was tremendously interested and excited, and followed him +eagerly up the steps and into the interior of the caravan. The Rat only +snorted and thrust his hands deep into his pockets, remaining where he +was. + +It was indeed very compact and comfortable. Little sleeping bunks--a +little table that folded up against the wall--a cooking-stove, lockers, +bookshelves, a bird-cage with a bird in it; and pots, pans, jugs and +kettles of every size and variety. + +'All complete!' said the Toad triumphantly, pulling open a locker. 'You +see--biscuits, potted lobster, sardines--everything you can possibly +want. Soda-water here--baccy there--letter-paper, bacon, jam, cards and +dominoes--you'll find,' he continued, as they descended the steps again, +'you'll find that nothing what ever has been forgotten, when we make our +start this afternoon.' + +'I beg your pardon,' said the Rat slowly, as he chewed a straw, 'but +did I overhear you say something about "WE," and "START," and "THIS +AFTERNOON?"' + +'Now, you dear good old Ratty,' said Toad, imploringly, 'don't begin +talking in that stiff and sniffy sort of way, because you know you've +GOT to come. I can't possibly manage without you, so please consider it +settled, and don't argue--it's the one thing I can't stand. You surely +don't mean to stick to your dull fusty old river all your life, and just +live in a hole in a bank, and BOAT? I want to show you the world! I'm +going to make an ANIMAL of you, my boy!' + +'I don't care,' said the Rat, doggedly. 'I'm not coming, and that's +flat. And I AM going to stick to my old river, AND live in a hole, AND +boat, as I've always done. And what's more, Mole's going to stick to me +and do as I do, aren't you, Mole?' + +'Of course I am,' said the Mole, loyally. 'I'll always stick to you, +Rat, and what you say is to be--has got to be. All the same, it sounds +as if it might have been--well, rather fun, you know!' he added, +wistfully. Poor Mole! The Life Adventurous was so new a thing to him, +and so thrilling; and this fresh aspect of it was so tempting; and he +had fallen in love at first sight with the canary-coloured cart and all +its little fitments. + +The Rat saw what was passing in his mind, and wavered. He hated +disappointing people, and he was fond of the Mole, and would do almost +anything to oblige him. Toad was watching both of them closely. + +'Come along in, and have some lunch,' he said, diplomatically, 'and +we'll talk it over. We needn't decide anything in a hurry. Of course, +_I_ don't really care. I only want to give pleasure to you fellows. +"Live for others!" That's my motto in life.' + +During luncheon--which was excellent, of course, as everything at Toad +Hall always was--the Toad simply let himself go. Disregarding the Rat, +he proceeded to play upon the inexperienced Mole as on a harp. Naturally +a voluble animal, and always mastered by his imagination, he painted the +prospects of the trip and the joys of the open life and the roadside +in such glowing colours that the Mole could hardly sit in his chair for +excitement. Somehow, it soon seemed taken for granted by all three +of them that the trip was a settled thing; and the Rat, though still +unconvinced in his mind, allowed his good-nature to over-ride his +personal objections. He could not bear to disappoint his two friends, +who were already deep in schemes and anticipations, planning out each +day's separate occupation for several weeks ahead. + +When they were quite ready, the now triumphant Toad led his companions +to the paddock and set them to capture the old grey horse, who, without +having been consulted, and to his own extreme annoyance, had been told +off by Toad for the dustiest job in this dusty expedition. He frankly +preferred the paddock, and took a deal of catching. Meantime Toad packed +the lockers still tighter with necessaries, and hung nosebags, nets of +onions, bundles of hay, and baskets from the bottom of the cart. At last +the horse was caught and harnessed, and they set off, all talking at +once, each animal either trudging by the side of the cart or sitting on +the shaft, as the humour took him. It was a golden afternoon. The +smell of the dust they kicked up was rich and satisfying; out of thick +orchards on either side the road, birds called and whistled to them +cheerily; good-natured wayfarers, passing them, gave them 'Good-day,' +or stopped to say nice things about their beautiful cart; and rabbits, +sitting at their front doors in the hedgerows, held up their fore-paws, +and said, 'O my! O my! O my!' + +Late in the evening, tired and happy and miles from home, they drew +up on a remote common far from habitations, turned the horse loose to +graze, and ate their simple supper sitting on the grass by the side of +the cart. Toad talked big about all he was going to do in the days to +come, while stars grew fuller and larger all around them, and a yellow +moon, appearing suddenly and silently from nowhere in particular, came +to keep them company and listen to their talk. At last they turned in to +their little bunks in the cart; and Toad, kicking out his legs, sleepily +said, 'Well, good night, you fellows! This is the real life for a +gentleman! Talk about your old river!' + +'I DON'T talk about my river,' replied the patient Rat. 'You KNOW I +don't, Toad. But I THINK about it,' he added pathetically, in a lower +tone: 'I think about it--all the time!' + +The Mole reached out from under his blanket, felt for the Rat's paw in +the darkness, and gave it a squeeze. 'I'll do whatever you like, Ratty,' +he whispered. 'Shall we run away to-morrow morning, quite early--VERY +early--and go back to our dear old hole on the river?' + +'No, no, we'll see it out,' whispered back the Rat. 'Thanks awfully, but +I ought to stick by Toad till this trip is ended. It wouldn't be safe +for him to be left to himself. It won't take very long. His fads never +do. Good night!' + +The end was indeed nearer than even the Rat suspected. + +After so much open air and excitement the Toad slept very soundly, and +no amount of shaking could rouse him out of bed next morning. So the +Mole and Rat turned to, quietly and manfully, and while the Rat saw to +the horse, and lit a fire, and cleaned last night's cups and platters, +and got things ready for breakfast, the Mole trudged off to the nearest +village, a long way off, for milk and eggs and various necessaries the +Toad had, of course, forgotten to provide. The hard work had all been +done, and the two animals were resting, thoroughly exhausted, by +the time Toad appeared on the scene, fresh and gay, remarking what a +pleasant easy life it was they were all leading now, after the cares and +worries and fatigues of housekeeping at home. + +They had a pleasant ramble that day over grassy downs and along narrow +by-lanes, and camped as before, on a common, only this time the +two guests took care that Toad should do his fair share of work. In +consequence, when the time came for starting next morning, Toad was by +no means so rapturous about the simplicity of the primitive life, and +indeed attempted to resume his place in his bunk, whence he was hauled +by force. Their way lay, as before, across country by narrow lanes, and +it was not till the afternoon that they came out on the high-road, their +first high-road; and there disaster, fleet and unforeseen, sprang out +on them--disaster momentous indeed to their expedition, but simply +overwhelming in its effect on the after-career of Toad. + +They were strolling along the high-road easily, the Mole by the horse's +head, talking to him, since the horse had complained that he was being +frightfully left out of it, and nobody considered him in the least; +the Toad and the Water Rat walking behind the cart talking together--at +least Toad was talking, and Rat was saying at intervals, 'Yes, +precisely; and what did YOU say to HIM?'--and thinking all the time +of something very different, when far behind them they heard a faint +warning hum; like the drone of a distant bee. Glancing back, they saw a +small cloud of dust, with a dark centre of energy, advancing on them at +incredible speed, while from out the dust a faint 'Poop-poop!' wailed +like an uneasy animal in pain. Hardly regarding it, they turned to +resume their conversation, when in an instant (as it seemed) the +peaceful scene was changed, and with a blast of wind and a whirl of +sound that made them jump for the nearest ditch, It was on them! The +'Poop-poop' rang with a brazen shout in their ears, they had a moment's +glimpse of an interior of glittering plate-glass and rich morocco, and +the magnificent motor-car, immense, breath-snatching, passionate, with +its pilot tense and hugging his wheel, possessed all earth and air for +the fraction of a second, flung an enveloping cloud of dust that blinded +and enwrapped them utterly, and then dwindled to a speck in the far +distance, changed back into a droning bee once more. + +The old grey horse, dreaming, as he plodded along, of his quiet paddock, +in a new raw situation such as this simply abandoned himself to his +natural emotions. Rearing, plunging, backing steadily, in spite of +all the Mole's efforts at his head, and all the Mole's lively language +directed at his better feelings, he drove the cart backwards towards the +deep ditch at the side of the road. It wavered an instant--then there +was a heartrending crash--and the canary-coloured cart, their pride and +their joy, lay on its side in the ditch, an irredeemable wreck. + +The Rat danced up and down in the road, simply transported with passion. +'You villains!' he shouted, shaking both fists, 'You scoundrels, you +highwaymen, you--you--roadhogs!--I'll have the law of you! I'll report +you! I'll take you through all the Courts!' His home-sickness had quite +slipped away from him, and for the moment he was the skipper of the +canary-coloured vessel driven on a shoal by the reckless jockeying of +rival mariners, and he was trying to recollect all the fine and biting +things he used to say to masters of steam-launches when their wash, as +they drove too near the bank, used to flood his parlour-carpet at home. + +Toad sat straight down in the middle of the dusty road, his legs +stretched out before him, and stared fixedly in the direction of the +disappearing motor-car. He breathed short, his face wore a placid +satisfied expression, and at intervals he faintly murmured 'Poop-poop!' + +The Mole was busy trying to quiet the horse, which he succeeded in +doing after a time. Then he went to look at the cart, on its side in the +ditch. It was indeed a sorry sight. Panels and windows smashed, axles +hopelessly bent, one wheel off, sardine-tins scattered over the wide +world, and the bird in the bird-cage sobbing pitifully and calling to be +let out. + +The Rat came to help him, but their united efforts were not sufficient +to right the cart. 'Hi! Toad!' they cried. 'Come and bear a hand, can't +you!' + +The Toad never answered a word, or budged from his seat in the road; so +they went to see what was the matter with him. They found him in a sort +of a trance, a happy smile on his face, his eyes still fixed on the +dusty wake of their destroyer. At intervals he was still heard to murmur +'Poop-poop!' + +The Rat shook him by the shoulder. 'Are you coming to help us, Toad?' he +demanded sternly. + +'Glorious, stirring sight!' murmured Toad, never offering to move. 'The +poetry of motion! The REAL way to travel! The ONLY way to travel! Here +to-day--in next week to-morrow! Villages skipped, towns and cities +jumped--always somebody else's horizon! O bliss! O poop-poop! O my! O +my!' + +'O STOP being an ass, Toad!' cried the Mole despairingly. + +'And to think I never KNEW!' went on the Toad in a dreamy monotone. 'All +those wasted years that lie behind me, I never knew, never even DREAMT! +But NOW--but now that I know, now that I fully realise! O what a flowery +track lies spread before me, henceforth! What dust-clouds shall spring +up behind me as I speed on my reckless way! What carts I shall fling +carelessly into the ditch in the wake of my magnificent onset! Horrid +little carts--common carts--canary-coloured carts!' + +'What are we to do with him?' asked the Mole of the Water Rat. + +'Nothing at all,' replied the Rat firmly. 'Because there is really +nothing to be done. You see, I know him from of old. He is now +possessed. He has got a new craze, and it always takes him that way, in +its first stage. He'll continue like that for days now, like an animal +walking in a happy dream, quite useless for all practical purposes. +Never mind him. Let's go and see what there is to be done about the +cart.' + +A careful inspection showed them that, even if they succeeded in +righting it by themselves, the cart would travel no longer. The axles +were in a hopeless state, and the missing wheel was shattered into +pieces. + +The Rat knotted the horse's reins over his back and took him by the +head, carrying the bird cage and its hysterical occupant in the other +hand. 'Come on!' he said grimly to the Mole. 'It's five or six miles to +the nearest town, and we shall just have to walk it. The sooner we make +a start the better.' + +'But what about Toad?' asked the Mole anxiously, as they set off +together. 'We can't leave him here, sitting in the middle of the road +by himself, in the distracted state he's in! It's not safe. Supposing +another Thing were to come along?' + +'O, BOTHER Toad,' said the Rat savagely; 'I've done with him!' + +They had not proceeded very far on their way, however, when there was a +pattering of feet behind them, and Toad caught them up and thrust a paw +inside the elbow of each of them; still breathing short and staring into +vacancy. + +'Now, look here, Toad!' said the Rat sharply: 'as soon as we get to the +town, you'll have to go straight to the police-station, and see if they +know anything about that motor-car and who it belongs to, and lodge a +complaint against it. And then you'll have to go to a blacksmith's or a +wheelwright's and arrange for the cart to be fetched and mended and +put to rights. It'll take time, but it's not quite a hopeless smash. +Meanwhile, the Mole and I will go to an inn and find comfortable rooms +where we can stay till the cart's ready, and till your nerves have +recovered their shock.' + +'Police-station! Complaint!'murmured Toad dreamily. 'Me COMPLAIN of that +beautiful, that heavenly vision that has been vouchsafed me! MEND THE +CART! I've done with carts for ever. I never want to see the cart, or to +hear of it, again. O, Ratty! You can't think how obliged I am to you for +consenting to come on this trip! I wouldn't have gone without you, +and then I might never have seen that--that swan, that sunbeam, that +thunderbolt! I might never have heard that entrancing sound, or smelt +that bewitching smell! I owe it all to you, my best of friends!' + +The Rat turned from him in despair. 'You see what it is?' he said to the +Mole, addressing him across Toad's head: 'He's quite hopeless. I give +it up--when we get to the town we'll go to the railway station, and +with luck we may pick up a train there that'll get us back to riverbank +to-night. And if ever you catch me going a-pleasuring with this +provoking animal again!'--He snorted, and during the rest of that weary trudge addressed his +remarks exclusively to Mole. + +On reaching the town they went straight to the station and deposited +Toad in the second-class waiting-room, giving a porter twopence to keep +a strict eye on him. They then left the horse at an inn stable, and gave +what directions they could about the cart and its contents. Eventually, +a slow train having landed them at a station not very far from Toad +Hall, they escorted the spell-bound, sleep-walking Toad to his door, put +him inside it, and instructed his housekeeper to feed him, undress him, +and put him to bed. Then they got out their boat from the boat-house, +sculled down the river home, and at a very late hour sat down to +supper in their own cosy riverside parlour, to the Rat's great joy and +contentment. + +The following evening the Mole, who had risen late and taken things very +easy all day, was sitting on the bank fishing, when the Rat, who had +been looking up his friends and gossiping, came strolling along to +find him. 'Heard the news?' he said. 'There's nothing else being talked +about, all along the river bank. Toad went up to Town by an early train +this morning. And he has ordered a large and very expensive motor-car.' + + + + +III. THE WILD WOOD + +The Mole had long wanted to make the acquaintance of the Badger. He +seemed, by all accounts, to be such an important personage and, though +rarely visible, to make his unseen influence felt by everybody about +the place. But whenever the Mole mentioned his wish to the Water Rat +he always found himself put off. 'It's all right,' the Rat would say. +'Badger'll turn up some day or other--he's always turning up--and then +I'll introduce you. The best of fellows! But you must not only take him +AS you find him, but WHEN you find him.' + +'Couldn't you ask him here dinner or something?' said the Mole. + +'He wouldn't come,' replied the Rat simply. 'Badger hates Society, and +invitations, and dinner, and all that sort of thing.' + +'Well, then, supposing we go and call on HIM?' suggested the Mole. + +'O, I'm sure he wouldn't like that at ALL,' said the Rat, quite alarmed. +'He's so very shy, he'd be sure to be offended. I've never even ventured +to call on him at his own home myself, though I know him so well. +Besides, we can't. It's quite out of the question, because he lives in +the very middle of the Wild Wood.' + +'Well, supposing he does,' said the Mole. 'You told me the Wild Wood was +all right, you know.' + +'O, I know, I know, so it is,' replied the Rat evasively. 'But I think +we won't go there just now. Not JUST yet. It's a long way, and he +wouldn't be at home at this time of year anyhow, and he'll be coming +along some day, if you'll wait quietly.' + +The Mole had to be content with this. But the Badger never came along, +and every day brought its amusements, and it was not till summer was +long over, and cold and frost and miry ways kept them much indoors, and +the swollen river raced past outside their windows with a speed that +mocked at boating of any sort or kind, that he found his thoughts +dwelling again with much persistence on the solitary grey Badger, who +lived his own life by himself, in his hole in the middle of the Wild +Wood. + +In the winter time the Rat slept a great deal, retiring early and rising +late. During his short day he sometimes scribbled poetry or did other +small domestic jobs about the house; and, of course, there were always +animals dropping in for a chat, and consequently there was a good deal +of story-telling and comparing notes on the past summer and all its +doings. + +Such a rich chapter it had been, when one came to look back on it all! +With illustrations so numerous and so very highly coloured! The pageant +of the river bank had marched steadily along, unfolding itself in +scene-pictures that succeeded each other in stately procession. Purple +loosestrife arrived early, shaking luxuriant tangled locks along the +edge of the mirror whence its own face laughed back at it. Willow-herb, +tender and wistful, like a pink sunset cloud, was not slow to follow. +Comfrey, the purple hand-in-hand with the white, crept forth to take its +place in the line; and at last one morning the diffident and delaying +dog-rose stepped delicately on the stage, and one knew, as if +string-music had announced it in stately chords that strayed into a +gavotte, that June at last was here. One member of the company was still +awaited; the shepherd-boy for the nymphs to woo, the knight for whom the +ladies waited at the window, the prince that was to kiss the sleeping +summer back to life and love. But when meadow-sweet, debonair and +odorous in amber jerkin, moved graciously to his place in the group, +then the play was ready to begin. + +And what a play it had been! Drowsy animals, snug in their holes +while wind and rain were battering at their doors, recalled still +keen mornings, an hour before sunrise, when the white mist, as yet +undispersed, clung closely along the surface of the water; then the +shock of the early plunge, the scamper along the bank, and the radiant +transformation of earth, air, and water, when suddenly the sun was with +them again, and grey was gold and colour was born and sprang out of the +earth once more. They recalled the languorous siesta of hot mid-day, +deep in green undergrowth, the sun striking through in tiny golden +shafts and spots; the boating and bathing of the afternoon, the rambles +along dusty lanes and through yellow cornfields; and the long, cool +evening at last, when so many threads were gathered up, so many +friendships rounded, and so many adventures planned for the morrow. +There was plenty to talk about on those short winter days when the +animals found themselves round the fire; still, the Mole had a good deal +of spare time on his hands, and so one afternoon, when the Rat in his +arm-chair before the blaze was alternately dozing and trying over rhymes +that wouldn't fit, he formed the resolution to go out by himself and +explore the Wild Wood, and perhaps strike up an acquaintance with Mr. +Badger. + +It was a cold still afternoon with a hard steely sky overhead, when he +slipped out of the warm parlour into the open air. The country lay bare +and entirely leafless around him, and he thought that he had never seen +so far and so intimately into the insides of things as on that winter +day when Nature was deep in her annual slumber and seemed to have kicked +the clothes off. Copses, dells, quarries and all hidden places, which +had been mysterious mines for exploration in leafy summer, now exposed +themselves and their secrets pathetically, and seemed to ask him to +overlook their shabby poverty for a while, till they could riot in rich +masquerade as before, and trick and entice him with the old deceptions. +It was pitiful in a way, and yet cheering--even exhilarating. He was +glad that he liked the country undecorated, hard, and stripped of its +finery. He had got down to the bare bones of it, and they were fine +and strong and simple. He did not want the warm clover and the play of +seeding grasses; the screens of quickset, the billowy drapery of beech +and elm seemed best away; and with great cheerfulness of spirit +he pushed on towards the Wild Wood, which lay before him low and +threatening, like a black reef in some still southern sea. + +There was nothing to alarm him at first entry. Twigs crackled under his +feet, logs tripped him, funguses on stumps resembled caricatures, and +startled him for the moment by their likeness to something familiar +and far away; but that was all fun, and exciting. It led him on, and he +penetrated to where the light was less, and trees crouched nearer and +nearer, and holes made ugly mouths at him on either side. + +Everything was very still now. The dusk advanced on him steadily, +rapidly, gathering in behind and before; and the light seemed to be +draining away like flood-water. + +Then the faces began. + +It was over his shoulder, and indistinctly, that he first thought he saw +a face; a little evil wedge-shaped face, looking out at him from a hole. +When he turned and confronted it, the thing had vanished. + +He quickened his pace, telling himself cheerfully not to begin imagining +things, or there would be simply no end to it. He passed another hole, +and another, and another; and then--yes!--no!--yes! certainly a little +narrow face, with hard eyes, had flashed up for an instant from a hole, +and was gone. He hesitated--braced himself up for an effort and strode +on. Then suddenly, and as if it had been so all the time, every hole, +far and near, and there were hundreds of them, seemed to possess its +face, coming and going rapidly, all fixing on him glances of malice and +hatred: all hard-eyed and evil and sharp. + +If he could only get away from the holes in the banks, he thought, +there would be no more faces. He swung off the path and plunged into the +untrodden places of the wood. + +Then the whistling began. + +Very faint and shrill it was, and far behind him, when first he heard +it; but somehow it made him hurry forward. Then, still very faint and +shrill, it sounded far ahead of him, and made him hesitate and want to +go back. As he halted in indecision it broke out on either side, and +seemed to be caught up and passed on throughout the whole length of the +wood to its farthest limit. They were up and alert and ready, evidently, +whoever they were! And he--he was alone, and unarmed, and far from any +help; and the night was closing in. + +Then the pattering began. + +He thought it was only falling leaves at first, so slight and delicate +was the sound of it. Then as it grew it took a regular rhythm, and he +knew it for nothing else but the pat-pat-pat of little feet still a very +long way off. Was it in front or behind? It seemed to be first one, and +then the other, then both. It grew and it multiplied, till from every +quarter as he listened anxiously, leaning this way and that, it seemed +to be closing in on him. As he stood still to hearken, a rabbit came +running hard towards him through the trees. He waited, expecting it to +slacken pace, or to swerve from him into a different course. Instead, +the animal almost brushed him as it dashed past, his face set and hard, +his eyes staring. 'Get out of this, you fool, get out!' the Mole heard +him mutter as he swung round a stump and disappeared down a friendly +burrow. + +The pattering increased till it sounded like sudden hail on the dry +leaf-carpet spread around him. The whole wood seemed running now, +running hard, hunting, chasing, closing in round something or--somebody? +In panic, he began to run too, aimlessly, he knew not whither. He ran +up against things, he fell over things and into things, he darted under +things and dodged round things. At last he took refuge in the deep dark +hollow of an old beech tree, which offered shelter, concealment--perhaps +even safety, but who could tell? Anyhow, he was too tired to run any +further, and could only snuggle down into the dry leaves which had +drifted into the hollow and hope he was safe for a time. And as he lay +there panting and trembling, and listened to the whistlings and the +patterings outside, he knew it at last, in all its fullness, that dread +thing which other little dwellers in field and hedgerow had encountered +here, and known as their darkest moment--that thing which the Rat had +vainly tried to shield him from--the Terror of the Wild Wood! + +Meantime the Rat, warm and comfortable, dozed by his fireside. His paper +of half-finished verses slipped from his knee, his head fell back, his +mouth opened, and he wandered by the verdant banks of dream-rivers. Then +a coal slipped, the fire crackled and sent up a spurt of flame, and he +woke with a start. Remembering what he had been engaged upon, he reached +down to the floor for his verses, pored over them for a minute, and +then looked round for the Mole to ask him if he knew a good rhyme for +something or other. + +But the Mole was not there. + +He listened for a time. The house seemed very quiet. + +Then he called 'Moly!' several times, and, receiving no answer, got up +and went out into the hall. + +The Mole's cap was missing from its accustomed peg. His goloshes, which +always lay by the umbrella-stand, were also gone. + +The Rat left the house, and carefully examined the muddy surface of the +ground outside, hoping to find the Mole's tracks. There they were, +sure enough. The goloshes were new, just bought for the winter, and the +pimples on their soles were fresh and sharp. He could see the imprints +of them in the mud, running along straight and purposeful, leading +direct to the Wild Wood. + +The Rat looked very grave, and stood in deep thought for a minute or +two. Then he re-entered the house, strapped a belt round his waist, +shoved a brace of pistols into it, took up a stout cudgel that stood in +a corner of the hall, and set off for the Wild Wood at a smart pace. + +It was already getting towards dusk when he reached the first fringe of +trees and plunged without hesitation into the wood, looking anxiously +on either side for any sign of his friend. Here and there wicked little +faces popped out of holes, but vanished immediately at sight of the +valorous animal, his pistols, and the great ugly cudgel in his grasp; +and the whistling and pattering, which he had heard quite plainly on his +first entry, died away and ceased, and all was very still. He made his +way manfully through the length of the wood, to its furthest edge; then, +forsaking all paths, he set himself to traverse it, laboriously working +over the whole ground, and all the time calling out cheerfully, 'Moly, +Moly, Moly! Where are you? It's me--it's old Rat!' + +He had patiently hunted through the wood for an hour or more, when at +last to his joy he heard a little answering cry. Guiding himself by the +sound, he made his way through the gathering darkness to the foot of +an old beech tree, with a hole in it, and from out of the hole came a +feeble voice, saying 'Ratty! Is that really you?' + +The Rat crept into the hollow, and there he found the Mole, exhausted +and still trembling. 'O Rat!' he cried, 'I've been so frightened, you +can't think!' + +'O, I quite understand,' said the Rat soothingly. 'You shouldn't really +have gone and done it, Mole. I did my best to keep you from it. We +river-bankers, we hardly ever come here by ourselves. If we have to +come, we come in couples, at least; then we're generally all right. +Besides, there are a hundred things one has to know, which we understand +all about and you don't, as yet. I mean passwords, and signs, and +sayings which have power and effect, and plants you carry in your +pocket, and verses you repeat, and dodges and tricks you practise; all +simple enough when you know them, but they've got to be known if you're +small, or you'll find yourself in trouble. Of course if you were Badger +or Otter, it would be quite another matter.' + +'Surely the brave Mr. Toad wouldn't mind coming here by himself, would +he?' inquired the Mole. + +'Old Toad?' said the Rat, laughing heartily. 'He wouldn't show his face +here alone, not for a whole hatful of golden guineas, Toad wouldn't.' + +The Mole was greatly cheered by the sound of the Rat's careless +laughter, as well as by the sight of his stick and his gleaming pistols, +and he stopped shivering and began to feel bolder and more himself +again. + +'Now then,' said the Rat presently, 'we really must pull ourselves +together and make a start for home while there's still a little light +left. It will never do to spend the night here, you understand. Too +cold, for one thing.' + +'Dear Ratty,' said the poor Mole, 'I'm dreadfully sorry, but I'm simply +dead beat and that's a solid fact. You MUST let me rest here a while +longer, and get my strength back, if I'm to get home at all.' + +'O, all right,' said the good-natured Rat, 'rest away. It's pretty +nearly pitch dark now, anyhow; and there ought to be a bit of a moon +later.' + +So the Mole got well into the dry leaves and stretched himself out, and +presently dropped off into sleep, though of a broken and troubled sort; +while the Rat covered himself up, too, as best he might, for warmth, and +lay patiently waiting, with a pistol in his paw. + +When at last the Mole woke up, much refreshed and in his usual spirits, +the Rat said, 'Now then! I'll just take a look outside and see if +everything's quiet, and then we really must be off.' + +He went to the entrance of their retreat and put his head out. Then +the Mole heard him saying quietly to himself, 'Hullo! hullo! +here--is--a--go!' + +'What's up, Ratty?' asked the Mole. + +'SNOW is up,' replied the Rat briefly; 'or rather, DOWN. It's snowing +hard.' + +The Mole came and crouched beside him, and, looking out, saw the wood +that had been so dreadful to him in quite a changed aspect. Holes, +hollows, pools, pitfalls, and other black menaces to the wayfarer +were vanishing fast, and a gleaming carpet of faery was springing up +everywhere, that looked too delicate to be trodden upon by rough feet. +A fine powder filled the air and caressed the cheek with a tingle in its +touch, and the black boles of the trees showed up in a light that seemed +to come from below. + +'Well, well, it can't be helped,' said the Rat, after pondering. 'We +must make a start, and take our chance, I suppose. The worst of it is, I +don't exactly know where we are. And now this snow makes everything look +so very different.' + +It did indeed. The Mole would not have known that it was the same +wood. However, they set out bravely, and took the line that seemed +most promising, holding on to each other and pretending with invincible +cheerfulness that they recognized an old friend in every fresh tree that +grimly and silently greeted them, or saw openings, gaps, or paths with +a familiar turn in them, in the monotony of white space and black +tree-trunks that refused to vary. + +An hour or two later--they had lost all count of time--they pulled +up, dispirited, weary, and hopelessly at sea, and sat down on a fallen +tree-trunk to recover their breath and consider what was to be done. +They were aching with fatigue and bruised with tumbles; they had fallen +into several holes and got wet through; the snow was getting so deep +that they could hardly drag their little legs through it, and the trees +were thicker and more like each other than ever. There seemed to be no +end to this wood, and no beginning, and no difference in it, and, worst +of all, no way out. + +'We can't sit here very long,' said the Rat. 'We shall have to make +another push for it, and do something or other. The cold is too +awful for anything, and the snow will soon be too deep for us to wade +through.' He peered about him and considered. 'Look here,' he went on, +'this is what occurs to me. There's a sort of dell down here in front of +us, where the ground seems all hilly and humpy and hummocky. We'll make +our way down into that, and try and find some sort of shelter, a cave +or hole with a dry floor to it, out of the snow and the wind, and there +we'll have a good rest before we try again, for we're both of us pretty +dead beat. Besides, the snow may leave off, or something may turn up.' + +So once more they got on their feet, and struggled down into the dell, +where they hunted about for a cave or some corner that was dry and +a protection from the keen wind and the whirling snow. They were +investigating one of the hummocky bits the Rat had spoken of, when +suddenly the Mole tripped up and fell forward on his face with a squeal. + +'O my leg!' he cried. 'O my poor shin!' and he sat up on the snow and +nursed his leg in both his front paws. + +'Poor old Mole!' said the Rat kindly. + +'You don't seem to be having much luck to-day, do you? Let's have a look +at the leg. Yes,' he went on, going down on his knees to look, 'you've +cut your shin, sure enough. Wait till I get at my handkerchief, and I'll +tie it up for you.' + +'I must have tripped over a hidden branch or a stump,' said the Mole +miserably. 'O, my! O, my!' + +'It's a very clean cut,' said the Rat, examining it again attentively. +'That was never done by a branch or a stump. Looks as if it was made +by a sharp edge of something in metal. Funny!' He pondered awhile, and +examined the humps and slopes that surrounded them. + +'Well, never mind what done it,' said the Mole, forgetting his grammar +in his pain. 'It hurts just the same, whatever done it.' + +But the Rat, after carefully tying up the leg with his handkerchief, had +left him and was busy scraping in the snow. He scratched and shovelled +and explored, all four legs working busily, while the Mole waited +impatiently, remarking at intervals, 'O, COME on, Rat!' + +Suddenly the Rat cried 'Hooray!' and then 'Hooray-oo-ray-oo-ray-oo-ray!' +and fell to executing a feeble jig in the snow. + +'What HAVE you found, Ratty?' asked the Mole, still nursing his leg. + +'Come and see!' said the delighted Rat, as he jigged on. + +The Mole hobbled up to the spot and had a good look. + +'Well,' he said at last, slowly, 'I SEE it right enough. Seen the same +sort of thing before, lots of times. Familiar object, I call it. A +door-scraper! Well, what of it? Why dance jigs around a door-scraper?' + +'But don't you see what it MEANS, you--you dull-witted animal?' cried +the Rat impatiently. + +'Of course I see what it means,' replied the Mole. 'It simply means that +some VERY careless and forgetful person has left his door-scraper lying +about in the middle of the Wild Wood, JUST where it's SURE to trip +EVERYBODY up. Very thoughtless of him, I call it. When I get home +I shall go and complain about it to--to somebody or other, see if I +don't!' + +'O, dear! O, dear!' cried the Rat, in despair at his obtuseness. 'Here, +stop arguing and come and scrape!' And he set to work again and made the +snow fly in all directions around him. + +After some further toil his efforts were rewarded, and a very shabby +door-mat lay exposed to view. + +'There, what did I tell you?' exclaimed the Rat in great triumph. + +'Absolutely nothing whatever,' replied the Mole, with perfect +truthfulness. 'Well now,' he went on, 'you seem to have found another +piece of domestic litter, done for and thrown away, and I suppose you're +perfectly happy. Better go ahead and dance your jig round that if you've +got to, and get it over, and then perhaps we can go on and not waste +any more time over rubbish-heaps. Can we EAT a doormat? or sleep under a +door-mat? Or sit on a door-mat and sledge home over the snow on it, you +exasperating rodent?' + +'Do--you--mean--to--say,' cried the excited Rat, 'that this door-mat +doesn't TELL you anything?' + +'Really, Rat,' said the Mole, quite pettishly, 'I think we'd had enough +of this folly. Who ever heard of a door-mat TELLING anyone anything? +They simply don't do it. They are not that sort at all. Door-mats know +their place.' + +'Now look here, you--you thick-headed beast,' replied the Rat, really +angry, 'this must stop. Not another word, but scrape--scrape and scratch +and dig and hunt round, especially on the sides of the hummocks, if you +want to sleep dry and warm to-night, for it's our last chance!' + +The Rat attacked a snow-bank beside them with ardour, probing with +his cudgel everywhere and then digging with fury; and the Mole scraped +busily too, more to oblige the Rat than for any other reason, for his +opinion was that his friend was getting light-headed. + +Some ten minutes' hard work, and the point of the Rat's cudgel struck +something that sounded hollow. He worked till he could get a paw through +and feel; then called the Mole to come and help him. Hard at it went the +two animals, till at last the result of their labours stood full in view +of the astonished and hitherto incredulous Mole. + +In the side of what had seemed to be a snow-bank stood a solid-looking +little door, painted a dark green. An iron bell-pull hung by the side, +and below it, on a small brass plate, neatly engraved in square capital +letters, they could read by the aid of moonlight MR. BADGER. + +The Mole fell backwards on the snow from sheer surprise and delight. +'Rat!' he cried in penitence, 'you're a wonder! A real wonder, that's +what you are. I see it all now! You argued it out, step by step, in that +wise head of yours, from the very moment that I fell and cut my shin, +and you looked at the cut, and at once your majestic mind said to +itself, "Door-scraper!" And then you turned to and found the very +door-scraper that done it! Did you stop there? No. Some people would +have been quite satisfied; but not you. Your intellect went on working. +"Let me only just find a door-mat," says you to yourself, "and my theory +is proved!" And of course you found your door-mat. You're so clever, I +believe you could find anything you liked. "Now," says you, "that door +exists, as plain as if I saw it. There's nothing else remains to be done +but to find it!" Well, I've read about that sort of thing in books, but +I've never come across it before in real life. You ought to go where +you'll be properly appreciated. You're simply wasted here, among us +fellows. If I only had your head, Ratty----' + +'But as you haven't,' interrupted the Rat, rather unkindly, 'I suppose +you're going to sit on the snow all night and TALK? Get up at once and +hang on to that bell-pull you see there, and ring hard, as hard as you +can, while I hammer!' + +While the Rat attacked the door with his stick, the Mole sprang up +at the bell-pull, clutched it and swung there, both feet well off +the ground, and from quite a long way off they could faintly hear a +deep-toned bell respond. + + + + +IV. MR. BADGER + +THEY waited patiently for what seemed a very long time, stamping in +the snow to keep their feet warm. At last they heard the sound of slow +shuffling footsteps approaching the door from the inside. It seemed, as +the Mole remarked to the Rat, like some one walking in carpet slippers +that were too large for him and down at heel; which was intelligent of +Mole, because that was exactly what it was. + +There was the noise of a bolt shot back, and the door opened a few +inches, enough to show a long snout and a pair of sleepy blinking eyes. + +'Now, the VERY next time this happens,' said a gruff and suspicious +voice, 'I shall be exceedingly angry. Who is it THIS time, disturbing +people on such a night? Speak up!' + +'Oh, Badger,' cried the Rat, 'let us in, please. It's me, Rat, and my +friend Mole, and we've lost our way in the snow.' + +'What, Ratty, my dear little man!' exclaimed the Badger, in quite a +different voice. 'Come along in, both of you, at once. Why, you must be +perished. Well I never! Lost in the snow! And in the Wild Wood, too, and +at this time of night! But come in with you.' + +The two animals tumbled over each other in their eagerness to get +inside, and heard the door shut behind them with great joy and relief. + +The Badger, who wore a long dressing-gown, and whose slippers were +indeed very down at heel, carried a flat candlestick in his paw and had +probably been on his way to bed when their summons sounded. He looked +kindly down on them and patted both their heads. 'This is not the sort +of night for small animals to be out,' he said paternally. 'I'm afraid +you've been up to some of your pranks again, Ratty. But come along; +come into the kitchen. There's a first-rate fire there, and supper and +everything.' + +He shuffled on in front of them, carrying the light, and they followed +him, nudging each other in an anticipating sort of way, down a long, +gloomy, and, to tell the truth, decidedly shabby passage, into a sort of +a central hall; out of which they could dimly see other long tunnel-like +passages branching, passages mysterious and without apparent end. But +there were doors in the hall as well--stout oaken comfortable-looking +doors. One of these the Badger flung open, and at once they found +themselves in all the glow and warmth of a large fire-lit kitchen. + +The floor was well-worn red brick, and on the wide hearth burnt a fire +of logs, between two attractive chimney-corners tucked away in the wall, +well out of any suspicion of draught. A couple of high-backed settles, +facing each other on either side of the fire, gave further sitting +accommodations for the sociably disposed. In the middle of the room +stood a long table of plain boards placed on trestles, with benches down +each side. At one end of it, where an arm-chair stood pushed back, +were spread the remains of the Badger's plain but ample supper. Rows of +spotless plates winked from the shelves of the dresser at the far end +of the room, and from the rafters overhead hung hams, bundles of dried +herbs, nets of onions, and baskets of eggs. It seemed a place where +heroes could fitly feast after victory, where weary harvesters could +line up in scores along the table and keep their Harvest Home with mirth +and song, or where two or three friends of simple tastes could sit about +as they pleased and eat and smoke and talk in comfort and contentment. +The ruddy brick floor smiled up at the smoky ceiling; the oaken settles, +shiny with long wear, exchanged cheerful glances with each other; plates +on the dresser grinned at pots on the shelf, and the merry firelight +flickered and played over everything without distinction. + +The kindly Badger thrust them down on a settle to toast themselves +at the fire, and bade them remove their wet coats and boots. Then he +fetched them dressing-gowns and slippers, and himself bathed the Mole's +shin with warm water and mended the cut with sticking-plaster till the +whole thing was just as good as new, if not better. In the embracing +light and warmth, warm and dry at last, with weary legs propped up in +front of them, and a suggestive clink of plates being arranged on +the table behind, it seemed to the storm-driven animals, now in safe +anchorage, that the cold and trackless Wild Wood just left outside +was miles and miles away, and all that they had suffered in it a +half-forgotten dream. + +When at last they were thoroughly toasted, the Badger summoned them to +the table, where he had been busy laying a repast. They had felt pretty +hungry before, but when they actually saw at last the supper that was +spread for them, really it seemed only a question of what they should +attack first where all was so attractive, and whether the other +things would obligingly wait for them till they had time to give them +attention. Conversation was impossible for a long time; and when it +was slowly resumed, it was that regrettable sort of conversation that +results from talking with your mouth full. The Badger did not mind that +sort of thing at all, nor did he take any notice of elbows on the table, +or everybody speaking at once. As he did not go into Society himself, +he had got an idea that these things belonged to the things that didn't +really matter. (We know of course that he was wrong, and took too narrow +a view; because they do matter very much, though it would take too long +to explain why.) He sat in his arm-chair at the head of the table, and +nodded gravely at intervals as the animals told their story; and he did +not seem surprised or shocked at anything, and he never said, 'I told +you so,' or, 'Just what I always said,' or remarked that they ought to +have done so-and-so, or ought not to have done something else. The Mole +began to feel very friendly towards him. + +When supper was really finished at last, and each animal felt that his +skin was now as tight as was decently safe, and that by this time he +didn't care a hang for anybody or anything, they gathered round the +glowing embers of the great wood fire, and thought how jolly it was to +be sitting up SO late, and SO independent, and SO full; and after +they had chatted for a time about things in general, the Badger said +heartily, 'Now then! tell us the news from your part of the world. How's +old Toad going on?' + +'Oh, from bad to worse,' said the Rat gravely, while the Mole, cocked +up on a settle and basking in the firelight, his heels higher than his +head, tried to look properly mournful. 'Another smash-up only last week, +and a bad one. You see, he will insist on driving himself, and he's +hopelessly incapable. If he'd only employ a decent, steady, well-trained +animal, pay him good wages, and leave everything to him, he'd get on all +right. But no; he's convinced he's a heaven-born driver, and nobody can +teach him anything; and all the rest follows.' + +'How many has he had?' inquired the Badger gloomily. + +'Smashes, or machines?' asked the Rat. 'Oh, well, after all, it's the +same thing--with Toad. This is the seventh. As for the others--you know +that coach-house of his? Well, it's piled up--literally piled up to the +roof--with fragments of motor-cars, none of them bigger than your hat! +That accounts for the other six--so far as they can be accounted for.' + +'He's been in hospital three times,' put in the Mole; 'and as for the +fines he's had to pay, it's simply awful to think of.' + +'Yes, and that's part of the trouble,' continued the Rat. 'Toad's rich, +we all know; but he's not a millionaire. And he's a hopelessly bad +driver, and quite regardless of law and order. Killed or ruined--it's +got to be one of the two things, sooner or later. Badger! we're his +friends--oughtn't we to do something?' + +The Badger went through a bit of hard thinking. 'Now look here!' he said +at last, rather severely; 'of course you know I can't do anything NOW?' + +His two friends assented, quite understanding his point. No animal, +according to the rules of animal-etiquette, is ever expected to do +anything strenuous, or heroic, or even moderately active during the +off-season of winter. All are sleepy--some actually asleep. All are +weather-bound, more or less; and all are resting from arduous days and +nights, during which every muscle in them has been severely tested, and +every energy kept at full stretch. + +'Very well then!' continued the Badger. 'BUT, when once the year has +really turned, and the nights are shorter, and halfway through them one +rouses and feels fidgety and wanting to be up and doing by sunrise, if +not before--YOU know!----' + +Both animals nodded gravely. THEY knew! + +'Well, THEN,' went on the Badger, 'we--that is, you and me and our +friend the Mole here--we'll take Toad seriously in hand. We'll stand no +nonsense whatever. We'll bring him back to reason, by force if need be. +We'll MAKE him be a sensible Toad. We'll--you're asleep, Rat!' + +'Not me!' said the Rat, waking up with a jerk. + +'He's been asleep two or three times since supper,' said the Mole, +laughing. He himself was feeling quite wakeful and even lively, though +he didn't know why. The reason was, of course, that he being naturally +an underground animal by birth and breeding, the situation of Badger's +house exactly suited him and made him feel at home; while the Rat, who +slept every night in a bedroom the windows of which opened on a breezy +river, naturally felt the atmosphere still and oppressive. + +'Well, it's time we were all in bed,' said the Badger, getting up and +fetching flat candlesticks. 'Come along, you two, and I'll show you your +quarters. And take your time tomorrow morning--breakfast at any hour you +please!' + +He conducted the two animals to a long room that seemed half bedchamber +and half loft. The Badger's winter stores, which indeed were visible +everywhere, took up half the room--piles of apples, turnips, and +potatoes, baskets full of nuts, and jars of honey; but the two little +white beds on the remainder of the floor looked soft and inviting, and +the linen on them, though coarse, was clean and smelt beautifully of +lavender; and the Mole and the Water Rat, shaking off their garments +in some thirty seconds, tumbled in between the sheets in great joy and +contentment. + +In accordance with the kindly Badger's injunctions, the two tired +animals came down to breakfast very late next morning, and found a +bright fire burning in the kitchen, and two young hedgehogs sitting on +a bench at the table, eating oatmeal porridge out of wooden bowls. The +hedgehogs dropped their spoons, rose to their feet, and ducked their +heads respectfully as the two entered. + +'There, sit down, sit down,' said the Rat pleasantly, 'and go on with +your porridge. Where have you youngsters come from? Lost your way in the +snow, I suppose?' + +'Yes, please, sir,' said the elder of the two hedgehogs respectfully. +'Me and little Billy here, we was trying to find our way to +school--mother WOULD have us go, was the weather ever so--and of course +we lost ourselves, sir, and Billy he got frightened and took and cried, +being young and faint-hearted. And at last we happened up against Mr. +Badger's back door, and made so bold as to knock, sir, for Mr. Badger +he's a kind-hearted gentleman, as everyone knows----' + +'I understand,' said the Rat, cutting himself some rashers from a side +of bacon, while the Mole dropped some eggs into a saucepan. 'And what's +the weather like outside? You needn't "sir" me quite so much?' he added. + +'O, terrible bad, sir, terrible deep the snow is,' said the hedgehog. +'No getting out for the likes of you gentlemen to-day.' + +'Where's Mr. Badger?' inquired the Mole, as he warmed the coffee-pot +before the fire. + +'The master's gone into his study, sir,' replied the hedgehog, 'and he +said as how he was going to be particular busy this morning, and on no +account was he to be disturbed.' + +This explanation, of course, was thoroughly understood by every one +present. The fact is, as already set forth, when you live a life of +intense activity for six months in the year, and of comparative or +actual somnolence for the other six, during the latter period you cannot +be continually pleading sleepiness when there are people about or things +to be done. The excuse gets monotonous. The animals well knew that +Badger, having eaten a hearty breakfast, had retired to his study and +settled himself in an arm-chair with his legs up on another and a red +cotton handkerchief over his face, and was being 'busy' in the usual way +at this time of the year. + +The front-door bell clanged loudly, and the Rat, who was very greasy +with buttered toast, sent Billy, the smaller hedgehog, to see who it +might be. There was a sound of much stamping in the hall, and presently +Billy returned in front of the Otter, who threw himself on the Rat with +an embrace and a shout of affectionate greeting. + +'Get off!' spluttered the Rat, with his mouth full. + +'Thought I should find you here all right,' said the Otter cheerfully. +'They were all in a great state of alarm along River Bank when I arrived +this morning. Rat never been home all night--nor Mole either--something +dreadful must have happened, they said; and the snow had covered up all +your tracks, of course. But I knew that when people were in any fix they +mostly went to Badger, or else Badger got to know of it somehow, so I +came straight off here, through the Wild Wood and the snow! My! it was +fine, coming through the snow as the red sun was rising and showing +against the black tree-trunks! As you went along in the stillness, every +now and then masses of snow slid off the branches suddenly with a flop! +making you jump and run for cover. Snow-castles and snow-caverns had +sprung up out of nowhere in the night--and snow bridges, terraces, +ramparts--I could have stayed and played with them for hours. Here and +there great branches had been torn away by the sheer weight of the snow, +and robins perched and hopped on them in their perky conceited way, just +as if they had done it themselves. A ragged string of wild geese passed +overhead, high on the grey sky, and a few rooks whirled over the trees, +inspected, and flapped off homewards with a disgusted expression; but I +met no sensible being to ask the news of. About halfway across I came on +a rabbit sitting on a stump, cleaning his silly face with his paws. He +was a pretty scared animal when I crept up behind him and placed a heavy +forepaw on his shoulder. I had to cuff his head once or twice to get any +sense out of it at all. At last I managed to extract from him that Mole +had been seen in the Wild Wood last night by one of them. It was the +talk of the burrows, he said, how Mole, Mr. Rat's particular friend, +was in a bad fix; how he had lost his way, and "They" were up and out +hunting, and were chivvying him round and round. "Then why didn't any of +you DO something?" I asked. "You mayn't be blest with brains, but there +are hundreds and hundreds of you, big, stout fellows, as fat as butter, +and your burrows running in all directions, and you could have taken +him in and made him safe and comfortable, or tried to, at all events." +"What, US?" he merely said: "DO something? us rabbits?" So I cuffed him +again and left him. There was nothing else to be done. At any rate, I +had learnt something; and if I had had the luck to meet any of "Them" +I'd have learnt something more--or THEY would.' + +'Weren't you at all--er--nervous?' asked the Mole, some of yesterday's +terror coming back to him at the mention of the Wild Wood. + +'Nervous?' The Otter showed a gleaming set of strong white teeth as he +laughed. 'I'd give 'em nerves if any of them tried anything on with me. +Here, Mole, fry me some slices of ham, like the good little chap you +are. I'm frightfully hungry, and I've got any amount to say to Ratty +here. Haven't seen him for an age.' + +So the good-natured Mole, having cut some slices of ham, set the +hedgehogs to fry it, and returned to his own breakfast, while the Otter +and the Rat, their heads together, eagerly talked river-shop, which is +long shop and talk that is endless, running on like the babbling river +itself. + +A plate of fried ham had just been cleared and sent back for more, when +the Badger entered, yawning and rubbing his eyes, and greeted them all +in his quiet, simple way, with kind enquiries for every one. 'It must +be getting on for luncheon time,' he remarked to the Otter. 'Better stop +and have it with us. You must be hungry, this cold morning.' + +'Rather!' replied the Otter, winking at the Mole. 'The sight of these +greedy young hedgehogs stuffing themselves with fried ham makes me feel +positively famished.' + +The hedgehogs, who were just beginning to feel hungry again after their +porridge, and after working so hard at their frying, looked timidly up +at Mr. Badger, but were too shy to say anything. + +'Here, you two youngsters be off home to your mother,' said the Badger +kindly. 'I'll send some one with you to show you the way. You won't want +any dinner to-day, I'll be bound.' + +He gave them sixpence apiece and a pat on the head, and they went off +with much respectful swinging of caps and touching of forelocks. + +Presently they all sat down to luncheon together. The Mole found himself +placed next to Mr. Badger, and, as the other two were still deep +in river-gossip from which nothing could divert them, he took the +opportunity to tell Badger how comfortable and home-like it all felt to +him. 'Once well underground,' he said, 'you know exactly where you are. +Nothing can happen to you, and nothing can get at you. You're entirely +your own master, and you don't have to consult anybody or mind what +they say. Things go on all the same overhead, and you let 'em, and don't +bother about 'em. When you want to, up you go, and there the things are, +waiting for you.' + +The Badger simply beamed on him. 'That's exactly what I say,' he +replied. 'There's no security, or peace and tranquillity, except +underground. And then, if your ideas get larger and you want to +expand--why, a dig and a scrape, and there you are! If you feel your +house is a bit too big, you stop up a hole or two, and there you are +again! No builders, no tradesmen, no remarks passed on you by fellows +looking over your wall, and, above all, no WEATHER. Look at Rat, now. A +couple of feet of flood water, and he's got to move into hired lodgings; +uncomfortable, inconveniently situated, and horribly expensive. Take +Toad. I say nothing against Toad Hall; quite the best house in these +parts, AS a house. But supposing a fire breaks out--where's Toad? +Supposing tiles are blown off, or walls sink or crack, or windows get +broken--where's Toad? Supposing the rooms are draughty--I HATE a draught +myself--where's Toad? No, up and out of doors is good enough to roam +about and get one's living in; but underground to come back to at +last--that's my idea of HOME.' + +The Mole assented heartily; and the Badger in consequence got very +friendly with him. 'When lunch is over,' he said, 'I'll take you all +round this little place of mine. I can see you'll appreciate it. You +understand what domestic architecture ought to be, you do.' + +After luncheon, accordingly, when the other two had settled themselves +into the chimney-corner and had started a heated argument on the subject +of EELS, the Badger lighted a lantern and bade the Mole follow him. +Crossing the hall, they passed down one of the principal tunnels, and +the wavering light of the lantern gave glimpses on either side of rooms +both large and small, some mere cupboards, others nearly as broad and +imposing as Toad's dining-hall. A narrow passage at right angles led +them into another corridor, and here the same thing was repeated. The +Mole was staggered at the size, the extent, the ramifications of it all; +at the length of the dim passages, the solid vaultings of the crammed +store-chambers, the masonry everywhere, the pillars, the arches, the +pavements. 'How on earth, Badger,' he said at last, 'did you ever find +time and strength to do all this? It's astonishing!' + +'It WOULD be astonishing indeed,' said the Badger simply, 'if I HAD +done it. But as a matter of fact I did none of it--only cleaned out the +passages and chambers, as far as I had need of them. There's lots more +of it, all round about. I see you don't understand, and I must explain +it to you. Well, very long ago, on the spot where the Wild Wood waves +now, before ever it had planted itself and grown up to what it now +is, there was a city--a city of people, you know. Here, where we are +standing, they lived, and walked, and talked, and slept, and carried on +their business. Here they stabled their horses and feasted, from here +they rode out to fight or drove out to trade. They were a powerful +people, and rich, and great builders. They built to last, for they +thought their city would last for ever.' + +'But what has become of them all?' asked the Mole. + +'Who can tell?' said the Badger. 'People come--they stay for a while, +they flourish, they build--and they go. It is their way. But we remain. +There were badgers here, I've been told, long before that same city ever +came to be. And now there are badgers here again. We are an enduring +lot, and we may move out for a time, but we wait, and are patient, and +back we come. And so it will ever be.' + +'Well, and when they went at last, those people?' said the Mole. + +'When they went,' continued the Badger, 'the strong winds and persistent +rains took the matter in hand, patiently, ceaselessly, year after year. +Perhaps we badgers too, in our small way, helped a little--who knows? +It was all down, down, down, gradually--ruin and levelling and +disappearance. Then it was all up, up, up, gradually, as seeds grew +to saplings, and saplings to forest trees, and bramble and fern came +creeping in to help. Leaf-mould rose and obliterated, streams in their +winter freshets brought sand and soil to clog and to cover, and in +course of time our home was ready for us again, and we moved in. Up +above us, on the surface, the same thing happened. Animals arrived, +liked the look of the place, took up their quarters, settled down, +spread, and flourished. They didn't bother themselves about the +past--they never do; they're too busy. The place was a bit humpy +and hillocky, naturally, and full of holes; but that was rather an +advantage. And they don't bother about the future, either--the future +when perhaps the people will move in again--for a time--as may very well +be. The Wild Wood is pretty well populated by now; with all the usual +lot, good, bad, and indifferent--I name no names. It takes all sorts to +make a world. But I fancy you know something about them yourself by this +time.' + +'I do indeed,' said the Mole, with a slight shiver. + +'Well, well,' said the Badger, patting him on the shoulder, 'it was your +first experience of them, you see. They're not so bad really; and we +must all live and let live. But I'll pass the word around to-morrow, and +I think you'll have no further trouble. Any friend of MINE walks where +he likes in this country, or I'll know the reason why!' + +When they got back to the kitchen again, they found the Rat walking up +and down, very restless. The underground atmosphere was oppressing him +and getting on his nerves, and he seemed really to be afraid that the +river would run away if he wasn't there to look after it. So he had his +overcoat on, and his pistols thrust into his belt again. 'Come along, +Mole,' he said anxiously, as soon as he caught sight of them. 'We must +get off while it's daylight. Don't want to spend another night in the +Wild Wood again.' + +'It'll be all right, my fine fellow,' said the Otter. 'I'm coming along +with you, and I know every path blindfold; and if there's a head that +needs to be punched, you can confidently rely upon me to punch it.' + +'You really needn't fret, Ratty,' added the Badger placidly. 'My +passages run further than you think, and I've bolt-holes to the edge +of the wood in several directions, though I don't care for everybody to +know about them. When you really have to go, you shall leave by one of +my short cuts. Meantime, make yourself easy, and sit down again.' + +The Rat was nevertheless still anxious to be off and attend to his +river, so the Badger, taking up his lantern again, led the way along a +damp and airless tunnel that wound and dipped, part vaulted, part hewn +through solid rock, for a weary distance that seemed to be miles. At +last daylight began to show itself confusedly through tangled growth +overhanging the mouth of the passage; and the Badger, bidding them +a hasty good-bye, pushed them hurriedly through the opening, made +everything look as natural as possible again, with creepers, brushwood, +and dead leaves, and retreated. + +They found themselves standing on the very edge of the Wild Wood. Rocks +and brambles and tree-roots behind them, confusedly heaped and tangled; +in front, a great space of quiet fields, hemmed by lines of hedges black +on the snow, and, far ahead, a glint of the familiar old river, while +the wintry sun hung red and low on the horizon. The Otter, as knowing +all the paths, took charge of the party, and they trailed out on a +bee-line for a distant stile. Pausing there a moment and looking back, +they saw the whole mass of the Wild Wood, dense, menacing, compact, +grimly set in vast white surroundings; simultaneously they turned and +made swiftly for home, for firelight and the familiar things it played +on, for the voice, sounding cheerily outside their window, of the river +that they knew and trusted in all its moods, that never made them afraid +with any amazement. + +As he hurried along, eagerly anticipating the moment when he would be at +home again among the things he knew and liked, the Mole saw clearly that +he was an animal of tilled field and hedge-row, linked to the ploughed +furrow, the frequented pasture, the lane of evening lingerings, +the cultivated garden-plot. For others the asperities, the stubborn +endurance, or the clash of actual conflict, that went with Nature in the +rough; he must be wise, must keep to the pleasant places in which his +lines were laid and which held adventure enough, in their way, to last +for a lifetime. + + + + +V. DULCE DOMUM + +The sheep ran huddling together against the hurdles, blowing out thin +nostrils and stamping with delicate fore-feet, their heads thrown back +and a light steam rising from the crowded sheep-pen into the frosty air, +as the two animals hastened by in high spirits, with much chatter and +laughter. They were returning across country after a long day's outing +with Otter, hunting and exploring on the wide uplands where certain +streams tributary to their own River had their first small beginnings; +and the shades of the short winter day were closing in on them, and they +had still some distance to go. Plodding at random across the plough, +they had heard the sheep and had made for them; and now, leading from +the sheep-pen, they found a beaten track that made walking a lighter +business, and responded, moreover, to that small inquiring something +which all animals carry inside them, saying unmistakably, 'Yes, quite +right; THIS leads home!' + +'It looks as if we were coming to a village,' said the Mole somewhat +dubiously, slackening his pace, as the track, that had in time become +a path and then had developed into a lane, now handed them over to the +charge of a well-metalled road. The animals did not hold with villages, +and their own highways, thickly frequented as they were, took an +independent course, regardless of church, post office, or public-house. + +'Oh, never mind!' said the Rat. 'At this season of the year they're +all safe indoors by this time, sitting round the fire; men, women, +and children, dogs and cats and all. We shall slip through all right, +without any bother or unpleasantness, and we can have a look at them +through their windows if you like, and see what they're doing.' + +The rapid nightfall of mid-December had quite beset the little village +as they approached it on soft feet over a first thin fall of powdery +snow. Little was visible but squares of a dusky orange-red on either +side of the street, where the firelight or lamplight of each cottage +overflowed through the casements into the dark world without. Most of +the low latticed windows were innocent of blinds, and to the lookers-in +from outside, the inmates, gathered round the tea-table, absorbed in +handiwork, or talking with laughter and gesture, had each that happy +grace which is the last thing the skilled actor shall capture--the +natural grace which goes with perfect unconsciousness of observation. +Moving at will from one theatre to another, the two spectators, so far +from home themselves, had something of wistfulness in their eyes as they +watched a cat being stroked, a sleepy child picked up and huddled off +to bed, or a tired man stretch and knock out his pipe on the end of a +smouldering log. + +But it was from one little window, with its blind drawn down, a mere +blank transparency on the night, that the sense of home and the little +curtained world within walls--the larger stressful world of outside +Nature shut out and forgotten--most pulsated. Close against the white +blind hung a bird-cage, clearly silhouetted, every wire, perch, and +appurtenance distinct and recognisable, even to yesterday's dull-edged +lump of sugar. On the middle perch the fluffy occupant, head tucked well +into feathers, seemed so near to them as to be easily stroked, had +they tried; even the delicate tips of his plumped-out plumage pencilled +plainly on the illuminated screen. As they looked, the sleepy little +fellow stirred uneasily, woke, shook himself, and raised his head. They +could see the gape of his tiny beak as he yawned in a bored sort of way, +looked round, and then settled his head into his back again, while the +ruffled feathers gradually subsided into perfect stillness. Then a +gust of bitter wind took them in the back of the neck, a small sting of +frozen sleet on the skin woke them as from a dream, and they knew their +toes to be cold and their legs tired, and their own home distant a weary +way. + +Once beyond the village, where the cottages ceased abruptly, on either +side of the road they could smell through the darkness the friendly +fields again; and they braced themselves for the last long stretch, the +home stretch, the stretch that we know is bound to end, some time, in +the rattle of the door-latch, the sudden firelight, and the sight of +familiar things greeting us as long-absent travellers from far over-sea. +They plodded along steadily and silently, each of them thinking his own +thoughts. The Mole's ran a good deal on supper, as it was pitch-dark, +and it was all a strange country for him as far as he knew, and he +was following obediently in the wake of the Rat, leaving the guidance +entirely to him. As for the Rat, he was walking a little way ahead, as +his habit was, his shoulders humped, his eyes fixed on the straight grey +road in front of him; so he did not notice poor Mole when suddenly the +summons reached him, and took him like an electric shock. + +We others, who have long lost the more subtle of the physical senses, +have not even proper terms to express an animal's inter-communications +with his surroundings, living or otherwise, and have only the word +'smell,' for instance, to include the whole range of delicate thrills +which murmur in the nose of the animal night and day, summoning, +warning, inciting, repelling. It was one of these mysterious fairy calls +from out the void that suddenly reached Mole in the darkness, making him +tingle through and through with its very familiar appeal, even while +yet he could not clearly remember what it was. He stopped dead in +his tracks, his nose searching hither and thither in its efforts to +recapture the fine filament, the telegraphic current, that had so +strongly moved him. A moment, and he had caught it again; and with it +this time came recollection in fullest flood. + +Home! That was what they meant, those caressing appeals, those soft +touches wafted through the air, those invisible little hands pulling and +tugging, all one way! Why, it must be quite close by him at that moment, +his old home that he had hurriedly forsaken and never sought again, that +day when he first found the river! And now it was sending out its scouts +and its messengers to capture him and bring him in. Since his escape on +that bright morning he had hardly given it a thought, so absorbed had he +been in his new life, in all its pleasures, its surprises, its fresh and +captivating experiences. Now, with a rush of old memories, how clearly +it stood up before him, in the darkness! Shabby indeed, and small and +poorly furnished, and yet his, the home he had made for himself, the +home he had been so happy to get back to after his day's work. And the +home had been happy with him, too, evidently, and was missing him, and +wanted him back, and was telling him so, through his nose, sorrowfully, +reproachfully, but with no bitterness or anger; only with plaintive +reminder that it was there, and wanted him. + +The call was clear, the summons was plain. He must obey it instantly, +and go. 'Ratty!' he called, full of joyful excitement, 'hold on! Come +back! I want you, quick!' + +'Oh, COME along, Mole, do!' replied the Rat cheerfully, still plodding +along. + +'PLEASE stop, Ratty!' pleaded the poor Mole, in anguish of heart. 'You +don't understand! It's my home, my old home! I've just come across the +smell of it, and it's close by here, really quite close. And I MUST go +to it, I must, I must! Oh, come back, Ratty! Please, please come back!' + +The Rat was by this time very far ahead, too far to hear clearly what +the Mole was calling, too far to catch the sharp note of painful appeal +in his voice. And he was much taken up with the weather, for he too +could smell something--something suspiciously like approaching snow. + +'Mole, we mustn't stop now, really!' he called back. 'We'll come for +it to-morrow, whatever it is you've found. But I daren't stop now--it's +late, and the snow's coming on again, and I'm not sure of the way! And I +want your nose, Mole, so come on quick, there's a good fellow!' And the +Rat pressed forward on his way without waiting for an answer. + +Poor Mole stood alone in the road, his heart torn asunder, and a big sob +gathering, gathering, somewhere low down inside him, to leap up to the +surface presently, he knew, in passionate escape. But even under such +a test as this his loyalty to his friend stood firm. Never for a moment +did he dream of abandoning him. Meanwhile, the wafts from his old home +pleaded, whispered, conjured, and finally claimed him imperiously. He +dared not tarry longer within their magic circle. With a wrench that +tore his very heartstrings he set his face down the road and followed +submissively in the track of the Rat, while faint, thin little smells, +still dogging his retreating nose, reproached him for his new friendship +and his callous forgetfulness. + +With an effort he caught up to the unsuspecting Rat, who began +chattering cheerfully about what they would do when they got back, and +how jolly a fire of logs in the parlour would be, and what a supper he +meant to eat; never noticing his companion's silence and distressful +state of mind. At last, however, when they had gone some considerable +way further, and were passing some tree-stumps at the edge of a copse +that bordered the road, he stopped and said kindly, 'Look here, Mole old +chap, you seem dead tired. No talk left in you, and your feet dragging +like lead. We'll sit down here for a minute and rest. The snow has held +off so far, and the best part of our journey is over.' + +The Mole subsided forlornly on a tree-stump and tried to control +himself, for he felt it surely coming. The sob he had fought with so +long refused to be beaten. Up and up, it forced its way to the air, and +then another, and another, and others thick and fast; till poor Mole at +last gave up the struggle, and cried freely and helplessly and openly, +now that he knew it was all over and he had lost what he could hardly be +said to have found. + +The Rat, astonished and dismayed at the violence of Mole's paroxysm of +grief, did not dare to speak for a while. At last he said, very quietly +and sympathetically, 'What is it, old fellow? Whatever can be the +matter? Tell us your trouble, and let me see what I can do.' + +Poor Mole found it difficult to get any words out between the upheavals +of his chest that followed one upon another so quickly and held back +speech and choked it as it came. 'I know it's a--shabby, dingy little +place,' he sobbed forth at last, brokenly: 'not like--your cosy +quarters--or Toad's beautiful hall--or Badger's great house--but it was +my own little home--and I was fond of it--and I went away and forgot all +about it--and then I smelt it suddenly--on the road, when I called +and you wouldn't listen, Rat--and everything came back to me with a +rush--and I WANTED it!--O dear, O dear!--and when you WOULDN'T turn +back, Ratty--and I had to leave it, though I was smelling it all the +time--I thought my heart would break.--We might have just gone and had +one look at it, Ratty--only one look--it was close by--but you wouldn't +turn back, Ratty, you wouldn't turn back! O dear, O dear!' + +Recollection brought fresh waves of sorrow, and sobs again took full +charge of him, preventing further speech. + +The Rat stared straight in front of him, saying nothing, only patting +Mole gently on the shoulder. After a time he muttered gloomily, 'I see +it all now! What a PIG I have been! A pig--that's me! Just a pig--a +plain pig!' + +He waited till Mole's sobs became gradually less stormy and more +rhythmical; he waited till at last sniffs were frequent and sobs only +intermittent. Then he rose from his seat, and, remarking carelessly, +'Well, now we'd really better be getting on, old chap!' set off up the +road again, over the toilsome way they had come. + +'Wherever are you (hic) going to (hic), Ratty?' cried the tearful Mole, +looking up in alarm. + +'We're going to find that home of yours, old fellow,' replied the +Rat pleasantly; 'so you had better come along, for it will take some +finding, and we shall want your nose.' + +'Oh, come back, Ratty, do!' cried the Mole, getting up and hurrying +after him. 'It's no good, I tell you! It's too late, and too dark, and +the place is too far off, and the snow's coming! And--and I never meant +to let you know I was feeling that way about it--it was all an accident +and a mistake! And think of River Bank, and your supper!' + +'Hang River Bank, and supper too!' said the Rat heartily. 'I tell you, +I'm going to find this place now, if I stay out all night. So cheer up, +old chap, and take my arm, and we'll very soon be back there again.' + +Still snuffling, pleading, and reluctant, Mole suffered himself to be +dragged back along the road by his imperious companion, who by a flow of +cheerful talk and anecdote endeavoured to beguile his spirits back and +make the weary way seem shorter. When at last it seemed to the Rat that +they must be nearing that part of the road where the Mole had been 'held +up,' he said, 'Now, no more talking. Business! Use your nose, and give +your mind to it.' + +They moved on in silence for some little way, when suddenly the Rat was +conscious, through his arm that was linked in Mole's, of a faint sort of +electric thrill that was passing down that animal's body. Instantly he +disengaged himself, fell back a pace, and waited, all attention. + +The signals were coming through! + +Mole stood a moment rigid, while his uplifted nose, quivering slightly, +felt the air. + +Then a short, quick run forward--a fault--a check--a try back; and then +a slow, steady, confident advance. + +The Rat, much excited, kept close to his heels as the Mole, with +something of the air of a sleep-walker, crossed a dry ditch, scrambled +through a hedge, and nosed his way over a field open and trackless and +bare in the faint starlight. + +Suddenly, without giving warning, he dived; but the Rat was on the +alert, and promptly followed him down the tunnel to which his unerring +nose had faithfully led him. + +It was close and airless, and the earthy smell was strong, and it seemed +a long time to Rat ere the passage ended and he could stand erect and +stretch and shake himself. The Mole struck a match, and by its light +the Rat saw that they were standing in an open space, neatly swept and +sanded underfoot, and directly facing them was Mole's little front door, +with 'Mole End' painted, in Gothic lettering, over the bell-pull at the +side. + +Mole reached down a lantern from a nail on the wall and lit it... and the +Rat, looking round him, saw that they were in a sort of fore-court. A +garden-seat stood on one side of the door, and on the other a roller; +for the Mole, who was a tidy animal when at home, could not stand having +his ground kicked up by other animals into little runs that ended +in earth-heaps. On the walls hung wire baskets with ferns in them, +alternating with brackets carrying plaster statuary--Garibaldi, and the +infant Samuel, and Queen Victoria, and other heroes of modern Italy. +Down on one side of the forecourt ran a skittle-alley, with benches +along it and little wooden tables marked with rings that hinted at +beer-mugs. In the middle was a small round pond containing gold-fish and +surrounded by a cockle-shell border. Out of the centre of the pond rose +a fanciful erection clothed in more cockle-shells and topped by a large +silvered glass ball that reflected everything all wrong and had a very +pleasing effect. + +Mole's face-beamed at the sight of all these objects so dear to him, and +he hurried Rat through the door, lit a lamp in the hall, and took one +glance round his old home. He saw the dust lying thick on everything, +saw the cheerless, deserted look of the long-neglected house, and its +narrow, meagre dimensions, its worn and shabby contents--and collapsed +again on a hall-chair, his nose to his paws. 'O Ratty!' he cried +dismally, 'why ever did I do it? Why did I bring you to this poor, cold +little place, on a night like this, when you might have been at River +Bank by this time, toasting your toes before a blazing fire, with all +your own nice things about you!' + +The Rat paid no heed to his doleful self-reproaches. He was running here +and there, opening doors, inspecting rooms and cupboards, and lighting +lamps and candles and sticking them, up everywhere. 'What a capital +little house this is!' he called out cheerily. 'So compact! So well +planned! Everything here and everything in its place! We'll make a jolly +night of it. The first thing we want is a good fire; I'll see to that--I +always know where to find things. So this is the parlour? Splendid! Your +own idea, those little sleeping-bunks in the wall? Capital! Now, I'll +fetch the wood and the coals, and you get a duster, Mole--you'll find +one in the drawer of the kitchen table--and try and smarten things up a +bit. Bustle about, old chap!' + +Encouraged by his inspiriting companion, the Mole roused himself and +dusted and polished with energy and heartiness, while the Rat, running +to and fro with armfuls of fuel, soon had a cheerful blaze roaring +up the chimney. He hailed the Mole to come and warm himself; but Mole +promptly had another fit of the blues, dropping down on a couch in dark +despair and burying his face in his duster. 'Rat,' he moaned, 'how about +your supper, you poor, cold, hungry, weary animal? I've nothing to give +you--nothing--not a crumb!' + +'What a fellow you are for giving in!' said the Rat reproachfully. +'Why, only just now I saw a sardine-opener on the kitchen dresser, quite +distinctly; and everybody knows that means there are sardines about +somewhere in the neighbourhood. Rouse yourself! pull yourself together, +and come with me and forage.' + +They went and foraged accordingly, hunting through every cupboard and +turning out every drawer. The result was not so very depressing after +all, though of course it might have been better; a tin of sardines--a +box of captain's biscuits, nearly full--and a German sausage encased in +silver paper. + +'There's a banquet for you!' observed the Rat, as he arranged the table. +'I know some animals who would give their ears to be sitting down to +supper with us to-night!' + +'No bread!' groaned the Mole dolorously; 'no butter, no----' + +'No pate de foie gras, no champagne!' continued the Rat, grinning. 'And +that reminds me--what's that little door at the end of the passage? Your +cellar, of course! Every luxury in this house! Just you wait a minute.' + +He made for the cellar-door, and presently reappeared, somewhat +dusty, with a bottle of beer in each paw and another under each arm, +'Self-indulgent beggar you seem to be, Mole,' he observed. 'Deny +yourself nothing. This is really the jolliest little place I ever was +in. Now, wherever did you pick up those prints? Make the place look so +home-like, they do. No wonder you're so fond of it, Mole. Tell us all +about it, and how you came to make it what it is.' + +Then, while the Rat busied himself fetching plates, and knives and +forks, and mustard which he mixed in an egg-cup, the Mole, his bosom +still heaving with the stress of his recent emotion, related--somewhat +shyly at first, but with more freedom as he warmed to his subject--how +this was planned, and how that was thought out, and how this was got +through a windfall from an aunt, and that was a wonderful find and a +bargain, and this other thing was bought out of laborious savings and a +certain amount of 'going without.' His spirits finally quite restored, +he must needs go and caress his possessions, and take a lamp and show +off their points to his visitor and expatiate on them, quite forgetful +of the supper they both so much needed; Rat, who was desperately hungry +but strove to conceal it, nodding seriously, examining with a puckered +brow, and saying, 'wonderful,' and 'most remarkable,' at intervals, when +the chance for an observation was given him. + +At last the Rat succeeded in decoying him to the table, and had just got +seriously to work with the sardine-opener when sounds were heard from +the fore-court without--sounds like the scuffling of small feet in the +gravel and a confused murmur of tiny voices, while broken sentences +reached them--'Now, all in a line--hold the lantern up a bit, +Tommy--clear your throats first--no coughing after I say one, two, +three.--Where's young Bill?--Here, come on, do, we're all a-waiting----' + +'What's up?' inquired the Rat, pausing in his labours. + +'I think it must be the field-mice,' replied the Mole, with a touch of +pride in his manner. 'They go round carol-singing regularly at this time +of the year. They're quite an institution in these parts. And they never +pass me over--they come to Mole End last of all; and I used to give them +hot drinks, and supper too sometimes, when I could afford it. It will be +like old times to hear them again.' + +'Let's have a look at them!' cried the Rat, jumping up and running to +the door. + +It was a pretty sight, and a seasonable one, that met their eyes when +they flung the door open. In the fore-court, lit by the dim rays of a +horn lantern, some eight or ten little fieldmice stood in a semicircle, +red worsted comforters round their throats, their fore-paws thrust deep +into their pockets, their feet jigging for warmth. With bright beady +eyes they glanced shyly at each other, sniggering a little, sniffing and +applying coat-sleeves a good deal. As the door opened, one of the elder +ones that carried the lantern was just saying, 'Now then, one, two, +three!' and forthwith their shrill little voices uprose on the air, +singing one of the old-time carols that their forefathers composed in +fields that were fallow and held by frost, or when snow-bound in chimney +corners, and handed down to be sung in the miry street to lamp-lit +windows at Yule-time. + + + CAROL + + Villagers all, this frosty tide, + Let your doors swing open wide, + Though wind may follow, and snow beside, + Yet draw us in by your fire to bide; + Joy shall be yours in the morning! + + Here we stand in the cold and the sleet, + Blowing fingers and stamping feet, + Come from far away you to greet-- + You by the fire and we in the street-- + Bidding you joy in the morning! + + For ere one half of the night was gone, + Sudden a star has led us on, + Raining bliss and benison-- + Bliss to-morrow and more anon, + Joy for every morning! + + Goodman Joseph toiled through the snow-- + Saw the star o'er a stable low; + Mary she might not further go-- + Welcome thatch, and litter below! + Joy was hers in the morning! + + And then they heard the angels tell + 'Who were the first to cry NOWELL? + Animals all, as it befell, + In the stable where they did dwell! + Joy shall be theirs in the morning!' + + +The voices ceased, the singers, bashful but smiling, exchanged sidelong +glances, and silence succeeded--but for a moment only. Then, from up +above and far away, down the tunnel they had so lately travelled was +borne to their ears in a faint musical hum the sound of distant bells +ringing a joyful and clangorous peal. + +'Very well sung, boys!' cried the Rat heartily. 'And now come along in, +all of you, and warm yourselves by the fire, and have something hot!' + +'Yes, come along, field-mice,' cried the Mole eagerly. 'This is quite +like old times! Shut the door after you. Pull up that settle to the +fire. Now, you just wait a minute, while we--O, Ratty!' he cried in +despair, plumping down on a seat, with tears impending. 'Whatever are we +doing? We've nothing to give them!' + +'You leave all that to me,' said the masterful Rat. 'Here, you with the +lantern! Come over this way. I want to talk to you. Now, tell me, are +there any shops open at this hour of the night?' + +'Why, certainly, sir,' replied the field-mouse respectfully. 'At this +time of the year our shops keep open to all sorts of hours.' + +'Then look here!' said the Rat. 'You go off at once, you and your +lantern, and you get me----' + +Here much muttered conversation ensued, and the Mole only heard bits +of it, such as--'Fresh, mind!--no, a pound of that will do--see you get +Buggins's, for I won't have any other--no, only the best--if you can't +get it there, try somewhere else--yes, of course, home-made, no tinned +stuff--well then, do the best you can!' Finally, there was a chink of +coin passing from paw to paw, the field-mouse was provided with an ample +basket for his purchases, and off he hurried, he and his lantern. + +The rest of the field-mice, perched in a row on the settle, their small +legs swinging, gave themselves up to enjoyment of the fire, and toasted +their chilblains till they tingled; while the Mole, failing to draw them +into easy conversation, plunged into family history and made each of +them recite the names of his numerous brothers, who were too young, +it appeared, to be allowed to go out a-carolling this year, but looked +forward very shortly to winning the parental consent. + +The Rat, meanwhile, was busy examining the label on one of the +beer-bottles. 'I perceive this to be Old Burton,' he remarked +approvingly. 'SENSIBLE Mole! The very thing! Now we shall be able to +mull some ale! Get the things ready, Mole, while I draw the corks.' + +It did not take long to prepare the brew and thrust the tin heater well +into the red heart of the fire; and soon every field-mouse was sipping +and coughing and choking (for a little mulled ale goes a long way) and +wiping his eyes and laughing and forgetting he had ever been cold in all +his life. + +'They act plays too, these fellows,' the Mole explained to the Rat. +'Make them up all by themselves, and act them afterwards. And very +well they do it, too! They gave us a capital one last year, about a +field-mouse who was captured at sea by a Barbary corsair, and made to +row in a galley; and when he escaped and got home again, his lady-love +had gone into a convent. Here, YOU! You were in it, I remember. Get up +and recite a bit.' + +The field-mouse addressed got up on his legs, giggled shyly, looked +round the room, and remained absolutely tongue-tied. His comrades +cheered him on, Mole coaxed and encouraged him, and the Rat went so +far as to take him by the shoulders and shake him; but nothing could +overcome his stage-fright. They were all busily engaged on him like +watermen applying the Royal Humane Society's regulations to a case +of long submersion, when the latch clicked, the door opened, and the +field-mouse with the lantern reappeared, staggering under the weight of +his basket. + +There was no more talk of play-acting once the very real and solid +contents of the basket had been tumbled out on the table. Under the +generalship of Rat, everybody was set to do something or to fetch +something. In a very few minutes supper was ready, and Mole, as he took +the head of the table in a sort of a dream, saw a lately barren board +set thick with savoury comforts; saw his little friends' faces brighten +and beam as they fell to without delay; and then let himself loose--for +he was famished indeed--on the provender so magically provided, thinking +what a happy home-coming this had turned out, after all. As they ate, +they talked of old times, and the field-mice gave him the local gossip +up to date, and answered as well as they could the hundred questions he +had to ask them. The Rat said little or nothing, only taking care that +each guest had what he wanted, and plenty of it, and that Mole had no +trouble or anxiety about anything. + +They clattered off at last, very grateful and showering wishes of the +season, with their jacket pockets stuffed with remembrances for the +small brothers and sisters at home. When the door had closed on the last +of them and the chink of the lanterns had died away, Mole and Rat kicked +the fire up, drew their chairs in, brewed themselves a last nightcap of +mulled ale, and discussed the events of the long day. At last the Rat, +with a tremendous yawn, said, 'Mole, old chap, I'm ready to drop. Sleepy +is simply not the word. That your own bunk over on that side? Very well, +then, I'll take this. What a ripping little house this is! Everything so +handy!' + +He clambered into his bunk and rolled himself well up in the blankets, +and slumber gathered him forthwith, as a swathe of barley is folded into +the arms of the reaping machine. + +The weary Mole also was glad to turn in without delay, and soon had his +head on his pillow, in great joy and contentment. But ere he closed his +eyes he let them wander round his old room, mellow in the glow of the +firelight that played or rested on familiar and friendly things which +had long been unconsciously a part of him, and now smilingly received +him back, without rancour. He was now in just the frame of mind that the +tactful Rat had quietly worked to bring about in him. He saw clearly how +plain and simple--how narrow, even--it all was; but clearly, too, how +much it all meant to him, and the special value of some such anchorage +in one's existence. He did not at all want to abandon the new life +and its splendid spaces, to turn his back on sun and air and all they +offered him and creep home and stay there; the upper world was all too +strong, it called to him still, even down there, and he knew he must +return to the larger stage. But it was good to think he had this to come +back to; this place which was all his own, these things which were so +glad to see him again and could always be counted upon for the same +simple welcome. + + + + +VI. MR. TOAD + +It was a bright morning in the early part of summer; the river had +resumed its wonted banks and its accustomed pace, and a hot sun seemed +to be pulling everything green and bushy and spiky up out of the earth +towards him, as if by strings. The Mole and the Water Rat had been up +since dawn, very busy on matters connected with boats and the opening of +the boating season; painting and varnishing, mending paddles, repairing +cushions, hunting for missing boat-hooks, and so on; and were finishing +breakfast in their little parlour and eagerly discussing their plans for +the day, when a heavy knock sounded at the door. + +'Bother!' said the Rat, all over egg. 'See who it is, Mole, like a good +chap, since you've finished.' + +The Mole went to attend the summons, and the Rat heard him utter a cry +of surprise. Then he flung the parlour door open, and announced with +much importance, 'Mr. Badger!' + +This was a wonderful thing, indeed, that the Badger should pay a formal +call on them, or indeed on anybody. He generally had to be caught, if +you wanted him badly, as he slipped quietly along a hedgerow of an early +morning or a late evening, or else hunted up in his own house in the +middle of the Wood, which was a serious undertaking. + +The Badger strode heavily into the room, and stood looking at the +two animals with an expression full of seriousness. The Rat let his +egg-spoon fall on the table-cloth, and sat open-mouthed. + +'The hour has come!' said the Badger at last with great solemnity. + +'What hour?' asked the Rat uneasily, glancing at the clock on the +mantelpiece. + +'WHOSE hour, you should rather say,' replied the Badger. 'Why, Toad's +hour! The hour of Toad! I said I would take him in hand as soon as the +winter was well over, and I'm going to take him in hand to-day!' + +'Toad's hour, of course!' cried the Mole delightedly. 'Hooray! I +remember now! WE'LL teach him to be a sensible Toad!' + +'This very morning,' continued the Badger, taking an arm-chair, 'as +I learnt last night from a trustworthy source, another new and +exceptionally powerful motor-car will arrive at Toad Hall on approval or +return. At this very moment, perhaps, Toad is busy arraying himself in +those singularly hideous habiliments so dear to him, which transform him +from a (comparatively) good-looking Toad into an Object which throws any +decent-minded animal that comes across it into a violent fit. We must +be up and doing, ere it is too late. You two animals will accompany me +instantly to Toad Hall, and the work of rescue shall be accomplished.' + +'Right you are!' cried the Rat, starting up. 'We'll rescue the poor +unhappy animal! We'll convert him! He'll be the most converted Toad that +ever was before we've done with him!' + +They set off up the road on their mission of mercy, Badger leading the +way. Animals when in company walk in a proper and sensible manner, in +single file, instead of sprawling all across the road and being of no +use or support to each other in case of sudden trouble or danger. + +They reached the carriage-drive of Toad Hall to find, as the Badger had +anticipated, a shiny new motor-car, of great size, painted a bright +red (Toad's favourite colour), standing in front of the house. As they +neared the door it was flung open, and Mr. Toad, arrayed in goggles, +cap, gaiters, and enormous overcoat, came swaggering down the steps, +drawing on his gauntleted gloves. + +'Hullo! come on, you fellows!' he cried cheerfully on catching sight of +them. 'You're just in time to come with me for a jolly--to come for a +jolly--for a--er--jolly----' + +His hearty accents faltered and fell away as he noticed the stern +unbending look on the countenances of his silent friends, and his +invitation remained unfinished. + +The Badger strode up the steps. 'Take him inside,' he said sternly to +his companions. Then, as Toad was hustled through the door, struggling +and protesting, he turned to the chauffeur in charge of the new +motor-car. + +'I'm afraid you won't be wanted to-day,' he said. 'Mr. Toad has changed +his mind. He will not require the car. Please understand that this is +final. You needn't wait.' Then he followed the others inside and shut +the door. + +'Now then!' he said to the Toad, when the four of them stood together in +the Hall, 'first of all, take those ridiculous things off!' + +'Shan't!' replied Toad, with great spirit. 'What is the meaning of this +gross outrage? I demand an instant explanation.' + +'Take them off him, then, you two,' ordered the Badger briefly. + +They had to lay Toad out on the floor, kicking and calling all sorts of +names, before they could get to work properly. Then the Rat sat on him, +and the Mole got his motor-clothes off him bit by bit, and they stood +him up on his legs again. A good deal of his blustering spirit seemed +to have evaporated with the removal of his fine panoply. Now that he was +merely Toad, and no longer the Terror of the Highway, he giggled +feebly and looked from one to the other appealingly, seeming quite to +understand the situation. + +'You knew it must come to this, sooner or later, Toad,' the Badger +explained severely. + +You've disregarded all the warnings we've given you, you've gone on +squandering the money your father left you, and you're getting us +animals a bad name in the district by your furious driving and your +smashes and your rows with the police. Independence is all very well, +but we animals never allow our friends to make fools of themselves +beyond a certain limit; and that limit you've reached. Now, you're a +good fellow in many respects, and I don't want to be too hard on you. +I'll make one more effort to bring you to reason. You will come with +me into the smoking-room, and there you will hear some facts about +yourself; and we'll see whether you come out of that room the same Toad +that you went in.' + +He took Toad firmly by the arm, led him into the smoking-room, and +closed the door behind them. + +'THAT'S no good!' said the Rat contemptuously. 'TALKING to Toad'll never +cure him. He'll SAY anything.' + +They made themselves comfortable in armchairs and waited patiently. +Through the closed door they could just hear the long continuous drone +of the Badger's voice, rising and falling in waves of oratory; and +presently they noticed that the sermon began to be punctuated at +intervals by long-drawn sobs, evidently proceeding from the bosom +of Toad, who was a soft-hearted and affectionate fellow, very easily +converted--for the time being--to any point of view. + +After some three-quarters of an hour the door opened, and the Badger +reappeared, solemnly leading by the paw a very limp and dejected Toad. +His skin hung baggily about him, his legs wobbled, and his cheeks were +furrowed by the tears so plentifully called forth by the Badger's moving +discourse. + +'Sit down there, Toad,' said the Badger kindly, pointing to a chair. 'My +friends,' he went on, 'I am pleased to inform you that Toad has at last +seen the error of his ways. He is truly sorry for his misguided conduct +in the past, and he has undertaken to give up motor-cars entirely and +for ever. I have his solemn promise to that effect.' + +'That is very good news,' said the Mole gravely. + +'Very good news indeed,' observed the Rat dubiously, 'if only--IF +only----' + +He was looking very hard at Toad as he said this, and could not help +thinking he perceived something vaguely resembling a twinkle in that +animal's still sorrowful eye. + +'There's only one thing more to be done,' continued the gratified +Badger. 'Toad, I want you solemnly to repeat, before your friends here, +what you fully admitted to me in the smoking-room just now. First, you +are sorry for what you've done, and you see the folly of it all?' + +There was a long, long pause. Toad looked desperately this way and that, +while the other animals waited in grave silence. At last he spoke. + +'No!' he said, a little sullenly, but stoutly; 'I'm NOT sorry. And it +wasn't folly at all! It was simply glorious!' + +'What?' cried the Badger, greatly scandalised. 'You backsliding animal, +didn't you tell me just now, in there----' + +'Oh, yes, yes, in THERE,' said Toad impatiently. 'I'd have said anything +in THERE. You're so eloquent, dear Badger, and so moving, and so +convincing, and put all your points so frightfully well--you can do what +you like with me in THERE, and you know it. But I've been searching my +mind since, and going over things in it, and I find that I'm not a bit +sorry or repentant really, so it's no earthly good saying I am; now, is +it?' + +'Then you don't promise,' said the Badger, 'never to touch a motor-car +again?' + +'Certainly not!' replied Toad emphatically. 'On the contrary, I +faithfully promise that the very first motor-car I see, poop-poop! off I +go in it!' + +'Told you so, didn't I?' observed the Rat to the Mole. + +'Very well, then,' said the Badger firmly, rising to his feet. 'Since +you won't yield to persuasion, we'll try what force can do. I feared it +would come to this all along. You've often asked us three to come and +stay with you, Toad, in this handsome house of yours; well, now we're +going to. When we've converted you to a proper point of view we may +quit, but not before. Take him upstairs, you two, and lock him up in his +bedroom, while we arrange matters between ourselves.' + +'It's for your own good, Toady, you know,' said the Rat kindly, as Toad, +kicking and struggling, was hauled up the stairs by his two faithful +friends. 'Think what fun we shall all have together, just as we used to, +when you've quite got over this--this painful attack of yours!' + +'We'll take great care of everything for you till you're well, Toad,' +said the Mole; 'and we'll see your money isn't wasted, as it has been.' + +'No more of those regrettable incidents with the police, Toad,' said the +Rat, as they thrust him into his bedroom. + +'And no more weeks in hospital, being ordered about by female nurses, +Toad,' added the Mole, turning the key on him. + +They descended the stair, Toad shouting abuse at them through the +keyhole; and the three friends then met in conference on the situation. + +'It's going to be a tedious business,' said the Badger, sighing. 'I've +never seen Toad so determined. However, we will see it out. He must +never be left an instant unguarded. We shall have to take it in turns to +be with him, till the poison has worked itself out of his system.' + +They arranged watches accordingly. Each animal took it in turns to sleep +in Toad's room at night, and they divided the day up between them. At +first Toad was undoubtedly very trying to his careful guardians. When +his violent paroxysms possessed him he would arrange bedroom chairs +in rude resemblance of a motor-car and would crouch on the foremost of +them, bent forward and staring fixedly ahead, making uncouth and +ghastly noises, till the climax was reached, when, turning a complete +somersault, he would lie prostrate amidst the ruins of the chairs, +apparently completely satisfied for the moment. As time passed, however, +these painful seizures grew gradually less frequent, and his friends +strove to divert his mind into fresh channels. But his interest in +other matters did not seem to revive, and he grew apparently languid and +depressed. + +One fine morning the Rat, whose turn it was to go on duty, went upstairs +to relieve Badger, whom he found fidgeting to be off and stretch his +legs in a long ramble round his wood and down his earths and burrows. +'Toad's still in bed,' he told the Rat, outside the door. 'Can't get +much out of him, except, "O leave him alone, he wants nothing, perhaps +he'll be better presently, it may pass off in time, don't be unduly +anxious," and so on. Now, you look out, Rat! When Toad's quiet and +submissive and playing at being the hero of a Sunday-school prize, then +he's at his artfullest. There's sure to be something up. I know him. +Well, now, I must be off.' + +'How are you to-day, old chap?' inquired the Rat cheerfully, as he +approached Toad's bedside. + +He had to wait some minutes for an answer. At last a feeble voice +replied, 'Thank you so much, dear Ratty! So good of you to inquire! But +first tell me how you are yourself, and the excellent Mole?' + +'O, WE'RE all right,' replied the Rat. 'Mole,' he added incautiously, +'is going out for a run round with Badger. They'll be out till luncheon +time, so you and I will spend a pleasant morning together, and I'll do +my best to amuse you. Now jump up, there's a good fellow, and don't lie +moping there on a fine morning like this!' + +'Dear, kind Rat,' murmured Toad, 'how little you realise my condition, +and how very far I am from "jumping up" now--if ever! But do not trouble +about me. I hate being a burden to my friends, and I do not expect to be +one much longer. Indeed, I almost hope not.' + +'Well, I hope not, too,' said the Rat heartily. 'You've been a fine +bother to us all this time, and I'm glad to hear it's going to stop. And +in weather like this, and the boating season just beginning! It's too +bad of you, Toad! It isn't the trouble we mind, but you're making us +miss such an awful lot.' + +'I'm afraid it IS the trouble you mind, though,' replied the Toad +languidly. 'I can quite understand it. It's natural enough. You're tired +of bothering about me. I mustn't ask you to do anything further. I'm a +nuisance, I know.' + +'You are, indeed,' said the Rat. 'But I tell you, I'd take any trouble +on earth for you, if only you'd be a sensible animal.' + +'If I thought that, Ratty,' murmured Toad, more feebly than ever, 'then +I would beg you--for the last time, probably--to step round to the +village as quickly as possible--even now it may be too late--and fetch +the doctor. But don't you bother. It's only a trouble, and perhaps we +may as well let things take their course.' + +'Why, what do you want a doctor for?' inquired the Rat, coming closer +and examining him. He certainly lay very still and flat, and his voice +was weaker and his manner much changed. + +'Surely you have noticed of late----' murmured Toad. 'But, no--why +should you? Noticing things is only a trouble. To-morrow, indeed, you +may be saying to yourself, "O, if only I had noticed sooner! If only I +had done something!" But no; it's a trouble. Never mind--forget that I +asked.' + +'Look here, old man,' said the Rat, beginning to get rather alarmed, 'of +course I'll fetch a doctor to you, if you really think you want him. But +you can hardly be bad enough for that yet. Let's talk about something +else.' + +'I fear, dear friend,' said Toad, with a sad smile, 'that "talk" can do +little in a case like this--or doctors either, for that matter; still, +one must grasp at the slightest straw. And, by the way--while you +are about it--I HATE to give you additional trouble, but I happen to +remember that you will pass the door--would you mind at the same time +asking the lawyer to step up? It would be a convenience to me, and there +are moments--perhaps I should say there is A moment--when one must face +disagreeable tasks, at whatever cost to exhausted nature!' + +'A lawyer! O, he must be really bad!' the affrighted Rat said to +himself, as he hurried from the room, not forgetting, however, to lock +the door carefully behind him. + +Outside, he stopped to consider. The other two were far away, and he had +no one to consult. + +'It's best to be on the safe side,' he said, on reflection. 'I've known +Toad fancy himself frightfully bad before, without the slightest reason; +but I've never heard him ask for a lawyer! If there's nothing really the +matter, the doctor will tell him he's an old ass, and cheer him up; and +that will be something gained. I'd better humour him and go; it won't +take very long.' So he ran off to the village on his errand of mercy. + +The Toad, who had hopped lightly out of bed as soon as he heard the +key turned in the lock, watched him eagerly from the window till he +disappeared down the carriage-drive. Then, laughing heartily, he dressed +as quickly as possible in the smartest suit he could lay hands on at the +moment, filled his pockets with cash which he took from a small drawer +in the dressing-table, and next, knotting the sheets from his bed +together and tying one end of the improvised rope round the central +mullion of the handsome Tudor window which formed such a feature of his +bedroom, he scrambled out, slid lightly to the ground, and, taking the +opposite direction to the Rat, marched off lightheartedly, whistling a +merry tune. + +It was a gloomy luncheon for Rat when the Badger and the Mole at +length returned, and he had to face them at table with his pitiful and +unconvincing story. The Badger's caustic, not to say brutal, remarks may +be imagined, and therefore passed over; but it was painful to the Rat +that even the Mole, though he took his friend's side as far as possible, +could not help saying, 'You've been a bit of a duffer this time, Ratty! +Toad, too, of all animals!' + +'He did it awfully well,' said the crestfallen Rat. + +'He did YOU awfully well!' rejoined the Badger hotly. 'However, talking +won't mend matters. He's got clear away for the time, that's certain; +and the worst of it is, he'll be so conceited with what he'll think is +his cleverness that he may commit any folly. One comfort is, we're free +now, and needn't waste any more of our precious time doing sentry-go. +But we'd better continue to sleep at Toad Hall for a while longer. +Toad may be brought back at any moment--on a stretcher, or between two +policemen.' + +So spoke the Badger, not knowing what the future held in store, or how +much water, and of how turbid a character, was to run under bridges +before Toad should sit at ease again in his ancestral Hall. + + +Meanwhile, Toad, gay and irresponsible, was walking briskly along the +high road, some miles from home. At first he had taken by-paths, and +crossed many fields, and changed his course several times, in case of +pursuit; but now, feeling by this time safe from recapture, and the sun +smiling brightly on him, and all Nature joining in a chorus of approval +to the song of self-praise that his own heart was singing to him, he +almost danced along the road in his satisfaction and conceit. + +'Smart piece of work that!' he remarked to himself chuckling. 'Brain +against brute force--and brain came out on the top--as it's bound to +do. Poor old Ratty! My! won't he catch it when the Badger gets back! +A worthy fellow, Ratty, with many good qualities, but very little +intelligence and absolutely no education. I must take him in hand some +day, and see if I can make something of him.' + +Filled full of conceited thoughts such as these he strode along, his +head in the air, till he reached a little town, where the sign of +'The Red Lion,' swinging across the road halfway down the main street, +reminded him that he had not breakfasted that day, and that he was +exceedingly hungry after his long walk. He marched into the Inn, ordered +the best luncheon that could be provided at so short a notice, and sat +down to eat it in the coffee-room. + +He was about half-way through his meal when an only too familiar sound, +approaching down the street, made him start and fall a-trembling all +over. The poop-poop! drew nearer and nearer, the car could be heard to +turn into the inn-yard and come to a stop, and Toad had to hold on to +the leg of the table to conceal his over-mastering emotion. Presently +the party entered the coffee-room, hungry, talkative, and gay, voluble +on their experiences of the morning and the merits of the chariot that +had brought them along so well. Toad listened eagerly, all ears, for a +time; at last he could stand it no longer. He slipped out of the +room quietly, paid his bill at the bar, and as soon as he got outside +sauntered round quietly to the inn-yard. 'There cannot be any harm,' he +said to himself, 'in my only just LOOKING at it!' + +The car stood in the middle of the yard, quite unattended, the +stable-helps and other hangers-on being all at their dinner. Toad walked +slowly round it, inspecting, criticising, musing deeply. + +'I wonder,' he said to himself presently, 'I wonder if this sort of car +STARTS easily?' + +Next moment, hardly knowing how it came about, he found he had hold of +the handle and was turning it. As the familiar sound broke forth, the +old passion seized on Toad and completely mastered him, body and soul. +As if in a dream he found himself, somehow, seated in the driver's seat; +as if in a dream, he pulled the lever and swung the car round the yard +and out through the archway; and, as if in a dream, all sense of +right and wrong, all fear of obvious consequences, seemed temporarily +suspended. He increased his pace, and as the car devoured the street +and leapt forth on the high road through the open country, he was only +conscious that he was Toad once more, Toad at his best and highest, Toad +the terror, the traffic-queller, the Lord of the lone trail, before whom +all must give way or be smitten into nothingness and everlasting night. +He chanted as he flew, and the car responded with sonorous drone; the +miles were eaten up under him as he sped he knew not whither, fulfilling +his instincts, living his hour, reckless of what might come to him. + + +* * * * * * + +'To my mind,' observed the Chairman of the Bench of Magistrates +cheerfully, 'the ONLY difficulty that presents itself in this otherwise +very clear case is, how we can possibly make it sufficiently hot for the +incorrigible rogue and hardened ruffian whom we see cowering in the +dock before us. Let me see: he has been found guilty, on the clearest +evidence, first, of stealing a valuable motor-car; secondly, of driving +to the public danger; and, thirdly, of gross impertinence to the rural +police. Mr. Clerk, will you tell us, please, what is the very stiffest +penalty we can impose for each of these offences? Without, of course, +giving the prisoner the benefit of any doubt, because there isn't any.' + +The Clerk scratched his nose with his pen. 'Some people would consider,' +he observed, 'that stealing the motor-car was the worst offence; and so +it is. But cheeking the police undoubtedly carries the severest penalty; +and so it ought. Supposing you were to say twelve months for the +theft, which is mild; and three years for the furious driving, which is +lenient; and fifteen years for the cheek, which was pretty bad sort of +cheek, judging by what we've heard from the witness-box, even if you +only believe one-tenth part of what you heard, and I never believe more +myself--those figures, if added together correctly, tot up to nineteen +years----' + +'First-rate!' said the Chairman. + +'--So you had better make it a round twenty years and be on the safe +side,' concluded the Clerk. + +'An excellent suggestion!' said the Chairman approvingly. 'Prisoner! +Pull yourself together and try and stand up straight. It's going to be +twenty years for you this time. And mind, if you appear before us +again, upon any charge whatever, we shall have to deal with you very +seriously!' + +Then the brutal minions of the law fell upon the hapless Toad; loaded +him with chains, and dragged him from the Court House, shrieking, +praying, protesting; across the marketplace, where the playful populace, +always as severe upon detected crime as they are sympathetic and helpful +when one is merely 'wanted,' assailed him with jeers, carrots, and +popular catch-words; past hooting school children, their innocent faces +lit up with the pleasure they ever derive from the sight of a gentleman +in difficulties; across the hollow-sounding drawbridge, below the spiky +portcullis, under the frowning archway of the grim old castle, whose +ancient towers soared high overhead; past guardrooms full of grinning +soldiery off duty, past sentries who coughed in a horrid, sarcastic +way, because that is as much as a sentry on his post dare do to show +his contempt and abhorrence of crime; up time-worn winding stairs, past +men-at-arms in casquet and corselet of steel, darting threatening looks +through their vizards; across courtyards, where mastiffs strained at +their leash and pawed the air to get at him; past ancient warders, their +halberds leant against the wall, dozing over a pasty and a flagon of +brown ale; on and on, past the rack-chamber and the thumbscrew-room, +past the turning that led to the private scaffold, till they reached +the door of the grimmest dungeon that lay in the heart of the innermost +keep. There at last they paused, where an ancient gaoler sat fingering a +bunch of mighty keys. + +'Oddsbodikins!' said the sergeant of police, taking off his helmet and +wiping his forehead. 'Rouse thee, old loon, and take over from us this +vile Toad, a criminal of deepest guilt and matchless artfulness and +resource. Watch and ward him with all thy skill; and mark thee well, +greybeard, should aught untoward befall, thy old head shall answer for +his--and a murrain on both of them!' + +The gaoler nodded grimly, laying his withered hand on the shoulder of +the miserable Toad. The rusty key creaked in the lock, the great door +clanged behind them; and Toad was a helpless prisoner in the remotest +dungeon of the best-guarded keep of the stoutest castle in all the +length and breadth of Merry England. + + + + +VII. THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN + +The Willow-Wren was twittering his thin little song, hidden himself in +the dark selvedge of the river bank. Though it was past ten o'clock +at night, the sky still clung to and retained some lingering skirts +of light from the departed day; and the sullen heats of the torrid +afternoon broke up and rolled away at the dispersing touch of the cool +fingers of the short midsummer night. Mole lay stretched on the bank, +still panting from the stress of the fierce day that had been cloudless +from dawn to late sunset, and waited for his friend to return. He had +been on the river with some companions, leaving the Water Rat free to +keep a engagement of long standing with Otter; and he had come back to +find the house dark and deserted, and no sign of Rat, who was doubtless +keeping it up late with his old comrade. It was still too hot to think +of staying indoors, so he lay on some cool dock-leaves, and thought over +the past day and its doings, and how very good they all had been. + +The Rat's light footfall was presently heard approaching over the +parched grass. 'O, the blessed coolness!' he said, and sat down, gazing +thoughtfully into the river, silent and pre-occupied. + +'You stayed to supper, of course?' said the Mole presently. + +'Simply had to,' said the Rat. 'They wouldn't hear of my going before. +You know how kind they always are. And they made things as jolly for me +as ever they could, right up to the moment I left. But I felt a brute +all the time, as it was clear to me they were very unhappy, though they +tried to hide it. Mole, I'm afraid they're in trouble. Little Portly is +missing again; and you know what a lot his father thinks of him, though +he never says much about it.' + +'What, that child?' said the Mole lightly. 'Well, suppose he is; why +worry about it? He's always straying off and getting lost, and turning +up again; he's so adventurous. But no harm ever happens to him. +Everybody hereabouts knows him and likes him, just as they do old Otter, +and you may be sure some animal or other will come across him and bring +him back again all right. Why, we've found him ourselves, miles from +home, and quite self-possessed and cheerful!' + +'Yes; but this time it's more serious,' said the Rat gravely. 'He's been +missing for some days now, and the Otters have hunted everywhere, high +and low, without finding the slightest trace. And they've asked every +animal, too, for miles around, and no one knows anything about him. +Otter's evidently more anxious than he'll admit. I got out of him that +young Portly hasn't learnt to swim very well yet, and I can see +he's thinking of the weir. There's a lot of water coming down still, +considering the time of the year, and the place always had a fascination +for the child. And then there are--well, traps and things--YOU know. +Otter's not the fellow to be nervous about any son of his before it's +time. And now he IS nervous. When I left, he came out with me--said he +wanted some air, and talked about stretching his legs. But I could see +it wasn't that, so I drew him out and pumped him, and got it all from +him at last. He was going to spend the night watching by the ford. You +know the place where the old ford used to be, in by-gone days before +they built the bridge?' + +'I know it well,' said the Mole. 'But why should Otter choose to watch +there?' + +'Well, it seems that it was there he gave Portly his first +swimming-lesson,' continued the Rat. 'From that shallow, gravelly spit +near the bank. And it was there he used to teach him fishing, and there +young Portly caught his first fish, of which he was so very proud. The +child loved the spot, and Otter thinks that if he came wandering +back from wherever he is--if he IS anywhere by this time, poor little +chap--he might make for the ford he was so fond of; or if he came across +it he'd remember it well, and stop there and play, perhaps. So Otter +goes there every night and watches--on the chance, you know, just on the +chance!' + +They were silent for a time, both thinking of the same thing--the +lonely, heart-sore animal, crouched by the ford, watching and waiting, +the long night through--on the chance. + +'Well, well,' said the Rat presently, 'I suppose we ought to be thinking +about turning in.' But he never offered to move. + +'Rat,' said the Mole, 'I simply can't go and turn in, and go to sleep, +and DO nothing, even though there doesn't seem to be anything to be +done. We'll get the boat out, and paddle up stream. The moon will be up +in an hour or so, and then we will search as well as we can--anyhow, it +will be better than going to bed and doing NOTHING.' + +'Just what I was thinking myself,' said the Rat. 'It's not the sort of +night for bed anyhow; and daybreak is not so very far off, and then we +may pick up some news of him from early risers as we go along.' + +They got the boat out, and the Rat took the sculls, paddling with +caution. Out in midstream, there was a clear, narrow track that faintly +reflected the sky; but wherever shadows fell on the water from bank, +bush, or tree, they were as solid to all appearance as the banks +themselves, and the Mole had to steer with judgment accordingly. Dark +and deserted as it was, the night was full of small noises, song and +chatter and rustling, telling of the busy little population who were +up and about, plying their trades and vocations through the night +till sunshine should fall on them at last and send them off to their +well-earned repose. The water's own noises, too, were more apparent than +by day, its gurglings and 'cloops' more unexpected and near at hand; +and constantly they started at what seemed a sudden clear call from an +actual articulate voice. + +The line of the horizon was clear and hard against the sky, and in +one particular quarter it showed black against a silvery climbing +phosphorescence that grew and grew. At last, over the rim of the waiting +earth the moon lifted with slow majesty till it swung clear of the +horizon and rode off, free of moorings; and once more they began to see +surfaces--meadows wide-spread, and quiet gardens, and the river itself +from bank to bank, all softly disclosed, all washed clean of mystery +and terror, all radiant again as by day, but with a difference that was +tremendous. Their old haunts greeted them again in other raiment, as if +they had slipped away and put on this pure new apparel and come quietly +back, smiling as they shyly waited to see if they would be recognised +again under it. + +Fastening their boat to a willow, the friends landed in this silent, +silver kingdom, and patiently explored the hedges, the hollow trees, +the runnels and their little culverts, the ditches and dry water-ways. +Embarking again and crossing over, they worked their way up the stream +in this manner, while the moon, serene and detached in a cloudless sky, +did what she could, though so far off, to help them in their quest; till +her hour came and she sank earthwards reluctantly, and left them, and +mystery once more held field and river. + +Then a change began slowly to declare itself. The horizon became +clearer, field and tree came more into sight, and somehow with a +different look; the mystery began to drop away from them. A bird piped +suddenly, and was still; and a light breeze sprang up and set the reeds +and bulrushes rustling. Rat, who was in the stern of the boat, while +Mole sculled, sat up suddenly and listened with a passionate intentness. +Mole, who with gentle strokes was just keeping the boat moving while he +scanned the banks with care, looked at him with curiosity. + +'It's gone!' sighed the Rat, sinking back in his seat again. 'So +beautiful and strange and new. Since it was to end so soon, I almost +wish I had never heard it. For it has roused a longing in me that is +pain, and nothing seems worth while but just to hear that sound once +more and go on listening to it for ever. No! There it is again!' he +cried, alert once more. Entranced, he was silent for a long space, +spellbound. + +'Now it passes on and I begin to lose it,' he said presently. 'O Mole! +the beauty of it! The merry bubble and joy, the thin, clear, happy call +of the distant piping! Such music I never dreamed of, and the call in +it is stronger even than the music is sweet! Row on, Mole, row! For the +music and the call must be for us.' + +The Mole, greatly wondering, obeyed. 'I hear nothing myself,' he said, +'but the wind playing in the reeds and rushes and osiers.' + +The Rat never answered, if indeed he heard. Rapt, transported, +trembling, he was possessed in all his senses by this new divine thing +that caught up his helpless soul and swung and dandled it, a powerless +but happy infant in a strong sustaining grasp. + +In silence Mole rowed steadily, and soon they came to a point where the +river divided, a long backwater branching off to one side. With a +slight movement of his head Rat, who had long dropped the rudder-lines, +directed the rower to take the backwater. The creeping tide of light +gained and gained, and now they could see the colour of the flowers that +gemmed the water's edge. + +'Clearer and nearer still,' cried the Rat joyously. 'Now you must surely +hear it! Ah--at last--I see you do!' + +Breathless and transfixed the Mole stopped rowing as the liquid run of +that glad piping broke on him like a wave, caught him up, and possessed +him utterly. He saw the tears on his comrade's cheeks, and bowed his +head and understood. For a space they hung there, brushed by the purple +loose-strife that fringed the bank; then the clear imperious summons +that marched hand-in-hand with the intoxicating melody imposed its will +on Mole, and mechanically he bent to his oars again. And the light grew +steadily stronger, but no birds sang as they were wont to do at the +approach of dawn; and but for the heavenly music all was marvellously +still. + +On either side of them, as they glided onwards, the rich meadow-grass +seemed that morning of a freshness and a greenness unsurpassable. Never +had they noticed the roses so vivid, the willow-herb so riotous, +the meadow-sweet so odorous and pervading. Then the murmur of the +approaching weir began to hold the air, and they felt a consciousness +that they were nearing the end, whatever it might be, that surely +awaited their expedition. + +A wide half-circle of foam and glinting lights and shining shoulders +of green water, the great weir closed the backwater from bank to +bank, troubled all the quiet surface with twirling eddies and floating +foam-streaks, and deadened all other sounds with its solemn and soothing +rumble. In midmost of the stream, embraced in the weir's shimmering +arm-spread, a small island lay anchored, fringed close with willow and +silver birch and alder. Reserved, shy, but full of significance, it hid +whatever it might hold behind a veil, keeping it till the hour should +come, and, with the hour, those who were called and chosen. + +Slowly, but with no doubt or hesitation whatever, and in something of a +solemn expectancy, the two animals passed through the broken tumultuous +water and moored their boat at the flowery margin of the island. In +silence they landed, and pushed through the blossom and scented herbage +and undergrowth that led up to the level ground, till they stood on +a little lawn of a marvellous green, set round with Nature's own +orchard-trees--crab-apple, wild cherry, and sloe. + +'This is the place of my song-dream, the place the music played to me,' +whispered the Rat, as if in a trance. 'Here, in this holy place, here if +anywhere, surely we shall find Him!' + +Then suddenly the Mole felt a great Awe fall upon him, an awe that +turned his muscles to water, bowed his head, and rooted his feet to the +ground. It was no panic terror--indeed he felt wonderfully at peace and +happy--but it was an awe that smote and held him and, without seeing, he +knew it could only mean that some august Presence was very, very near. +With difficulty he turned to look for his friend and saw him at his +side cowed, stricken, and trembling violently. And still there was utter +silence in the populous bird-haunted branches around them; and still the +light grew and grew. + +Perhaps he would never have dared to raise his eyes, but that, though +the piping was now hushed, the call and the summons seemed still +dominant and imperious. He might not refuse, were Death himself waiting +to strike him instantly, once he had looked with mortal eye on things +rightly kept hidden. Trembling he obeyed, and raised his humble head; +and then, in that utter clearness of the imminent dawn, while Nature, +flushed with fullness of incredible colour, seemed to hold her breath +for the event, he looked in the very eyes of the Friend and Helper; +saw the backward sweep of the curved horns, gleaming in the growing +daylight; saw the stern, hooked nose between the kindly eyes that were +looking down on them humourously, while the bearded mouth broke into a +half-smile at the corners; saw the rippling muscles on the arm that lay +across the broad chest, the long supple hand still holding the pan-pipes +only just fallen away from the parted lips; saw the splendid curves of +the shaggy limbs disposed in majestic ease on the sward; saw, last of +all, nestling between his very hooves, sleeping soundly in entire peace +and contentment, the little, round, podgy, childish form of the baby +otter. All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid +on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he +lived, he wondered. + +'Rat!' he found breath to whisper, shaking. 'Are you afraid?' + +'Afraid?' murmured the Rat, his eyes shining with unutterable love. +'Afraid! Of HIM? O, never, never! And yet--and yet--O, Mole, I am +afraid!' + +Then the two animals, crouching to the earth, bowed their heads and did +worship. + +Sudden and magnificent, the sun's broad golden disc showed itself over +the horizon facing them; and the first rays, shooting across the level +water-meadows, took the animals full in the eyes and dazzled them. When +they were able to look once more, the Vision had vanished, and the air +was full of the carol of birds that hailed the dawn. + +As they stared blankly in dumb misery deepening as they slowly realised +all they had seen and all they had lost, a capricious little breeze, +dancing up from the surface of the water, tossed the aspens, shook the +dewy roses and blew lightly and caressingly in their faces; and with its +soft touch came instant oblivion. For this is the last best gift +that the kindly demi-god is careful to bestow on those to whom he has +revealed himself in their helping: the gift of forgetfulness. Lest +the awful remembrance should remain and grow, and overshadow mirth and +pleasure, and the great haunting memory should spoil all the after-lives +of little animals helped out of difficulties, in order that they should +be happy and lighthearted as before. + +Mole rubbed his eyes and stared at Rat, who was looking about him in +a puzzled sort of way. 'I beg your pardon; what did you say, Rat?' he +asked. + +'I think I was only remarking,' said Rat slowly, 'that this was the +right sort of place, and that here, if anywhere, we should find him. And +look! Why, there he is, the little fellow!' And with a cry of delight he +ran towards the slumbering Portly. + +But Mole stood still a moment, held in thought. As one wakened suddenly +from a beautiful dream, who struggles to recall it, and can re-capture +nothing but a dim sense of the beauty of it, the beauty! Till that, too, +fades away in its turn, and the dreamer bitterly accepts the hard, cold +waking and all its penalties; so Mole, after struggling with his memory +for a brief space, shook his head sadly and followed the Rat. + +Portly woke up with a joyous squeak, and wriggled with pleasure at the +sight of his father's friends, who had played with him so often in past +days. In a moment, however, his face grew blank, and he fell to hunting +round in a circle with pleading whine. As a child that has fallen +happily asleep in its nurse's arms, and wakes to find itself alone and +laid in a strange place, and searches corners and cupboards, and runs +from room to room, despair growing silently in its heart, even so Portly +searched the island and searched, dogged and unwearying, till at last +the black moment came for giving it up, and sitting down and crying +bitterly. + +The Mole ran quickly to comfort the little animal; but Rat, lingering, +looked long and doubtfully at certain hoof-marks deep in the sward. + +'Some--great--animal--has been here,' he murmured slowly and +thoughtfully; and stood musing, musing; his mind strangely stirred. + +'Come along, Rat!' called the Mole. 'Think of poor Otter, waiting up +there by the ford!' + +Portly had soon been comforted by the promise of a treat--a jaunt on the +river in Mr. Rat's real boat; and the two animals conducted him to the +water's side, placed him securely between them in the bottom of the +boat, and paddled off down the backwater. The sun was fully up by now, +and hot on them, birds sang lustily and without restraint, and flowers +smiled and nodded from either bank, but somehow--so thought the +animals--with less of richness and blaze of colour than they seemed to +remember seeing quite recently somewhere--they wondered where. + +The main river reached again, they turned the boat's head upstream, +towards the point where they knew their friend was keeping his lonely +vigil. As they drew near the familiar ford, the Mole took the boat in +to the bank, and they lifted Portly out and set him on his legs on the +tow-path, gave him his marching orders and a friendly farewell pat on +the back, and shoved out into mid-stream. They watched the little animal +as he waddled along the path contentedly and with importance; watched +him till they saw his muzzle suddenly lift and his waddle break into a +clumsy amble as he quickened his pace with shrill whines and wriggles of +recognition. Looking up the river, they could see Otter start up, tense +and rigid, from out of the shallows where he crouched in dumb patience, +and could hear his amazed and joyous bark as he bounded up through the +osiers on to the path. Then the Mole, with a strong pull on one oar, +swung the boat round and let the full stream bear them down again +whither it would, their quest now happily ended. + +'I feel strangely tired, Rat,' said the Mole, leaning wearily over his +oars as the boat drifted. 'It's being up all night, you'll say, perhaps; +but that's nothing. We do as much half the nights of the week, at this +time of the year. No; I feel as if I had been through something very +exciting and rather terrible, and it was just over; and yet nothing +particular has happened.' + +'Or something very surprising and splendid and beautiful,' murmured the +Rat, leaning back and closing his eyes. 'I feel just as you do, Mole; +simply dead tired, though not body tired. It's lucky we've got the +stream with us, to take us home. Isn't it jolly to feel the sun again, +soaking into one's bones! And hark to the wind playing in the reeds!' + +'It's like music--far away music,' said the Mole nodding drowsily. + +'So I was thinking,' murmured the Rat, dreamful and languid. +'Dance-music--the lilting sort that runs on without a stop--but with +words in it, too--it passes into words and out of them again--I catch +them at intervals--then it is dance-music once more, and then nothing +but the reeds' soft thin whispering.' + +'You hear better than I,' said the Mole sadly. 'I cannot catch the +words.' + +'Let me try and give you them,' said the Rat softly, his eyes still +closed. 'Now it is turning into words again--faint but clear--Lest the +awe should dwell--And turn your frolic to fret--You shall look on my +power at the helping hour--But then you shall forget! Now the reeds take +it up--forget, forget, they sigh, and it dies away in a rustle and a +whisper. Then the voice returns-- + +'Lest limbs be reddened and rent--I spring the trap that is set--As I +loose the snare you may glimpse me there--For surely you shall forget! +Row nearer, Mole, nearer to the reeds! It is hard to catch, and grows +each minute fainter. + +'Helper and healer, I cheer--Small waifs in the woodland wet--Strays I +find in it, wounds I bind in it--Bidding them all forget! Nearer, Mole, +nearer! No, it is no good; the song has died away into reed-talk.' + +'But what do the words mean?' asked the wondering Mole. + +'That I do not know,' said the Rat simply. 'I passed them on to you +as they reached me. Ah! now they return again, and this time full and +clear! This time, at last, it is the real, the unmistakable thing, +simple--passionate--perfect----' + +'Well, let's have it, then,' said the Mole, after he had waited +patiently for a few minutes, half-dozing in the hot sun. + +But no answer came. He looked, and understood the silence. With a smile +of much happiness on his face, and something of a listening look still +lingering there, the weary Rat was fast asleep. + + + + +VIII. TOAD'S ADVENTURES + +When Toad found himself immured in a dank and noisome dungeon, and knew +that all the grim darkness of a medieval fortress lay between him and +the outer world of sunshine and well-metalled high roads where he had +lately been so happy, disporting himself as if he had bought up every +road in England, he flung himself at full length on the floor, and shed +bitter tears, and abandoned himself to dark despair. 'This is the end +of everything' (he said), 'at least it is the end of the career of Toad, +which is the same thing; the popular and handsome Toad, the rich and +hospitable Toad, the Toad so free and careless and debonair! How can I +hope to be ever set at large again' (he said), 'who have been imprisoned +so justly for stealing so handsome a motor-car in such an audacious +manner, and for such lurid and imaginative cheek, bestowed upon such a +number of fat, red-faced policemen!' (Here his sobs choked him.) 'Stupid +animal that I was' (he said), 'now I must languish in this dungeon, till +people who were proud to say they knew me, have forgotten the very name +of Toad! O wise old Badger!' (he said), 'O clever, intelligent Rat and +sensible Mole! What sound judgments, what a knowledge of men and matters +you possess! O unhappy and forsaken Toad!' With lamentations such as +these he passed his days and nights for several weeks, refusing his +meals or intermediate light refreshments, though the grim and ancient +gaoler, knowing that Toad's pockets were well lined, frequently pointed +out that many comforts, and indeed luxuries, could by arrangement be +sent in--at a price--from outside. + +Now the gaoler had a daughter, a pleasant wench and good-hearted, +who assisted her father in the lighter duties of his post. She was +particularly fond of animals, and, besides her canary, whose cage hung +on a nail in the massive wall of the keep by day, to the great annoyance +of prisoners who relished an after-dinner nap, and was shrouded in an +antimacassar on the parlour table at night, she kept several piebald +mice and a restless revolving squirrel. This kind-hearted girl, pitying +the misery of Toad, said to her father one day, 'Father! I can't bear to +see that poor beast so unhappy, and getting so thin! You let me have the +managing of him. You know how fond of animals I am. I'll make him eat +from my hand, and sit up, and do all sorts of things.' + +Her father replied that she could do what she liked with him. He was +tired of Toad, and his sulks and his airs and his meanness. So that day +she went on her errand of mercy, and knocked at the door of Toad's cell. + +'Now, cheer up, Toad,' she said, coaxingly, on entering, 'and sit up +and dry your eyes and be a sensible animal. And do try and eat a bit of +dinner. See, I've brought you some of mine, hot from the oven!' + +It was bubble-and-squeak, between two plates, and its fragrance filled +the narrow cell. The penetrating smell of cabbage reached the nose of +Toad as he lay prostrate in his misery on the floor, and gave him the +idea for a moment that perhaps life was not such a blank and desperate +thing as he had imagined. But still he wailed, and kicked with his legs, +and refused to be comforted. So the wise girl retired for the time, but, +of course, a good deal of the smell of hot cabbage remained behind, +as it will do, and Toad, between his sobs, sniffed and reflected, and +gradually began to think new and inspiring thoughts: of chivalry, +and poetry, and deeds still to be done; of broad meadows, and cattle +browsing in them, raked by sun and wind; of kitchen-gardens, and +straight herb-borders, and warm snap-dragon beset by bees; and of the +comforting clink of dishes set down on the table at Toad Hall, and the +scrape of chair-legs on the floor as every one pulled himself close up +to his work. The air of the narrow cell took a rosy tinge; he began to +think of his friends, and how they would surely be able to do something; +of lawyers, and how they would have enjoyed his case, and what an ass +he had been not to get in a few; and lastly, he thought of his own great +cleverness and resource, and all that he was capable of if he only gave +his great mind to it; and the cure was almost complete. + +When the girl returned, some hours later, she carried a tray, with a +cup of fragrant tea steaming on it; and a plate piled up with very hot +buttered toast, cut thick, very brown on both sides, with the butter +running through the holes in it in great golden drops, like honey from +the honeycomb. The smell of that buttered toast simply talked to Toad, +and with no uncertain voice; talked of warm kitchens, of breakfasts on +bright frosty mornings, of cosy parlour firesides on winter evenings, +when one's ramble was over and slippered feet were propped on the +fender; of the purring of contented cats, and the twitter of sleepy +canaries. Toad sat up on end once more, dried his eyes, sipped his tea +and munched his toast, and soon began talking freely about himself, and +the house he lived in, and his doings there, and how important he was, +and what a lot his friends thought of him. + +The gaoler's daughter saw that the topic was doing him as much good as +the tea, as indeed it was, and encouraged him to go on. + +'Tell me about Toad Hall,' said she. 'It sounds beautiful.' + +'Toad Hall,' said the Toad proudly, 'is an eligible self-contained +gentleman's residence very unique; dating in part from the fourteenth +century, but replete with every modern convenience. Up-to-date +sanitation. Five minutes from church, post-office, and golf-links, +Suitable for----' + +'Bless the animal,' said the girl, laughing, 'I don't want to TAKE it. +Tell me something REAL about it. But first wait till I fetch you some +more tea and toast.' + +She tripped away, and presently returned with a fresh trayful; and Toad, +pitching into the toast with avidity, his spirits quite restored to +their usual level, told her about the boathouse, and the fish-pond, and +the old walled kitchen-garden; and about the pig-styes, and the stables, +and the pigeon-house, and the hen-house; and about the dairy, and the +wash-house, and the china-cupboards, and the linen-presses (she liked +that bit especially); and about the banqueting-hall, and the fun they +had there when the other animals were gathered round the table and Toad +was at his best, singing songs, telling stories, carrying on generally. +Then she wanted to know about his animal-friends, and was very +interested in all he had to tell her about them and how they lived, and +what they did to pass their time. Of course, she did not say she was +fond of animals as PETS, because she had the sense to see that Toad +would be extremely offended. When she said good night, having filled his +water-jug and shaken up his straw for him, Toad was very much the same +sanguine, self-satisfied animal that he had been of old. He sang a +little song or two, of the sort he used to sing at his dinner-parties, +curled himself up in the straw, and had an excellent night's rest and +the pleasantest of dreams. + +They had many interesting talks together, after that, as the dreary days +went on; and the gaoler's daughter grew very sorry for Toad, and thought +it a great shame that a poor little animal should be locked up in prison +for what seemed to her a very trivial offence. Toad, of course, in +his vanity, thought that her interest in him proceeded from a growing +tenderness; and he could not help half-regretting that the social gulf +between them was so very wide, for she was a comely lass, and evidently +admired him very much. + +One morning the girl was very thoughtful, and answered at random, and +did not seem to Toad to be paying proper attention to his witty sayings +and sparkling comments. + +'Toad,' she said presently, 'just listen, please. I have an aunt who is +a washerwoman.' + +'There, there,' said Toad, graciously and affably, 'never mind; think no +more about it. _I_ have several aunts who OUGHT to be washerwomen.' + +'Do be quiet a minute, Toad,' said the girl. 'You talk too much, that's +your chief fault, and I'm trying to think, and you hurt my head. As I +said, I have an aunt who is a washerwoman; she does the washing for all +the prisoners in this castle--we try to keep any paying business of that +sort in the family, you understand. She takes out the washing on Monday +morning, and brings it in on Friday evening. This is a Thursday. Now, +this is what occurs to me: you're very rich--at least you're always +telling me so--and she's very poor. A few pounds wouldn't make any +difference to you, and it would mean a lot to her. Now, I think if she +were properly approached--squared, I believe is the word you animals +use--you could come to some arrangement by which she would let you have +her dress and bonnet and so on, and you could escape from the +castle as the official washerwoman. You're very alike in many +respects--particularly about the figure.' + +'We're NOT,' said the Toad in a huff. 'I have a very elegant figure--for +what I am.' + +'So has my aunt,' replied the girl, 'for what SHE is. But have it your +own way. You horrid, proud, ungrateful animal, when I'm sorry for you, +and trying to help you!' + +'Yes, yes, that's all right; thank you very much indeed,' said the Toad +hurriedly. 'But look here! you wouldn't surely have Mr. Toad of Toad +Hall, going about the country disguised as a washerwoman!' + +'Then you can stop here as a Toad,' replied the girl with much spirit. +'I suppose you want to go off in a coach-and-four!' + +Honest Toad was always ready to admit himself in the wrong. 'You are a +good, kind, clever girl,' he said, 'and I am indeed a proud and a stupid +toad. Introduce me to your worthy aunt, if you will be so kind, and +I have no doubt that the excellent lady and I will be able to arrange +terms satisfactory to both parties.' + +Next evening the girl ushered her aunt into Toad's cell, bearing his +week's washing pinned up in a towel. The old lady had been prepared +beforehand for the interview, and the sight of certain gold sovereigns +that Toad had thoughtfully placed on the table in full view practically +completed the matter and left little further to discuss. In return for +his cash, Toad received a cotton print gown, an apron, a shawl, and a +rusty black bonnet; the only stipulation the old lady made being that +she should be gagged and bound and dumped down in a corner. By this not +very convincing artifice, she explained, aided by picturesque fiction +which she could supply herself, she hoped to retain her situation, in +spite of the suspicious appearance of things. + +Toad was delighted with the suggestion. It would enable him to leave the +prison in some style, and with his reputation for being a desperate +and dangerous fellow untarnished; and he readily helped the gaoler's +daughter to make her aunt appear as much as possible the victim of +circumstances over which she had no control. + +'Now it's your turn, Toad,' said the girl. 'Take off that coat and +waistcoat of yours; you're fat enough as it is.' + +Shaking with laughter, she proceeded to 'hook-and-eye' him into the +cotton print gown, arranged the shawl with a professional fold, and tied +the strings of the rusty bonnet under his chin. + +'You're the very image of her,' she giggled, 'only I'm sure you never +looked half so respectable in all your life before. Now, good-bye, Toad, +and good luck. Go straight down the way you came up; and if any one says +anything to you, as they probably will, being but men, you can chaff +back a bit, of course, but remember you're a widow woman, quite alone in +the world, with a character to lose.' + +With a quaking heart, but as firm a footstep as he could command, +Toad set forth cautiously on what seemed to be a most hare-brained and +hazardous undertaking; but he was soon agreeably surprised to find how +easy everything was made for him, and a little humbled at the thought +that both his popularity, and the sex that seemed to inspire it, were +really another's. The washerwoman's squat figure in its familiar cotton +print seemed a passport for every barred door and grim gateway; even +when he hesitated, uncertain as to the right turning to take, he found +himself helped out of his difficulty by the warder at the next gate, +anxious to be off to his tea, summoning him to come along sharp and not +keep him waiting there all night. The chaff and the humourous sallies +to which he was subjected, and to which, of course, he had to provide +prompt and effective reply, formed, indeed, his chief danger; for Toad +was an animal with a strong sense of his own dignity, and the chaff +was mostly (he thought) poor and clumsy, and the humour of the sallies +entirely lacking. However, he kept his temper, though with great +difficulty, suited his retorts to his company and his supposed +character, and did his best not to overstep the limits of good taste. + +It seemed hours before he crossed the last courtyard, rejected the +pressing invitations from the last guardroom, and dodged the outspread +arms of the last warder, pleading with simulated passion for just one +farewell embrace. But at last he heard the wicket-gate in the great +outer door click behind him, felt the fresh air of the outer world upon +his anxious brow, and knew that he was free! + +Dizzy with the easy success of his daring exploit, he walked quickly +towards the lights of the town, not knowing in the least what he should +do next, only quite certain of one thing, that he must remove himself as +quickly as possible from the neighbourhood where the lady he was forced +to represent was so well-known and so popular a character. + +As he walked along, considering, his attention was caught by some red +and green lights a little way off, to one side of the town, and the +sound of the puffing and snorting of engines and the banging of shunted +trucks fell on his ear. 'Aha!' he thought, 'this is a piece of luck! +A railway station is the thing I want most in the whole world at this +moment; and what's more, I needn't go through the town to get it, and +shan't have to support this humiliating character by repartees which, +though thoroughly effective, do not assist one's sense of self-respect.' + +He made his way to the station accordingly, consulted a time-table, and +found that a train, bound more or less in the direction of his home, was +due to start in half-an-hour. 'More luck!' said Toad, his spirits rising +rapidly, and went off to the booking-office to buy his ticket. + +He gave the name of the station that he knew to be nearest to the +village of which Toad Hall was the principal feature, and mechanically +put his fingers, in search of the necessary money, where his waistcoat +pocket should have been. But here the cotton gown, which had nobly +stood by him so far, and which he had basely forgotten, intervened, and +frustrated his efforts. In a sort of nightmare he struggled with the +strange uncanny thing that seemed to hold his hands, turn all muscular +strivings to water, and laugh at him all the time; while other +travellers, forming up in a line behind, waited with impatience, +making suggestions of more or less value and comments of more or less +stringency and point. At last--somehow--he never rightly understood +how--he burst the barriers, attained the goal, arrived at where all +waistcoat pockets are eternally situated, and found--not only no money, +but no pocket to hold it, and no waistcoat to hold the pocket! + +To his horror he recollected that he had left both coat and waistcoat +behind him in his cell, and with them his pocket-book, money, keys, +watch, matches, pencil-case--all that makes life worth living, all that +distinguishes the many-pocketed animal, the lord of creation, from the +inferior one-pocketed or no-pocketed productions that hop or trip about +permissively, unequipped for the real contest. + +In his misery he made one desperate effort to carry the thing off, and, +with a return to his fine old manner--a blend of the Squire and the +College Don--he said, 'Look here! I find I've left my purse behind. Just +give me that ticket, will you, and I'll send the money on to-morrow? I'm +well-known in these parts.' + +The clerk stared at him and the rusty black bonnet a moment, and then +laughed. 'I should think you were pretty well known in these parts,' +he said, 'if you've tried this game on often. Here, stand away from the +window, please, madam; you're obstructing the other passengers!' + +An old gentleman who had been prodding him in the back for some moments +here thrust him away, and, what was worse, addressed him as his good +woman, which angered Toad more than anything that had occurred that +evening. + +Baffled and full of despair, he wandered blindly down the platform where +the train was standing, and tears trickled down each side of his nose. +It was hard, he thought, to be within sight of safety and almost of +home, and to be baulked by the want of a few wretched shillings and by +the pettifogging mistrustfulness of paid officials. Very soon his escape +would be discovered, the hunt would be up, he would be caught, reviled, +loaded with chains, dragged back again to prison and bread-and-water and +straw; his guards and penalties would be doubled; and O, what sarcastic +remarks the girl would make! What was to be done? He was not swift of +foot; his figure was unfortunately recognisable. Could he not squeeze +under the seat of a carriage? He had seen this method adopted by +schoolboys, when the journey-money provided by thoughtful parents had +been diverted to other and better ends. As he pondered, he found +himself opposite the engine, which was being oiled, wiped, and generally +caressed by its affectionate driver, a burly man with an oil-can in one +hand and a lump of cotton-waste in the other. + +'Hullo, mother!' said the engine-driver, 'what's the trouble? You don't +look particularly cheerful.' + +'O, sir!' said Toad, crying afresh, 'I am a poor unhappy washerwoman, +and I've lost all my money, and can't pay for a ticket, and I must get +home to-night somehow, and whatever I am to do I don't know. O dear, O +dear!' + +'That's a bad business, indeed,' said the engine-driver reflectively. +'Lost your money--and can't get home--and got some kids, too, waiting +for you, I dare say?' + +'Any amount of 'em,' sobbed Toad. 'And they'll be hungry--and +playing with matches--and upsetting lamps, the little innocents!--and +quarrelling, and going on generally. O dear, O dear!' + +'Well, I'll tell you what I'll do,' said the good engine-driver. 'You're +a washerwoman to your trade, says you. Very well, that's that. And +I'm an engine-driver, as you well may see, and there's no denying it's +terribly dirty work. Uses up a power of shirts, it does, till my missus +is fair tired of washing of 'em. If you'll wash a few shirts for me when +you get home, and send 'em along, I'll give you a ride on my engine. +It's against the Company's regulations, but we're not so very particular +in these out-of-the-way parts.' + +The Toad's misery turned into rapture as he eagerly scrambled up into +the cab of the engine. Of course, he had never washed a shirt in his +life, and couldn't if he tried and, anyhow, he wasn't going to begin; +but he thought: 'When I get safely home to Toad Hall, and have money +again, and pockets to put it in, I will send the engine-driver enough to +pay for quite a quantity of washing, and that will be the same thing, or +better.' + +The guard waved his welcome flag, the engine-driver whistled in +cheerful response, and the train moved out of the station. As the speed +increased, and the Toad could see on either side of him real fields, and +trees, and hedges, and cows, and horses, all flying past him, and as +he thought how every minute was bringing him nearer to Toad Hall, and +sympathetic friends, and money to chink in his pocket, and a soft bed +to sleep in, and good things to eat, and praise and admiration at the +recital of his adventures and his surpassing cleverness, he began to +skip up and down and shout and sing snatches of song, to the great +astonishment of the engine-driver, who had come across washerwomen +before, at long intervals, but never one at all like this. + +They had covered many and many a mile, and Toad was already considering +what he would have for supper as soon as he got home, when he noticed +that the engine-driver, with a puzzled expression on his face, was +leaning over the side of the engine and listening hard. Then he saw him +climb on to the coals and gaze out over the top of the train; then he +returned and said to Toad: 'It's very strange; we're the last train +running in this direction to-night, yet I could be sworn that I heard +another following us!' + +Toad ceased his frivolous antics at once. He became grave and depressed, +and a dull pain in the lower part of his spine, communicating itself to +his legs, made him want to sit down and try desperately not to think of +all the possibilities. + +By this time the moon was shining brightly, and the engine-driver, +steadying himself on the coal, could command a view of the line behind +them for a long distance. + +Presently he called out, 'I can see it clearly now! It is an engine, on +our rails, coming along at a great pace! It looks as if we were being +pursued!' + +The miserable Toad, crouching in the coal-dust, tried hard to think of +something to do, with dismal want of success. + +'They are gaining on us fast!' cried the engine-driver. And the engine +is crowded with the queerest lot of people! Men like ancient warders, +waving halberds; policemen in their helmets, waving truncheons; and +shabbily dressed men in pot-hats, obvious and unmistakable plain-clothes +detectives even at this distance, waving revolvers and walking-sticks; +all waving, and all shouting the same thing--"Stop, stop, stop!"' + +Then Toad fell on his knees among the coals and, raising his clasped +paws in supplication, cried, 'Save me, only save me, dear kind Mr. +Engine-driver, and I will confess everything! I am not the simple +washerwoman I seem to be! I have no children waiting for me, innocent +or otherwise! I am a toad--the well-known and popular Mr. Toad, a landed +proprietor; I have just escaped, by my great daring and cleverness, from +a loathsome dungeon into which my enemies had flung me; and if +those fellows on that engine recapture me, it will be chains and +bread-and-water and straw and misery once more for poor, unhappy, +innocent Toad!' + +The engine-driver looked down upon him very sternly, and said, 'Now tell +the truth; what were you put in prison for?' + +'It was nothing very much,' said poor Toad, colouring deeply. 'I only +borrowed a motorcar while the owners were at lunch; they had no need +of it at the time. I didn't mean to steal it, really; but +people--especially magistrates--take such harsh views of thoughtless and +high-spirited actions.' + +The engine-driver looked very grave and said, 'I fear that you have been +indeed a wicked toad, and by rights I ought to give you up to offended +justice. But you are evidently in sore trouble and distress, so I will +not desert you. I don't hold with motor-cars, for one thing; and I don't +hold with being ordered about by policemen when I'm on my own engine, +for another. And the sight of an animal in tears always makes me feel +queer and softhearted. So cheer up, Toad! I'll do my best, and we may +beat them yet!' + +They piled on more coals, shovelling furiously; the furnace roared, the +sparks flew, the engine leapt and swung but still their pursuers slowly +gained. The engine-driver, with a sigh, wiped his brow with a handful +of cotton-waste, and said, 'I'm afraid it's no good, Toad. You see, they +are running light, and they have the better engine. There's just one +thing left for us to do, and it's your only chance, so attend very +carefully to what I tell you. A short way ahead of us is a long tunnel, +and on the other side of that the line passes through a thick wood. +Now, I will put on all the speed I can while we are running through the +tunnel, but the other fellows will slow down a bit, naturally, for fear +of an accident. When we are through, I will shut off steam and put on +brakes as hard as I can, and the moment it's safe to do so you must jump +and hide in the wood, before they get through the tunnel and see you. +Then I will go full speed ahead again, and they can chase me if they +like, for as long as they like, and as far as they like. Now mind and be +ready to jump when I tell you!' + +They piled on more coals, and the train shot into the tunnel, and the +engine rushed and roared and rattled, till at last they shot out at the +other end into fresh air and the peaceful moonlight, and saw the wood +lying dark and helpful upon either side of the line. The driver shut off +steam and put on brakes, the Toad got down on the step, and as the train +slowed down to almost a walking pace he heard the driver call out, 'Now, +jump!' + +Toad jumped, rolled down a short embankment, picked himself up unhurt, +scrambled into the wood and hid. + +Peeping out, he saw his train get up speed again and disappear at a +great pace. Then out of the tunnel burst the pursuing engine, roaring +and whistling, her motley crew waving their various weapons and +shouting, 'Stop! stop! stop!' When they were past, the Toad had a hearty +laugh--for the first time since he was thrown into prison. + +But he soon stopped laughing when he came to consider that it was now +very late and dark and cold, and he was in an unknown wood, with no +money and no chance of supper, and still far from friends and home; and +the dead silence of everything, after the roar and rattle of the train, +was something of a shock. He dared not leave the shelter of the trees, +so he struck into the wood, with the idea of leaving the railway as far +as possible behind him. + +After so many weeks within walls, he found the wood strange and +unfriendly and inclined, he thought, to make fun of him. Night-jars, +sounding their mechanical rattle, made him think that the wood was full +of searching warders, closing in on him. An owl, swooping noiselessly +towards him, brushed his shoulder with its wing, making him jump with +the horrid certainty that it was a hand; then flitted off, moth-like, +laughing its low ho! ho! ho; which Toad thought in very poor taste. Once +he met a fox, who stopped, looked him up and down in a sarcastic sort +of way, and said, 'Hullo, washerwoman! Half a pair of socks and a +pillow-case short this week! Mind it doesn't occur again!' and swaggered +off, sniggering. Toad looked about for a stone to throw at him, but +could not succeed in finding one, which vexed him more than anything. +At last, cold, hungry, and tired out, he sought the shelter of a hollow +tree, where with branches and dead leaves he made himself as comfortable +a bed as he could, and slept soundly till the morning. + + + + +IX. WAYFARERS ALL + +The Water Rat was restless, and he did not exactly know why. To all +appearance the summer's pomp was still at fullest height, and although +in the tilled acres green had given way to gold, though rowans were +reddening, and the woods were dashed here and there with a tawny +fierceness, yet light and warmth and colour were still present in +undiminished measure, clean of any chilly premonitions of the passing +year. But the constant chorus of the orchards and hedges had shrunk to +a casual evensong from a few yet unwearied performers; the robin was +beginning to assert himself once more; and there was a feeling in +the air of change and departure. The cuckoo, of course, had long been +silent; but many another feathered friend, for months a part of the +familiar landscape and its small society, was missing too and it seemed +that the ranks thinned steadily day by day. Rat, ever observant of all +winged movement, saw that it was taking daily a southing tendency; and +even as he lay in bed at night he thought he could make out, passing +in the darkness overhead, the beat and quiver of impatient pinions, +obedient to the peremptory call. + +Nature's Grand Hotel has its Season, like the others. As the guests one +by one pack, pay, and depart, and the seats at the table-d'hote shrink +pitifully at each succeeding meal; as suites of rooms are closed, +carpets taken up, and waiters sent away; those boarders who are staying +on, en pension, until the next year's full re-opening, cannot help +being somewhat affected by all these flittings and farewells, this eager +discussion of plans, routes, and fresh quarters, this daily shrinkage in +the stream of comradeship. One gets unsettled, depressed, and inclined +to be querulous. Why this craving for change? Why not stay on quietly +here, like us, and be jolly? You don't know this hotel out of the +season, and what fun we have among ourselves, we fellows who remain and +see the whole interesting year out. All very true, no doubt the others +always reply; we quite envy you--and some other year perhaps--but just +now we have engagements--and there's the bus at the door--our time is +up! So they depart, with a smile and a nod, and we miss them, and feel +resentful. The Rat was a self-sufficing sort of animal, rooted to the +land, and, whoever went, he stayed; still, he could not help noticing +what was in the air, and feeling some of its influence in his bones. + +It was difficult to settle down to anything seriously, with all this +flitting going on. Leaving the water-side, where rushes stood thick +and tall in a stream that was becoming sluggish and low, he wandered +country-wards, crossed a field or two of pasturage already looking dusty +and parched, and thrust into the great sea of wheat, yellow, wavy, and +murmurous, full of quiet motion and small whisperings. Here he often +loved to wander, through the forest of stiff strong stalks that carried +their own golden sky away over his head--a sky that was always dancing, +shimmering, softly talking; or swaying strongly to the passing wind and +recovering itself with a toss and a merry laugh. Here, too, he had +many small friends, a society complete in itself, leading full and busy +lives, but always with a spare moment to gossip, and exchange news with +a visitor. Today, however, though they were civil enough, the field-mice +and harvest-mice seemed preoccupied. Many were digging and tunnelling +busily; others, gathered together in small groups, examined plans +and drawings of small flats, stated to be desirable and compact, and +situated conveniently near the Stores. Some were hauling out dusty +trunks and dress-baskets, others were already elbow-deep packing their +belongings; while everywhere piles and bundles of wheat, oats, barley, +beech-mast and nuts, lay about ready for transport. + +'Here's old Ratty!' they cried as soon as they saw him. 'Come and bear a +hand, Rat, and don't stand about idle!' + +'What sort of games are you up to?' said the Water Rat severely. 'You +know it isn't time to be thinking of winter quarters yet, by a long +way!' + +'O yes, we know that,' explained a field-mouse rather shamefacedly; 'but +it's always as well to be in good time, isn't it? We really MUST get +all the furniture and baggage and stores moved out of this before those +horrid machines begin clicking round the fields; and then, you know, +the best flats get picked up so quickly nowadays, and if you're late you +have to put up with ANYTHING; and they want such a lot of doing up, too, +before they're fit to move into. Of course, we're early, we know that; +but we're only just making a start.' + +'O, bother STARTS,' said the Rat. 'It's a splendid day. Come for a row, +or a stroll along the hedges, or a picnic in the woods, or something.' + +'Well, I THINK not TO-DAY, thank you,' replied the field-mouse +hurriedly. 'Perhaps some OTHER day--when we've more TIME----' + +The Rat, with a snort of contempt, swung round to go, tripped over a +hat-box, and fell, with undignified remarks. + +'If people would be more careful,' said a field-mouse rather stiffly, +'and look where they're going, people wouldn't hurt themselves--and +forget themselves. Mind that hold-all, Rat! You'd better sit down +somewhere. In an hour or two we may be more free to attend to you.' + +'You won't be "free" as you call it much this side of Christmas, I can +see that,' retorted the Rat grumpily, as he picked his way out of the +field. + +He returned somewhat despondently to his river again--his faithful, +steady-going old river, which never packed up, flitted, or went into +winter quarters. + +In the osiers which fringed the bank he spied a swallow sitting. +Presently it was joined by another, and then by a third; and the birds, +fidgeting restlessly on their bough, talked together earnestly and low. + +'What, ALREADY,' said the Rat, strolling up to them. 'What's the hurry? +I call it simply ridiculous.' + +'O, we're not off yet, if that's what you mean,' replied the first +swallow. 'We're only making plans and arranging things. Talking it over, +you know--what route we're taking this year, and where we'll stop, and +so on. That's half the fun!' + +'Fun?' said the Rat; 'now that's just what I don't understand. If you've +GOT to leave this pleasant place, and your friends who will miss you, +and your snug homes that you've just settled into, why, when the hour +strikes I've no doubt you'll go bravely, and face all the trouble and +discomfort and change and newness, and make believe that you're not very +unhappy. But to want to talk about it, or even think about it, till you +really need----' + +'No, you don't understand, naturally,' said the second swallow. 'First, +we feel it stirring within us, a sweet unrest; then back come the +recollections one by one, like homing pigeons. They flutter through our +dreams at night, they fly with us in our wheelings and circlings by +day. We hunger to inquire of each other, to compare notes and assure +ourselves that it was all really true, as one by one the scents and +sounds and names of long-forgotten places come gradually back and beckon +to us.' + +'Couldn't you stop on for just this year?' suggested the Water Rat, +wistfully. 'We'll all do our best to make you feel at home. You've no +idea what good times we have here, while you are far away.' + +'I tried "stopping on" one year,' said the third swallow. 'I had grown +so fond of the place that when the time came I hung back and let the +others go on without me. For a few weeks it was all well enough, but +afterwards, O the weary length of the nights! The shivering, sunless +days! The air so clammy and chill, and not an insect in an acre of it! +No, it was no good; my courage broke down, and one cold, stormy night I +took wing, flying well inland on account of the strong easterly gales. +It was snowing hard as I beat through the passes of the great mountains, +and I had a stiff fight to win through; but never shall I forget the +blissful feeling of the hot sun again on my back as I sped down to the +lakes that lay so blue and placid below me, and the taste of my first +fat insect! The past was like a bad dream; the future was all happy +holiday as I moved southwards week by week, easily, lazily, lingering as +long as I dared, but always heeding the call! No, I had had my warning; +never again did I think of disobedience.' + +'Ah, yes, the call of the South, of the South!' twittered the other two +dreamily. 'Its songs its hues, its radiant air! O, do you remember----' +and, forgetting the Rat, they slid into passionate reminiscence, while +he listened fascinated, and his heart burned within him. In himself, +too, he knew that it was vibrating at last, that chord hitherto dormant +and unsuspected. The mere chatter of these southern-bound birds, their +pale and second-hand reports, had yet power to awaken this wild new +sensation and thrill him through and through with it; what would one +moment of the real thing work in him--one passionate touch of the real +southern sun, one waft of the authentic odor? With closed eyes he dared +to dream a moment in full abandonment, and when he looked again the +river seemed steely and chill, the green fields grey and lightless. Then +his loyal heart seemed to cry out on his weaker self for its treachery. + +'Why do you ever come back, then, at all?' he demanded of the swallows +jealously. 'What do you find to attract you in this poor drab little +country?' + +'And do you think,' said the first swallow, 'that the other call is +not for us too, in its due season? The call of lush meadow-grass, wet +orchards, warm, insect-haunted ponds, of browsing cattle, of haymaking, +and all the farm-buildings clustering round the House of the perfect +Eaves?' + +'Do you suppose,' asked the second one, that you are the only living +thing that craves with a hungry longing to hear the cuckoo's note +again?' + +'In due time,' said the third, 'we shall be home-sick once more for +quiet water-lilies swaying on the surface of an English stream. But +to-day all that seems pale and thin and very far away. Just now our +blood dances to other music.' + +They fell a-twittering among themselves once more, and this time their +intoxicating babble was of violet seas, tawny sands, and lizard-haunted +walls. + +Restlessly the Rat wandered off once more, climbed the slope that rose +gently from the north bank of the river, and lay looking out towards +the great ring of Downs that barred his vision further southwards--his +simple horizon hitherto, his Mountains of the Moon, his limit behind +which lay nothing he had cared to see or to know. To-day, to him gazing +South with a new-born need stirring in his heart, the clear sky over +their long low outline seemed to pulsate with promise; to-day, the +unseen was everything, the unknown the only real fact of life. On this +side of the hills was now the real blank, on the other lay the crowded +and coloured panorama that his inner eye was seeing so clearly. What +seas lay beyond, green, leaping, and crested! What sun-bathed coasts, +along which the white villas glittered against the olive woods! What +quiet harbours, thronged with gallant shipping bound for purple islands +of wine and spice, islands set low in languorous waters! + +He rose and descended river-wards once more; then changed his mind +and sought the side of the dusty lane. There, lying half-buried in the +thick, cool under-hedge tangle that bordered it, he could muse on the +metalled road and all the wondrous world that it led to; on all the +wayfarers, too, that might have trodden it, and the fortunes and +adventures they had gone to seek or found unseeking--out there, +beyond--beyond! + +Footsteps fell on his ear, and the figure of one that walked somewhat +wearily came into view; and he saw that it was a Rat, and a very dusty +one. The wayfarer, as he reached him, saluted with a gesture of courtesy +that had something foreign about it--hesitated a moment--then with a +pleasant smile turned from the track and sat down by his side in the +cool herbage. He seemed tired, and the Rat let him rest unquestioned, +understanding something of what was in his thoughts; knowing, too, the +value all animals attach at times to mere silent companionship, when the +weary muscles slacken and the mind marks time. + +The wayfarer was lean and keen-featured, and somewhat bowed at the +shoulders; his paws were thin and long, his eyes much wrinkled at the +corners, and he wore small gold ear rings in his neatly-set well-shaped +ears. His knitted jersey was of a faded blue, his breeches, patched and +stained, were based on a blue foundation, and his small belongings that +he carried were tied up in a blue cotton handkerchief. + +When he had rested awhile the stranger sighed, snuffed the air, and +looked about him. + +'That was clover, that warm whiff on the breeze,' he remarked; 'and +those are cows we hear cropping the grass behind us and blowing softly +between mouthfuls. There is a sound of distant reapers, and yonder +rises a blue line of cottage smoke against the woodland. The river runs +somewhere close by, for I hear the call of a moorhen, and I see by your +build that you're a freshwater mariner. Everything seems asleep, and +yet going on all the time. It is a goodly life that you lead, friend; no +doubt the best in the world, if only you are strong enough to lead it!' + +'Yes, it's THE life, the only life, to live,' responded the Water Rat +dreamily, and without his usual whole-hearted conviction. + +'I did not say exactly that,' replied the stranger cautiously; 'but no +doubt it's the best. I've tried it, and I know. And because I've just +tried it--six months of it--and know it's the best, here am I, footsore +and hungry, tramping away from it, tramping southward, following the old +call, back to the old life, THE life which is mine and which will not +let me go.' + +'Is this, then, yet another of them?' mused the Rat. 'And where have +you just come from?' he asked. He hardly dared to ask where he was bound +for; he seemed to know the answer only too well. + +'Nice little farm,' replied the wayfarer, briefly. 'Upalong in that +direction'--he nodded northwards. 'Never mind about it. I had everything +I could want--everything I had any right to expect of life, and more; +and here I am! Glad to be here all the same, though, glad to be here! +So many miles further on the road, so many hours nearer to my heart's +desire!' + +His shining eyes held fast to the horizon, and he seemed to be listening +for some sound that was wanting from that inland acreage, vocal as it +was with the cheerful music of pasturage and farmyard. + +'You are not one of US,' said the Water Rat, 'nor yet a farmer; nor +even, I should judge, of this country.' + +'Right,' replied the stranger. 'I'm a seafaring rat, I am, and the +port I originally hail from is Constantinople, though I'm a sort of a +foreigner there too, in a manner of speaking. You will have heard of +Constantinople, friend? A fair city, and an ancient and glorious one. +And you may have heard, too, of Sigurd, King of Norway, and how he +sailed thither with sixty ships, and how he and his men rode up through +streets all canopied in their honour with purple and gold; and how the +Emperor and Empress came down and banqueted with him on board his ship. +When Sigurd returned home, many of his Northmen remained behind and +entered the Emperor's body-guard, and my ancestor, a Norwegian born, +stayed behind too, with the ships that Sigurd gave the Emperor. +Seafarers we have ever been, and no wonder; as for me, the city of my +birth is no more my home than any pleasant port between there and the +London River. I know them all, and they know me. Set me down on any of +their quays or foreshores, and I am home again.' + +'I suppose you go great voyages,' said the Water Rat with growing +interest. 'Months and months out of sight of land, and provisions +running short, and allowanced as to water, and your mind communing with +the mighty ocean, and all that sort of thing?' + +'By no means,' said the Sea Rat frankly. 'Such a life as you describe +would not suit me at all. I'm in the coasting trade, and rarely out of +sight of land. It's the jolly times on shore that appeal to me, as much +as any seafaring. O, those southern seaports! The smell of them, the +riding-lights at night, the glamour!' + +'Well, perhaps you have chosen the better way,' said the Water Rat, but +rather doubtfully. 'Tell me something of your coasting, then, if you +have a mind to, and what sort of harvest an animal of spirit might hope +to bring home from it to warm his latter days with gallant memories by +the fireside; for my life, I confess to you, feels to me to-day somewhat +narrow and circumscribed.' + +'My last voyage,' began the Sea Rat, 'that landed me eventually in this +country, bound with high hopes for my inland farm, will serve as a good +example of any of them, and, indeed, as an epitome of my highly-coloured +life. Family troubles, as usual, began it. The domestic storm-cone was +hoisted, and I shipped myself on board a small trading vessel bound from +Constantinople, by classic seas whose every wave throbs with a deathless +memory, to the Grecian Islands and the Levant. Those were golden days +and balmy nights! In and out of harbour all the time--old friends +everywhere--sleeping in some cool temple or ruined cistern during the +heat of the day--feasting and song after sundown, under great stars +set in a velvet sky! Thence we turned and coasted up the Adriatic, its +shores swimming in an atmosphere of amber, rose, and aquamarine; we +lay in wide land-locked harbours, we roamed through ancient and noble +cities, until at last one morning, as the sun rose royally behind us, we +rode into Venice down a path of gold. O, Venice is a fine city, wherein +a rat can wander at his ease and take his pleasure! Or, when weary of +wandering, can sit at the edge of the Grand Canal at night, feasting +with his friends, when the air is full of music and the sky full of +stars, and the lights flash and shimmer on the polished steel prows of +the swaying gondolas, packed so that you could walk across the canal on +them from side to side! And then the food--do you like shellfish? Well, +well, we won't linger over that now.' + +He was silent for a time; and the Water Rat, silent too and enthralled, +floated on dream-canals and heard a phantom song pealing high between +vaporous grey wave-lapped walls. + +'Southwards we sailed again at last,' continued the Sea Rat, 'coasting +down the Italian shore, till finally we made Palermo, and there I +quitted for a long, happy spell on shore. I never stick too long to one +ship; one gets narrow-minded and prejudiced. Besides, Sicily is one of +my happy hunting-grounds. I know everybody there, and their ways just +suit me. I spent many jolly weeks in the island, staying with friends up +country. When I grew restless again I took advantage of a ship that was +trading to Sardinia and Corsica; and very glad I was to feel the fresh +breeze and the sea-spray in my face once more.' + +'But isn't it very hot and stuffy, down in the--hold, I think you call +it?' asked the Water Rat. + +The seafarer looked at him with the suspicion of a wink. 'I'm an old +hand,' he remarked with much simplicity. 'The captain's cabin's good +enough for me.' + +'It's a hard life, by all accounts,' murmured the Rat, sunk in deep +thought. + +'For the crew it is,' replied the seafarer gravely, again with the ghost +of a wink. + +'From Corsica,' he went on, 'I made use of a ship that was taking wine +to the mainland. We made Alassio in the evening, lay to, hauled up our +wine-casks, and hove them overboard, tied one to the other by a long +line. Then the crew took to the boats and rowed shorewards, singing as +they went, and drawing after them the long bobbing procession of casks, +like a mile of porpoises. On the sands they had horses waiting, which +dragged the casks up the steep street of the little town with a fine +rush and clatter and scramble. When the last cask was in, we went and +refreshed and rested, and sat late into the night, drinking with our +friends, and next morning I took to the great olive-woods for a spell +and a rest. For now I had done with islands for the time, and ports and +shipping were plentiful; so I led a lazy life among the peasants, lying +and watching them work, or stretched high on the hillside with the blue +Mediterranean far below me. And so at length, by easy stages, and partly +on foot, partly by sea, to Marseilles, and the meeting of old shipmates, +and the visiting of great ocean-bound vessels, and feasting once +more. Talk of shell-fish! Why, sometimes I dream of the shell-fish of +Marseilles, and wake up crying!' + +'That reminds me,' said the polite Water Rat; 'you happened to mention +that you were hungry, and I ought to have spoken earlier. Of course, you +will stop and take your midday meal with me? My hole is close by; it is +some time past noon, and you are very welcome to whatever there is.' + +'Now I call that kind and brotherly of you,' said the Sea Rat. 'I was +indeed hungry when I sat down, and ever since I inadvertently happened +to mention shell-fish, my pangs have been extreme. But couldn't you +fetch it along out here? I am none too fond of going under hatches, +unless I'm obliged to; and then, while we eat, I could tell you more +concerning my voyages and the pleasant life I lead--at least, it is very +pleasant to me, and by your attention I judge it commends itself to you; +whereas if we go indoors it is a hundred to one that I shall presently +fall asleep.' + +'That is indeed an excellent suggestion,' said the Water Rat, and +hurried off home. There he got out the luncheon-basket and packed +a simple meal, in which, remembering the stranger's origin and +preferences, he took care to include a yard of long French bread, a +sausage out of which the garlic sang, some cheese which lay down +and cried, and a long-necked straw-covered flask wherein lay bottled +sunshine shed and garnered on far Southern slopes. Thus laden, he +returned with all speed, and blushed for pleasure at the old seaman's +commendations of his taste and judgment, as together they unpacked the +basket and laid out the contents on the grass by the roadside. + +The Sea Rat, as soon as his hunger was somewhat assuaged, continued the +history of his latest voyage, conducting his simple hearer from port to +port of Spain, landing him at Lisbon, Oporto, and Bordeaux, introducing +him to the pleasant harbours of Cornwall and Devon, and so up the +Channel to that final quayside, where, landing after winds long +contrary, storm-driven and weather-beaten, he had caught the first +magical hints and heraldings of another Spring, and, fired by these, had +sped on a long tramp inland, hungry for the experiment of life on some +quiet farmstead, very far from the weary beating of any sea. + +Spell-bound and quivering with excitement, the Water Rat followed +the Adventurer league by league, over stormy bays, through crowded +roadsteads, across harbour bars on a racing tide, up winding rivers that +hid their busy little towns round a sudden turn; and left him with a +regretful sigh planted at his dull inland farm, about which he desired +to hear nothing. + +By this time their meal was over, and the Seafarer, refreshed and +strengthened, his voice more vibrant, his eye lit with a brightness that +seemed caught from some far-away sea-beacon, filled his glass with the +red and glowing vintage of the South, and, leaning towards the Water +Rat, compelled his gaze and held him, body and soul, while he talked. +Those eyes were of the changing foam-streaked grey-green of leaping +Northern seas; in the glass shone a hot ruby that seemed the very +heart of the South, beating for him who had courage to respond to its +pulsation. The twin lights, the shifting grey and the steadfast red, +mastered the Water Rat and held him bound, fascinated, powerless. The +quiet world outside their rays receded far away and ceased to be. And +the talk, the wonderful talk flowed on--or was it speech entirely, +or did it pass at times into song--chanty of the sailors weighing the +dripping anchor, sonorous hum of the shrouds in a tearing North-Easter, +ballad of the fisherman hauling his nets at sundown against an apricot +sky, chords of guitar and mandoline from gondola or caique? Did it +change into the cry of the wind, plaintive at first, angrily shrill as +it freshened, rising to a tearing whistle, sinking to a musical trickle +of air from the leech of the bellying sail? All these sounds the +spell-bound listener seemed to hear, and with them the hungry complaint +of the gulls and the sea-mews, the soft thunder of the breaking wave, +the cry of the protesting shingle. Back into speech again it passed, and +with beating heart he was following the adventures of a dozen seaports, +the fights, the escapes, the rallies, the comradeships, the gallant +undertakings; or he searched islands for treasure, fished in still +lagoons and dozed day-long on warm white sand. Of deep-sea fishings he +heard tell, and mighty silver gatherings of the mile-long net; of sudden +perils, noise of breakers on a moonless night, or the tall bows of +the great liner taking shape overhead through the fog; of the merry +home-coming, the headland rounded, the harbour lights opened out; +the groups seen dimly on the quay, the cheery hail, the splash of the +hawser; the trudge up the steep little street towards the comforting +glow of red-curtained windows. + +Lastly, in his waking dream it seemed to him that the Adventurer had +risen to his feet, but was still speaking, still holding him fast with +his sea-grey eyes. + +'And now,' he was softly saying, 'I take to the road again, holding on +southwestwards for many a long and dusty day; till at last I reach the +little grey sea town I know so well, that clings along one steep side of +the harbour. There through dark doorways you look down flights of stone +steps, overhung by great pink tufts of valerian and ending in a patch +of sparkling blue water. The little boats that lie tethered to the +rings and stanchions of the old sea-wall are gaily painted as those +I clambered in and out of in my own childhood; the salmon leap on the +flood tide, schools of mackerel flash and play past quay-sides and +foreshores, and by the windows the great vessels glide, night and day, +up to their moorings or forth to the open sea. There, sooner or later, +the ships of all seafaring nations arrive; and there, at its destined +hour, the ship of my choice will let go its anchor. I shall take my +time, I shall tarry and bide, till at last the right one lies waiting +for me, warped out into midstream, loaded low, her bowsprit pointing +down harbour. I shall slip on board, by boat or along hawser; and then +one morning I shall wake to the song and tramp of the sailors, the clink +of the capstan, and the rattle of the anchor-chain coming merrily in. +We shall break out the jib and the foresail, the white houses on the +harbour side will glide slowly past us as she gathers steering-way, and +the voyage will have begun! As she forges towards the headland she will +clothe herself with canvas; and then, once outside, the sounding slap of +great green seas as she heels to the wind, pointing South! + +'And you, you will come too, young brother; for the days pass, and never +return, and the South still waits for you. Take the Adventure, heed the +call, now ere the irrevocable moment passes!' 'Tis but a banging of the +door behind you, a blithesome step forward, and you are out of the old +life and into the new! Then some day, some day long hence, jog home here +if you will, when the cup has been drained and the play has been played, +and sit down by your quiet river with a store of goodly memories for +company. You can easily overtake me on the road, for you are young, and +I am ageing and go softly. I will linger, and look back; and at last I +will surely see you coming, eager and light-hearted, with all the South +in your face!' + +The voice died away and ceased as an insect's tiny trumpet dwindles +swiftly into silence; and the Water Rat, paralysed and staring, saw at +last but a distant speck on the white surface of the road. + +Mechanically he rose and proceeded to repack the luncheon-basket, +carefully and without haste. Mechanically he returned home, gathered +together a few small necessaries and special treasures he was fond of, +and put them in a satchel; acting with slow deliberation, moving about +the room like a sleep-walker; listening ever with parted lips. He swung +the satchel over his shoulder, carefully selected a stout stick for his +wayfaring, and with no haste, but with no hesitation at all, he stepped +across the threshold just as the Mole appeared at the door. + +'Why, where are you off to, Ratty?' asked the Mole in great surprise, +grasping him by the arm. + +'Going South, with the rest of them,' murmured the Rat in a dreamy +monotone, never looking at him. 'Seawards first and then on shipboard, +and so to the shores that are calling me!' + +He pressed resolutely forward, still without haste, but with dogged +fixity of purpose; but the Mole, now thoroughly alarmed, placed himself +in front of him, and looking into his eyes saw that they were glazed and +set and turned a streaked and shifting grey--not his friend's eyes, but +the eyes of some other animal! Grappling with him strongly he dragged +him inside, threw him down, and held him. + +The Rat struggled desperately for a few moments, and then his strength +seemed suddenly to leave him, and he lay still and exhausted, with +closed eyes, trembling. Presently the Mole assisted him to rise and +placed him in a chair, where he sat collapsed and shrunken into +himself, his body shaken by a violent shivering, passing in time into +an hysterical fit of dry sobbing. Mole made the door fast, threw the +satchel into a drawer and locked it, and sat down quietly on the table +by his friend, waiting for the strange seizure to pass. Gradually the +Rat sank into a troubled doze, broken by starts and confused murmurings +of things strange and wild and foreign to the unenlightened Mole; and +from that he passed into a deep slumber. + +Very anxious in mind, the Mole left him for a time and busied himself +with household matters; and it was getting dark when he returned to the +parlour and found the Rat where he had left him, wide awake indeed, but +listless, silent, and dejected. He took one hasty glance at his eyes; +found them, to his great gratification, clear and dark and brown again +as before; and then sat down and tried to cheer him up and help him to +relate what had happened to him. + +Poor Ratty did his best, by degrees, to explain things; but how could +he put into cold words what had mostly been suggestion? How recall, for +another's benefit, the haunting sea voices that had sung to him, +how reproduce at second-hand the magic of the Seafarer's hundred +reminiscences? Even to himself, now the spell was broken and the glamour +gone, he found it difficult to account for what had seemed, some hours +ago, the inevitable and only thing. It is not surprising, then, that he +failed to convey to the Mole any clear idea of what he had been through +that day. + +To the Mole this much was plain: the fit, or attack, had passed +away, and had left him sane again, though shaken and cast down by the +reaction. But he seemed to have lost all interest for the time in the +things that went to make up his daily life, as well as in all pleasant +forecastings of the altered days and doings that the changing season was +surely bringing. + +Casually, then, and with seeming indifference, the Mole turned his talk +to the harvest that was being gathered in, the towering wagons and their +straining teams, the growing ricks, and the large moon rising over bare +acres dotted with sheaves. He talked of the reddening apples around, of +the browning nuts, of jams and preserves and the distilling of cordials; +till by easy stages such as these he reached midwinter, its hearty joys +and its snug home life, and then he became simply lyrical. + +By degrees the Rat began to sit up and to join in. His dull eye +brightened, and he lost some of his listening air. + +Presently the tactful Mole slipped away and returned with a pencil and +a few half-sheets of paper, which he placed on the table at his friend's +elbow. + +'It's quite a long time since you did any poetry,' he remarked. 'You +might have a try at it this evening, instead of--well, brooding over +things so much. I've an idea that you'll feel a lot better when you've +got something jotted down--if it's only just the rhymes.' + +The Rat pushed the paper away from him wearily, but the discreet Mole +took occasion to leave the room, and when he peeped in again some +time later, the Rat was absorbed and deaf to the world; alternately +scribbling and sucking the top of his pencil. It is true that he sucked +a good deal more than he scribbled; but it was joy to the Mole to know +that the cure had at least begun. + + + + +X. THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF TOAD + +The front door of the hollow tree faced eastwards, so Toad was called at +an early hour; partly by the bright sunlight streaming in on him, partly +by the exceeding coldness of his toes, which made him dream that he was +at home in bed in his own handsome room with the Tudor window, on a cold +winter's night, and his bedclothes had got up, grumbling and protesting +they couldn't stand the cold any longer, and had run downstairs to the +kitchen fire to warm themselves; and he had followed, on bare feet, +along miles and miles of icy stone-paved passages, arguing and +beseeching them to be reasonable. He would probably have been aroused +much earlier, had he not slept for some weeks on straw over stone flags, +and almost forgotten the friendly feeling of thick blankets pulled well +up round the chin. + +Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes first and his complaining toes next, +wondered for a moment where he was, looking round for familiar +stone wall and little barred window; then, with a leap of the heart, +remembered everything--his escape, his flight, his pursuit; remembered, +first and best thing of all, that he was free! + +Free! The word and the thought alone were worth fifty blankets. He was +warm from end to end as he thought of the jolly world outside, waiting +eagerly for him to make his triumphal entrance, ready to serve him +and play up to him, anxious to help him and to keep him company, as it +always had been in days of old before misfortune fell upon him. He shook +himself and combed the dry leaves out of his hair with his fingers; and, +his toilet complete, marched forth into the comfortable morning sun, +cold but confident, hungry but hopeful, all nervous terrors of yesterday +dispelled by rest and sleep and frank and heartening sunshine. + +He had the world all to himself, that early summer morning. The dewy +woodland, as he threaded it, was solitary and still: the green fields +that succeeded the trees were his own to do as he liked with; the road +itself, when he reached it, in that loneliness that was everywhere, +seemed, like a stray dog, to be looking anxiously for company. Toad, +however, was looking for something that could talk, and tell him clearly +which way he ought to go. It is all very well, when you have a light +heart, and a clear conscience, and money in your pocket, and nobody +scouring the country for you to drag you off to prison again, to follow +where the road beckons and points, not caring whither. The practical +Toad cared very much indeed, and he could have kicked the road for its +helpless silence when every minute was of importance to him. + +The reserved rustic road was presently joined by a shy little brother in +the shape of a canal, which took its hand and ambled along by its side +in perfect confidence, but with the same tongue-tied, uncommunicative +attitude towards strangers. 'Bother them!' said Toad to himself. 'But, +anyhow, one thing's clear. They must both be coming FROM somewhere, +and going TO somewhere. You can't get over that. Toad, my boy!' So he +marched on patiently by the water's edge. + +Round a bend in the canal came plodding a solitary horse, stooping +forward as if in anxious thought. From rope traces attached to his +collar stretched a long line, taut, but dipping with his stride, the +further part of it dripping pearly drops. Toad let the horse pass, and +stood waiting for what the fates were sending him. + +With a pleasant swirl of quiet water at its blunt bow the barge slid up +alongside of him, its gaily painted gunwale level with the towing-path, +its sole occupant a big stout woman wearing a linen sun-bonnet, one +brawny arm laid along the tiller. + +'A nice morning, ma'am!' she remarked to Toad, as she drew up level with +him. + +'I dare say it is, ma'am!' responded Toad politely, as he walked along +the tow-path abreast of her. 'I dare it IS a nice morning to them that's +not in sore trouble, like what I am. Here's my married daughter, she +sends off to me post-haste to come to her at once; so off I comes, not +knowing what may be happening or going to happen, but fearing the worst, +as you will understand, ma'am, if you're a mother, too. And I've left my +business to look after itself--I'm in the washing and laundering line, +you must know, ma'am--and I've left my young children to look after +themselves, and a more mischievous and troublesome set of young imps +doesn't exist, ma'am; and I've lost all my money, and lost my way, and +as for what may be happening to my married daughter, why, I don't like +to think of it, ma'am!' + +'Where might your married daughter be living, ma'am?' asked the +barge-woman. + +'She lives near to the river, ma'am,' replied Toad. 'Close to a fine +house called Toad Hall, that's somewheres hereabouts in these parts. +Perhaps you may have heard of it.' + +'Toad Hall? Why, I'm going that way myself,' replied the barge-woman. +'This canal joins the river some miles further on, a little above Toad +Hall; and then it's an easy walk. You come along in the barge with me, +and I'll give you a lift.' + +She steered the barge close to the bank, and Toad, with many humble and +grateful acknowledgments, stepped lightly on board and sat down with +great satisfaction. 'Toad's luck again!' thought he. 'I always come out +on top!' + +'So you're in the washing business, ma'am?' said the barge-woman +politely, as they glided along. 'And a very good business you've got +too, I dare say, if I'm not making too free in saying so.' + +'Finest business in the whole country,' said Toad airily. 'All the +gentry come to me--wouldn't go to any one else if they were paid, they +know me so well. You see, I understand my work thoroughly, and attend to +it all myself. Washing, ironing, clear-starching, making up gents' fine +shirts for evening wear--everything's done under my own eye!' + +'But surely you don't DO all that work yourself, ma'am?' asked the +barge-woman respectfully. + +'O, I have girls,' said Toad lightly: 'twenty girls or thereabouts, +always at work. But you know what GIRLS are, ma'am! Nasty little +hussies, that's what _I_ call 'em!' + +'So do I, too,' said the barge-woman with great heartiness. 'But I dare +say you set yours to rights, the idle trollops! And are you very fond of +washing?' + +'I love it,' said Toad. 'I simply dote on it. Never so happy as when +I've got both arms in the wash-tub. But, then, it comes so easy to me! +No trouble at all! A real pleasure, I assure you, ma'am!' + +'What a bit of luck, meeting you!' observed the barge-woman, +thoughtfully. 'A regular piece of good fortune for both of us!' + +'Why, what do you mean?' asked Toad, nervously. + +'Well, look at me, now,' replied the barge-woman. '_I_ like washing, +too, just the same as you do; and for that matter, whether I like it or +not I have got to do all my own, naturally, moving about as I do. Now my +husband, he's such a fellow for shirking his work and leaving the barge +to me, that never a moment do I get for seeing to my own affairs. By +rights he ought to be here now, either steering or attending to the +horse, though luckily the horse has sense enough to attend to himself. +Instead of which, he's gone off with the dog, to see if they can't pick +up a rabbit for dinner somewhere. Says he'll catch me up at the next +lock. Well, that's as may be--I don't trust him, once he gets off with +that dog, who's worse than he is. But meantime, how am I to get on with +my washing?' + +'O, never mind about the washing,' said Toad, not liking the subject. +'Try and fix your mind on that rabbit. A nice fat young rabbit, I'll be +bound. Got any onions?' + +'I can't fix my mind on anything but my washing,' said the barge-woman, +'and I wonder you can be talking of rabbits, with such a joyful prospect +before you. There's a heap of things of mine that you'll find in +a corner of the cabin. If you'll just take one or two of the most +necessary sort--I won't venture to describe them to a lady like you, but +you'll recognise them at a glance--and put them through the wash-tub as +we go along, why, it'll be a pleasure to you, as you rightly say, and a +real help to me. You'll find a tub handy, and soap, and a kettle on the +stove, and a bucket to haul up water from the canal with. Then I shall +know you're enjoying yourself, instead of sitting here idle, looking at +the scenery and yawning your head off.' + +'Here, you let me steer!' said Toad, now thoroughly frightened, 'and +then you can get on with your washing your own way. I might spoil your +things, or not do 'em as you like. I'm more used to gentlemen's things +myself. It's my special line.' + +'Let you steer?' replied the barge-woman, laughing. 'It takes some +practice to steer a barge properly. Besides, it's dull work, and I want +you to be happy. No, you shall do the washing you are so fond of, and +I'll stick to the steering that I understand. Don't try and deprive me +of the pleasure of giving you a treat!' + +Toad was fairly cornered. He looked for escape this way and that, +saw that he was too far from the bank for a flying leap, and sullenly +resigned himself to his fate. 'If it comes to that,' he thought in +desperation, 'I suppose any fool can WASH!' + +He fetched tub, soap, and other necessaries from the cabin, selected a +few garments at random, tried to recollect what he had seen in casual +glances through laundry windows, and set to. + +A long half-hour passed, and every minute of it saw Toad getting crosser +and crosser. Nothing that he could do to the things seemed to please +them or do them good. He tried coaxing, he tried slapping, he tried +punching; they smiled back at him out of the tub unconverted, happy in +their original sin. Once or twice he looked nervously over his shoulder +at the barge-woman, but she appeared to be gazing out in front of her, +absorbed in her steering. His back ached badly, and he noticed with +dismay that his paws were beginning to get all crinkly. Now Toad was +very proud of his paws. He muttered under his breath words that should +never pass the lips of either washerwomen or Toads; and lost the soap, +for the fiftieth time. + +A burst of laughter made him straighten himself and look round. The +barge-woman was leaning back and laughing unrestrainedly, till the tears +ran down her cheeks. + +'I've been watching you all the time,' she gasped. 'I thought you +must be a humbug all along, from the conceited way you talked. Pretty +washerwoman you are! Never washed so much as a dish-clout in your life, +I'll lay!' + +Toad's temper which had been simmering viciously for some time, now +fairly boiled over, and he lost all control of himself. + +'You common, low, FAT barge-woman!' he shouted; 'don't you dare to talk +to your betters like that! Washerwoman indeed! I would have you to know +that I am a Toad, a very well-known, respected, distinguished Toad! I +may be under a bit of a cloud at present, but I will NOT be laughed at +by a bargewoman!' + +The woman moved nearer to him and peered under his bonnet keenly and +closely. 'Why, so you are!' she cried. 'Well, I never! A horrid, nasty, +crawly Toad! And in my nice clean barge, too! Now that is a thing that I +will NOT have.' + +She relinquished the tiller for a moment. One big mottled arm shot out +and caught Toad by a fore-leg, while the other-gripped him fast by a +hind-leg. Then the world turned suddenly upside down, the barge seemed +to flit lightly across the sky, the wind whistled in his ears, and Toad +found himself flying through the air, revolving rapidly as he went. + +The water, when he eventually reached it with a loud splash, proved +quite cold enough for his taste, though its chill was not sufficient to +quell his proud spirit, or slake the heat of his furious temper. He rose +to the surface spluttering, and when he had wiped the duck-weed out of +his eyes the first thing he saw was the fat barge-woman looking back at +him over the stern of the retreating barge and laughing; and he vowed, +as he coughed and choked, to be even with her. + +He struck out for the shore, but the cotton gown greatly impeded his +efforts, and when at length he touched land he found it hard to climb +up the steep bank unassisted. He had to take a minute or two's rest to +recover his breath; then, gathering his wet skirts well over his arms, +he started to run after the barge as fast as his legs would carry him, +wild with indignation, thirsting for revenge. + +The barge-woman was still laughing when he drew up level with her. 'Put +yourself through your mangle, washerwoman,' she called out, 'and iron +your face and crimp it, and you'll pass for quite a decent-looking +Toad!' + +Toad never paused to reply. Solid revenge was what he wanted, not cheap, +windy, verbal triumphs, though he had a thing or two in his mind that +he would have liked to say. He saw what he wanted ahead of him. Running +swiftly on he overtook the horse, unfastened the towrope and cast off, +jumped lightly on the horse's back, and urged it to a gallop by kicking +it vigorously in the sides. He steered for the open country, abandoning +the tow-path, and swinging his steed down a rutty lane. Once he looked +back, and saw that the barge had run aground on the other side of the +canal, and the barge-woman was gesticulating wildly and shouting, 'Stop, +stop, stop!' 'I've heard that song before,' said Toad, laughing, as he +continued to spur his steed onward in its wild career. + +The barge-horse was not capable of any very sustained effort, and its +gallop soon subsided into a trot, and its trot into an easy walk; but +Toad was quite contented with this, knowing that he, at any rate, was +moving, and the barge was not. He had quite recovered his temper, +now that he had done something he thought really clever; and he was +satisfied to jog along quietly in the sun, steering his horse along +by-ways and bridle-paths, and trying to forget how very long it was +since he had had a square meal, till the canal had been left very far +behind him. + +He had travelled some miles, his horse and he, and he was feeling drowsy +in the hot sunshine, when the horse stopped, lowered his head, and +began to nibble the grass; and Toad, waking up, just saved himself from +falling off by an effort. He looked about him and found he was on a wide +common, dotted with patches of gorse and bramble as far as he could see. +Near him stood a dingy gipsy caravan, and beside it a man was sitting on +a bucket turned upside down, very busy smoking and staring into the wide +world. A fire of sticks was burning near by, and over the fire hung an +iron pot, and out of that pot came forth bubblings and gurglings, and +a vague suggestive steaminess. Also smells--warm, rich, and varied +smells--that twined and twisted and wreathed themselves at last into one +complete, voluptuous, perfect smell that seemed like the very soul of +Nature taking form and appearing to her children, a true Goddess, a +mother of solace and comfort. Toad now knew well that he had not been +really hungry before. What he had felt earlier in the day had been a +mere trifling qualm. This was the real thing at last, and no mistake; +and it would have to be dealt with speedily, too, or there would be +trouble for somebody or something. He looked the gipsy over carefully, +wondering vaguely whether it would be easier to fight him or cajole him. +So there he sat, and sniffed and sniffed, and looked at the gipsy; and +the gipsy sat and smoked, and looked at him. + +Presently the gipsy took his pipe out of his mouth and remarked in a +careless way, 'Want to sell that there horse of yours?' + +Toad was completely taken aback. He did not know that gipsies were very +fond of horse-dealing, and never missed an opportunity, and he had +not reflected that caravans were always on the move and took a deal of +drawing. It had not occurred to him to turn the horse into cash, but the +gipsy's suggestion seemed to smooth the way towards the two things he +wanted so badly--ready money, and a solid breakfast. + +'What?' he said, 'me sell this beautiful young horse of mine? O, no; +it's out of the question. Who's going to take the washing home to my +customers every week? Besides, I'm too fond of him, and he simply dotes +on me.' + +'Try and love a donkey,' suggested the gipsy. 'Some people do.' + +'You don't seem to see,' continued Toad, 'that this fine horse of mine +is a cut above you altogether. He's a blood horse, he is, partly; +not the part you see, of course--another part. And he's been a Prize +Hackney, too, in his time--that was the time before you knew him, but +you can still tell it on him at a glance, if you understand anything +about horses. No, it's not to be thought of for a moment. All the same, +how much might you be disposed to offer me for this beautiful young +horse of mine?' + +The gipsy looked the horse over, and then he looked Toad over with equal +care, and looked at the horse again. 'Shillin' a leg,' he said briefly, +and turned away, continuing to smoke and try to stare the wide world out +of countenance. + +'A shilling a leg?' cried Toad. 'If you please, I must take a little +time to work that out, and see just what it comes to.' + +He climbed down off his horse, and left it to graze, and sat down by the +gipsy, and did sums on his fingers, and at last he said, 'A shilling a +leg? Why, that comes to exactly four shillings, and no more. O, no; I +could not think of accepting four shillings for this beautiful young +horse of mine.' + +'Well,' said the gipsy, 'I'll tell you what I will do. I'll make it five +shillings, and that's three-and-sixpence more than the animal's worth. +And that's my last word.' + +Then Toad sat and pondered long and deeply. For he was hungry and quite +penniless, and still some way--he knew not how far--from home, and +enemies might still be looking for him. To one in such a situation, five +shillings may very well appear a large sum of money. On the other hand, +it did not seem very much to get for a horse. But then, again, the horse +hadn't cost him anything; so whatever he got was all clear profit. At +last he said firmly, 'Look here, gipsy! I tell you what we will do; and +this is MY last word. You shall hand me over six shillings and sixpence, +cash down; and further, in addition thereto, you shall give me as much +breakfast as I can possibly eat, at one sitting of course, out of that +iron pot of yours that keeps sending forth such delicious and exciting +smells. In return, I will make over to you my spirited young horse, with +all the beautiful harness and trappings that are on him, freely thrown +in. If that's not good enough for you, say so, and I'll be getting on. I +know a man near here who's wanted this horse of mine for years.' + +The gipsy grumbled frightfully, and declared if he did a few more deals +of that sort he'd be ruined. But in the end he lugged a dirty canvas bag +out of the depths of his trouser pocket, and counted out six shillings +and sixpence into Toad's paw. Then he disappeared into the caravan for +an instant, and returned with a large iron plate and a knife, fork, +and spoon. He tilted up the pot, and a glorious stream of hot rich stew +gurgled into the plate. It was, indeed, the most beautiful stew in the +world, being made of partridges, and pheasants, and chickens, and +hares, and rabbits, and pea-hens, and guinea-fowls, and one or two other +things. Toad took the plate on his lap, almost crying, and stuffed, +and stuffed, and stuffed, and kept asking for more, and the gipsy never +grudged it him. He thought that he had never eaten so good a breakfast +in all his life. + +When Toad had taken as much stew on board as he thought he could +possibly hold, he got up and said good-bye to the gipsy, and took +an affectionate farewell of the horse; and the gipsy, who knew the +riverside well, gave him directions which way to go, and he set forth on +his travels again in the best possible spirits. He was, indeed, a very +different Toad from the animal of an hour ago. The sun was shining +brightly, his wet clothes were quite dry again, he had money in his +pocket once more, he was nearing home and friends and safety, and, most +and best of all, he had had a substantial meal, hot and nourishing, and +felt big, and strong, and careless, and self-confident. + +As he tramped along gaily, he thought of his adventures and escapes, and +how when things seemed at their worst he had always managed to find a +way out; and his pride and conceit began to swell within him. 'Ho, ho!' +he said to himself as he marched along with his chin in the air, 'what +a clever Toad I am! There is surely no animal equal to me for cleverness +in the whole world! My enemies shut me up in prison, encircled by +sentries, watched night and day by warders; I walk out through them all, +by sheer ability coupled with courage. They pursue me with engines, +and policemen, and revolvers; I snap my fingers at them, and vanish, +laughing, into space. I am, unfortunately, thrown into a canal by a +woman fat of body and very evil-minded. What of it? I swim ashore, I +seize her horse, I ride off in triumph, and I sell the horse for a whole +pocketful of money and an excellent breakfast! Ho, ho! I am The Toad, +the handsome, the popular, the successful Toad!' He got so puffed up +with conceit that he made up a song as he walked in praise of himself, +and sang it at the top of his voice, though there was no one to hear +it but him. It was perhaps the most conceited song that any animal ever +composed. + + + 'The world has held great Heroes, + As history-books have showed; + But never a name to go down to fame + Compared with that of Toad! + + 'The clever men at Oxford + Know all that there is to be knowed. + But they none of them know one half as much + As intelligent Mr. Toad! + + 'The animals sat in the Ark and cried, + Their tears in torrents flowed. + Who was it said, "There's land ahead?" + Encouraging Mr. Toad! + + 'The army all saluted + As they marched along the road. + Was it the King? Or Kitchener? + No. It was Mr. Toad. + + 'The Queen and her Ladies-in-waiting + Sat at the window and sewed. + She cried, "Look! who's that _handsome_ man?" + They answered, "Mr. Toad."' + + +There was a great deal more of the same sort, but too dreadfully +conceited to be written down. These are some of the milder verses. + +He sang as he walked, and he walked as he sang, and got more inflated +every minute. But his pride was shortly to have a severe fall. + +After some miles of country lanes he reached the high road, and as he +turned into it and glanced along its white length, he saw approaching +him a speck that turned into a dot and then into a blob, and then into +something very familiar; and a double note of warning, only too well +known, fell on his delighted ear. + +'This is something like!' said the excited Toad. 'This is real life +again, this is once more the great world from which I have been missed +so long! I will hail them, my brothers of the wheel, and pitch them a +yarn, of the sort that has been so successful hitherto; and they will +give me a lift, of course, and then I will talk to them some more; and, +perhaps, with luck, it may even end in my driving up to Toad Hall in a +motor-car! That will be one in the eye for Badger!' + +He stepped confidently out into the road to hail the motor-car, which +came along at an easy pace, slowing down as it neared the lane; when +suddenly he became very pale, his heart turned to water, his knees shook +and yielded under him, and he doubled up and collapsed with a sickening +pain in his interior. And well he might, the unhappy animal; for the +approaching car was the very one he had stolen out of the yard of the +Red Lion Hotel on that fatal day when all his troubles began! And +the people in it were the very same people he had sat and watched at +luncheon in the coffee-room! + +He sank down in a shabby, miserable heap in the road, murmuring to +himself in his despair, 'It's all up! It's all over now! Chains and +policemen again! Prison again! Dry bread and water again! O, what a +fool I have been! What did I want to go strutting about the country for, +singing conceited songs, and hailing people in broad day on the high +road, instead of hiding till nightfall and slipping home quietly by back +ways! O hapless Toad! O ill-fated animal!' + +The terrible motor-car drew slowly nearer and nearer, till at last he +heard it stop just short of him. Two gentlemen got out and walked round +the trembling heap of crumpled misery lying in the road, and one of them +said, 'O dear! this is very sad! Here is a poor old thing--a washerwoman +apparently--who has fainted in the road! Perhaps she is overcome by the +heat, poor creature; or possibly she has not had any food to-day. Let +us lift her into the car and take her to the nearest village, where +doubtless she has friends.' + +They tenderly lifted Toad into the motor-car and propped him up with +soft cushions, and proceeded on their way. + +When Toad heard them talk in so kind and sympathetic a way, and +knew that he was not recognised, his courage began to revive, and he +cautiously opened first one eye and then the other. + +'Look!' said one of the gentlemen, 'she is better already. The fresh air +is doing her good. How do you feel now, ma'am?' + +'Thank you kindly, Sir,' said Toad in a feeble voice, 'I'm feeling a +great deal better!' 'That's right,' said the gentleman. 'Now keep quite +still, and, above all, don't try to talk.' + +'I won't,' said Toad. 'I was only thinking, if I might sit on the front +seat there, beside the driver, where I could get the fresh air full in +my face, I should soon be all right again.' + +'What a very sensible woman!' said the gentleman. 'Of course you shall.' +So they carefully helped Toad into the front seat beside the driver, and +on they went again. + +Toad was almost himself again by now. He sat up, looked about him, and +tried to beat down the tremors, the yearnings, the old cravings that +rose up and beset him and took possession of him entirely. + +'It is fate!' he said to himself. 'Why strive? why struggle?' and he +turned to the driver at his side. + +'Please, Sir,' he said, 'I wish you would kindly let me try and drive +the car for a little. I've been watching you carefully, and it looks so +easy and so interesting, and I should like to be able to tell my friends +that once I had driven a motor-car!' + +The driver laughed at the proposal, so heartily that the gentleman +inquired what the matter was. When he heard, he said, to Toad's delight, +'Bravo, ma'am! I like your spirit. Let her have a try, and look after +her. She won't do any harm.' + +Toad eagerly scrambled into the seat vacated by the driver, took the +steering-wheel in his hands, listened with affected humility to the +instructions given him, and set the car in motion, but very slowly and +carefully at first, for he was determined to be prudent. + +The gentlemen behind clapped their hands and applauded, and Toad heard +them saying, 'How well she does it! Fancy a washerwoman driving a car as +well as that, the first time!' + +Toad went a little faster; then faster still, and faster. + +He heard the gentlemen call out warningly, 'Be careful, washerwoman!' +And this annoyed him, and he began to lose his head. + +The driver tried to interfere, but he pinned him down in his seat with +one elbow, and put on full speed. The rush of air in his face, the hum +of the engines, and the light jump of the car beneath him intoxicated +his weak brain. 'Washerwoman, indeed!' he shouted recklessly. 'Ho! ho! +I am the Toad, the motor-car snatcher, the prison-breaker, the Toad who +always escapes! Sit still, and you shall know what driving really +is, for you are in the hands of the famous, the skilful, the entirely +fearless Toad!' + +With a cry of horror the whole party rose and flung themselves on him. +'Seize him!' they cried, 'seize the Toad, the wicked animal who +stole our motor-car! Bind him, chain him, drag him to the nearest +police-station! Down with the desperate and dangerous Toad!' + +Alas! they should have thought, they ought to have been more prudent, +they should have remembered to stop the motor-car somehow before playing +any pranks of that sort. With a half-turn of the wheel the Toad sent +the car crashing through the low hedge that ran along the roadside. One +mighty bound, a violent shock, and the wheels of the car were churning +up the thick mud of a horse-pond. + +Toad found himself flying through the air with the strong upward rush +and delicate curve of a swallow. He liked the motion, and was just +beginning to wonder whether it would go on until he developed wings and +turned into a Toad-bird, when he landed on his back with a thump, in the +soft rich grass of a meadow. Sitting up, he could just see the motor-car +in the pond, nearly submerged; the gentlemen and the driver, encumbered +by their long coats, were floundering helplessly in the water. + +He picked himself up rapidly, and set off running across country as hard +as he could, scrambling through hedges, jumping ditches, pounding across +fields, till he was breathless and weary, and had to settle down into +an easy walk. When he had recovered his breath somewhat, and was able to +think calmly, he began to giggle, and from giggling he took to laughing, +and he laughed till he had to sit down under a hedge. 'Ho, ho!' he +cried, in ecstasies of self-admiration, 'Toad again! Toad, as usual, +comes out on the top! Who was it got them to give him a lift? Who +managed to get on the front seat for the sake of fresh air? Who +persuaded them into letting him see if he could drive? Who landed them +all in a horse-pond? Who escaped, flying gaily and unscathed through the +air, leaving the narrow-minded, grudging, timid excursionists in the mud +where they should rightly be? Why, Toad, of course; clever Toad, great +Toad, GOOD Toad!' + +Then he burst into song again, and chanted with uplifted voice-- + + 'The motor-car went Poop-poop-poop, + As it raced along the road. + Who was it steered it into a pond? + Ingenious Mr. Toad! + +O, how clever I am! How clever, how clever, how very clev----' + +A slight noise at a distance behind him made him turn his head and look. +O horror! O misery! O despair! + +About two fields off, a chauffeur in his leather gaiters and two large +rural policemen were visible, running towards him as hard as they could +go! + +Poor Toad sprang to his feet and pelted away again, his heart in his +mouth. O, my!' he gasped, as he panted along, 'what an ASS I am! What a +CONCEITED and heedless ass! Swaggering again! Shouting and singing songs +again! Sitting still and gassing again! O my! O my! O my!' + +He glanced back, and saw to his dismay that they were gaining on him. +On he ran desperately, but kept looking back, and saw that they still +gained steadily. He did his best, but he was a fat animal, and his legs +were short, and still they gained. He could hear them close behind him +now. Ceasing to heed where he was going, he struggled on blindly and +wildly, looking back over his shoulder at the now triumphant enemy, when +suddenly the earth failed under his feet, he grasped at the air, and, +splash! he found himself head over ears in deep water, rapid water, +water that bore him along with a force he could not contend with; and he +knew that in his blind panic he had run straight into the river! + +He rose to the surface and tried to grasp the reeds and the rushes that +grew along the water's edge close under the bank, but the stream was so +strong that it tore them out of his hands. 'O my!' gasped poor Toad, +'if ever I steal a motor-car again! If ever I sing another conceited +song'--then down he went, and came up breathless and spluttering. +Presently he saw that he was approaching a big dark hole in the bank, +just above his head, and as the stream bore him past he reached up with +a paw and caught hold of the edge and held on. Then slowly and with +difficulty he drew himself up out of the water, till at last he was able +to rest his elbows on the edge of the hole. There he remained for some +minutes, puffing and panting, for he was quite exhausted. + +As he sighed and blew and stared before him into the dark hole, some +bright small thing shone and twinkled in its depths, moving towards +him. As it approached, a face grew up gradually around it, and it was a +familiar face! + +Brown and small, with whiskers. + +Grave and round, with neat ears and silky hair. + +It was the Water Rat! + + + + +XI. 'LIKE SUMMER TEMPESTS CAME HIS TEARS' + +The Rat put out a neat little brown paw, gripped Toad firmly by +the scruff of the neck, and gave a great hoist and a pull; and the +water-logged Toad came up slowly but surely over the edge of the hole, +till at last he stood safe and sound in the hall, streaked with mud and +weed to be sure, and with the water streaming off him, but happy and +high-spirited as of old, now that he found himself once more in the +house of a friend, and dodgings and evasions were over, and he could lay +aside a disguise that was unworthy of his position and wanted such a lot +of living up to. + +'O, Ratty!' he cried. 'I've been through such times since I saw you +last, you can't think! Such trials, such sufferings, and all so nobly +borne! Then such escapes, such disguises such subterfuges, and all so +cleverly planned and carried out! Been in prison--got out of it, of +course! Been thrown into a canal--swam ashore! Stole a horse--sold him +for a large sum of money! Humbugged everybody--made 'em all do exactly +what I wanted! Oh, I AM a smart Toad, and no mistake! What do you think +my last exploit was? Just hold on till I tell you----' + +'Toad,' said the Water Rat, gravely and firmly, 'you go off upstairs +at once, and take off that old cotton rag that looks as if it might +formerly have belonged to some washerwoman, and clean yourself +thoroughly, and put on some of my clothes, and try and come down +looking like a gentleman if you CAN; for a more shabby, bedraggled, +disreputable-looking object than you are I never set eyes on in my whole +life! Now, stop swaggering and arguing, and be off! I'll have something +to say to you later!' + +Toad was at first inclined to stop and do some talking back at him. He +had had enough of being ordered about when he was in prison, and here +was the thing being begun all over again, apparently; and by a Rat, +too! However, he caught sight of himself in the looking-glass over the +hat-stand, with the rusty black bonnet perched rakishly over one eye, +and he changed his mind and went very quickly and humbly upstairs to the +Rat's dressing-room. There he had a thorough wash and brush-up, changed +his clothes, and stood for a long time before the glass, contemplating +himself with pride and pleasure, and thinking what utter idiots all the +people must have been to have ever mistaken him for one moment for a +washerwoman. + +By the time he came down again luncheon was on the table, and very glad +Toad was to see it, for he had been through some trying experiences and +had taken much hard exercise since the excellent breakfast provided for +him by the gipsy. While they ate Toad told the Rat all his adventures, +dwelling chiefly on his own cleverness, and presence of mind in +emergencies, and cunning in tight places; and rather making out that he +had been having a gay and highly-coloured experience. But the more he +talked and boasted, the more grave and silent the Rat became. + +When at last Toad had talked himself to a standstill, there was silence +for a while; and then the Rat said, 'Now, Toady, I don't want to give +you pain, after all you've been through already; but, seriously, don't +you see what an awful ass you've been making of yourself? On your +own admission you have been handcuffed, imprisoned, starved, chased, +terrified out of your life, insulted, jeered at, and ignominiously flung +into the water--by a woman, too! Where's the amusement in that? Where +does the fun come in? And all because you must needs go and steal a +motor-car. You know that you've never had anything but trouble from +motor-cars from the moment you first set eyes on one. But if you WILL +be mixed up with them--as you generally are, five minutes after you've +started--why STEAL them? Be a cripple, if you think it's exciting; be a +bankrupt, for a change, if you've set your mind on it: but why choose +to be a convict? When are you going to be sensible, and think of your +friends, and try and be a credit to them? Do you suppose it's any +pleasure to me, for instance, to hear animals saying, as I go about, +that I'm the chap that keeps company with gaol-birds?' + +Now, it was a very comforting point in Toad's character that he was a +thoroughly good-hearted animal and never minded being jawed by those +who were his real friends. And even when most set upon a thing, he was +always able to see the other side of the question. So although, while +the Rat was talking so seriously, he kept saying to himself mutinously, +'But it WAS fun, though! Awful fun!' and making strange suppressed +noises inside him, k-i-ck-ck-ck, and poop-p-p, and other sounds +resembling stifled snorts, or the opening of soda-water bottles, yet +when the Rat had quite finished, he heaved a deep sigh and said, very +nicely and humbly, 'Quite right, Ratty! How SOUND you always are! Yes, +I've been a conceited old ass, I can quite see that; but now I'm going +to be a good Toad, and not do it any more. As for motor-cars, I've not +been at all so keen about them since my last ducking in that river of +yours. The fact is, while I was hanging on to the edge of your hole +and getting my breath, I had a sudden idea--a really brilliant +idea--connected with motor-boats--there, there! don't take on so, old +chap, and stamp, and upset things; it was only an idea, and we won't +talk any more about it now. We'll have our coffee, AND a smoke, and a +quiet chat, and then I'm going to stroll quietly down to Toad Hall, and +get into clothes of my own, and set things going again on the old lines. +I've had enough of adventures. I shall lead a quiet, steady, respectable +life, pottering about my property, and improving it, and doing a little +landscape gardening at times. There will always be a bit of dinner for +my friends when they come to see me; and I shall keep a pony-chaise to +jog about the country in, just as I used to in the good old days, before +I got restless, and wanted to DO things.' + +'Stroll quietly down to Toad Hall?' cried the Rat, greatly excited. +'What are you talking about? Do you mean to say you haven't HEARD?' + +'Heard what?' said Toad, turning rather pale. 'Go on, Ratty! Quick! +Don't spare me! What haven't I heard?' + +'Do you mean to tell me,' shouted the Rat, thumping with his little +fist upon the table, 'that you've heard nothing about the Stoats and +Weasels?' + +What, the Wild Wooders?' cried Toad, trembling in every limb. 'No, not a +word! What have they been doing?' + +'--And how they've been and taken Toad Hall?' continued the Rat. + +Toad leaned his elbows on the table, and his chin on his paws; and a +large tear welled up in each of his eyes, overflowed and splashed on the +table, plop! plop! + +'Go on, Ratty,' he murmured presently; 'tell me all. The worst is over. +I am an animal again. I can bear it.' + +'When you--got--into that--that--trouble of yours,' said the Rat, slowly +and impressively; 'I mean, when you--disappeared from society for a +time, over that misunderstanding about a--a machine, you know--' + +Toad merely nodded. + +'Well, it was a good deal talked about down here, naturally,' continued +the Rat, 'not only along the river-side, but even in the Wild Wood. +Animals took sides, as always happens. The River-bankers stuck up for +you, and said you had been infamously treated, and there was no justice +to be had in the land nowadays. But the Wild Wood animals said hard +things, and served you right, and it was time this sort of thing was +stopped. And they got very cocky, and went about saying you were done +for this time! You would never come back again, never, never!' + +Toad nodded once more, keeping silence. + +'That's the sort of little beasts they are,' the Rat went on. 'But Mole +and Badger, they stuck out, through thick and thin, that you would come +back again soon, somehow. They didn't know exactly how, but somehow!' + +Toad began to sit up in his chair again, and to smirk a little. + +'They argued from history,' continued the Rat. 'They said that +no criminal laws had ever been known to prevail against cheek and +plausibility such as yours, combined with the power of a long purse. So +they arranged to move their things in to Toad Hall, and sleep there, and +keep it aired, and have it all ready for you when you turned up. They +didn't guess what was going to happen, of course; still, they had their +suspicions of the Wild Wood animals. Now I come to the most painful and +tragic part of my story. One dark night--it was a VERY dark night, and +blowing hard, too, and raining simply cats and dogs--a band of weasels, +armed to the teeth, crept silently up the carriage-drive to the front +entrance. Simultaneously, a body of desperate ferrets, advancing through +the kitchen-garden, possessed themselves of the backyard and offices; +while a company of skirmishing stoats who stuck at nothing occupied the +conservatory and the billiard-room, and held the French windows opening +on to the lawn. + +'The Mole and the Badger were sitting by the fire in the smoking-room, +telling stories and suspecting nothing, for it wasn't a night for any +animals to be out in, when those bloodthirsty villains broke down the +doors and rushed in upon them from every side. They made the best fight +they could, but what was the good? They were unarmed, and taken by +surprise, and what can two animals do against hundreds? They took and +beat them severely with sticks, those two poor faithful creatures, +and turned them out into the cold and the wet, with many insulting and +uncalled-for remarks!' + +Here the unfeeling Toad broke into a snigger, and then pulled himself +together and tried to look particularly solemn. + +'And the Wild Wooders have been living in Toad Hall ever since,' +continued the Rat; 'and going on simply anyhow! Lying in bed half the +day, and breakfast at all hours, and the place in such a mess (I'm told) +it's not fit to be seen! Eating your grub, and drinking your drink, and +making bad jokes about you, and singing vulgar songs, about--well, about +prisons and magistrates, and policemen; horrid personal songs, with no +humour in them. And they're telling the tradespeople and everybody that +they've come to stay for good.' + +'O, have they!' said Toad getting up and seizing a stick. 'I'll jolly +soon see about that!' + +'It's no good, Toad!' called the Rat after him. 'You'd better come back +and sit down; you'll only get into trouble.' + +But the Toad was off, and there was no holding him. He marched rapidly +down the road, his stick over his shoulder, fuming and muttering to +himself in his anger, till he got near his front gate, when suddenly +there popped up from behind the palings a long yellow ferret with a gun. + +'Who comes there?' said the ferret sharply. + +'Stuff and nonsense!' said Toad, very angrily. 'What do you mean by +talking like that to me? Come out of that at once, or I'll----' + +The ferret said never a word, but he brought his gun up to his shoulder. +Toad prudently dropped flat in the road, and BANG! a bullet whistled +over his head. + +The startled Toad scrambled to his feet and scampered off down the road +as hard as he could; and as he ran he heard the ferret laughing and +other horrid thin little laughs taking it up and carrying on the sound. + +He went back, very crestfallen, and told the Water Rat. + +'What did I tell you?' said the Rat. 'It's no good. They've got sentries +posted, and they are all armed. You must just wait.' + +Still, Toad was not inclined to give in all at once. So he got out the +boat, and set off rowing up the river to where the garden front of Toad +Hall came down to the waterside. + +Arriving within sight of his old home, he rested on his oars and +surveyed the land cautiously. All seemed very peaceful and deserted and +quiet. He could see the whole front of Toad Hall, glowing in the evening +sunshine, the pigeons settling by twos and threes along the straight +line of the roof; the garden, a blaze of flowers; the creek that led +up to the boat-house, the little wooden bridge that crossed it; all +tranquil, uninhabited, apparently waiting for his return. He would try +the boat-house first, he thought. Very warily he paddled up to the mouth +of the creek, and was just passing under the bridge, when ... CRASH! + +A great stone, dropped from above, smashed through the bottom of the +boat. It filled and sank, and Toad found himself struggling in deep +water. Looking up, he saw two stoats leaning over the parapet of the +bridge and watching him with great glee. 'It will be your head next +time, Toady!' they called out to him. The indignant Toad swam to shore, +while the stoats laughed and laughed, supporting each other, and laughed +again, till they nearly had two fits--that is, one fit each, of course. + +The Toad retraced his weary way on foot, and related his disappointing +experiences to the Water Rat once more. + +'Well, WHAT did I tell you?' said the Rat very crossly. 'And, now, look +here! See what you've been and done! Lost me my boat that I was so fond +of, that's what you've done! And simply ruined that nice suit of clothes +that I lent you! Really, Toad, of all the trying animals--I wonder you +manage to keep any friends at all!' + +The Toad saw at once how wrongly and foolishly he had acted. He admitted +his errors and wrong-headedness and made a full apology to Rat for +losing his boat and spoiling his clothes. And he wound up by saying, +with that frank self-surrender which always disarmed his friend's +criticism and won them back to his side, 'Ratty! I see that I have been +a headstrong and a wilful Toad! Henceforth, believe me, I will be humble +and submissive, and will take no action without your kind advice and +full approval!' + +'If that is really so,' said the good-natured Rat, already appeased, +'then my advice to you is, considering the lateness of the hour, to sit +down and have your supper, which will be on the table in a minute, and +be very patient. For I am convinced that we can do nothing until we +have seen the Mole and the Badger, and heard their latest news, and held +conference and taken their advice in this difficult matter.' + +'Oh, ah, yes, of course, the Mole and the Badger,' said Toad, lightly. +'What's become of them, the dear fellows? I had forgotten all about +them.' + +'Well may you ask!' said the Rat reproachfully. 'While you were riding +about the country in expensive motor-cars, and galloping proudly on +blood-horses, and breakfasting on the fat of the land, those two poor +devoted animals have been camping out in the open, in every sort of +weather, living very rough by day and lying very hard by night; watching +over your house, patrolling your boundaries, keeping a constant eye on +the stoats and the weasels, scheming and planning and contriving how to +get your property back for you. You don't deserve to have such true and +loyal friends, Toad, you don't, really. Some day, when it's too late, +you'll be sorry you didn't value them more while you had them!' + +'I'm an ungrateful beast, I know,' sobbed Toad, shedding bitter tears. +'Let me go out and find them, out into the cold, dark night, and share +their hardships, and try and prove by----Hold on a bit! Surely I heard +the chink of dishes on a tray! Supper's here at last, hooray! Come on, +Ratty!' + +The Rat remembered that poor Toad had been on prison fare for a +considerable time, and that large allowances had therefore to be made. +He followed him to the table accordingly, and hospitably encouraged him +in his gallant efforts to make up for past privations. + +They had just finished their meal and resumed their arm-chairs, when +there came a heavy knock at the door. + +Toad was nervous, but the Rat, nodding mysteriously at him, went +straight up to the door and opened it, and in walked Mr. Badger. + +He had all the appearance of one who for some nights had been kept away +from home and all its little comforts and conveniences. His shoes were +covered with mud, and he was looking very rough and touzled; but then +he had never been a very smart man, the Badger, at the best of times. He +came solemnly up to Toad, shook him by the paw, and said, 'Welcome home, +Toad! Alas! what am I saying? Home, indeed! This is a poor home-coming. +Unhappy Toad!' Then he turned his back on him, sat down to the table, +drew his chair up, and helped himself to a large slice of cold pie. + +Toad was quite alarmed at this very serious and portentous style of +greeting; but the Rat whispered to him, 'Never mind; don't take any +notice; and don't say anything to him just yet. He's always rather low +and despondent when he's wanting his victuals. In half an hour's time +he'll be quite a different animal.' + +So they waited in silence, and presently there came another and a +lighter knock. The Rat, with a nod to Toad, went to the door and ushered +in the Mole, very shabby and unwashed, with bits of hay and straw +sticking in his fur. + +'Hooray! Here's old Toad!' cried the Mole, his face beaming. 'Fancy +having you back again!' And he began to dance round him. 'We never +dreamt you would turn up so soon! Why, you must have managed to escape, +you clever, ingenious, intelligent Toad!' + +The Rat, alarmed, pulled him by the elbow; but it was too late. Toad was +puffing and swelling already. + +'Clever? O, no!' he said. 'I'm not really clever, according to my +friends. I've only broken out of the strongest prison in England, that's +all! And captured a railway train and escaped on it, that's all! And +disguised myself and gone about the country humbugging everybody, that's +all! O, no! I'm a stupid ass, I am! I'll tell you one or two of my +little adventures, Mole, and you shall judge for yourself!' + +'Well, well,' said the Mole, moving towards the supper-table; 'supposing +you talk while I eat. Not a bite since breakfast! O my! O my!' And he +sat down and helped himself liberally to cold beef and pickles. + +Toad straddled on the hearth-rug, thrust his paw into his trouser-pocket +and pulled out a handful of silver. 'Look at that!' he cried, displaying +it. 'That's not so bad, is it, for a few minutes' work? And how do you +think I done it, Mole? Horse-dealing! That's how I done it!' + +'Go on, Toad,' said the Mole, immensely interested. + +'Toad, do be quiet, please!' said the Rat. 'And don't you egg him on, +Mole, when you know what he is; but please tell us as soon as possible +what the position is, and what's best to be done, now that Toad is back +at last.' + +'The position's about as bad as it can be,' replied the Mole grumpily; +'and as for what's to be done, why, blest if I know! The Badger and I +have been round and round the place, by night and by day; always the +same thing. Sentries posted everywhere, guns poked out at us, stones +thrown at us; always an animal on the look-out, and when they see us, +my! how they do laugh! That's what annoys me most!' + +'It's a very difficult situation,' said the Rat, reflecting deeply. 'But +I think I see now, in the depths of my mind, what Toad really ought to +do. I will tell you. He ought to----' + +'No, he oughtn't!' shouted the Mole, with his mouth full. 'Nothing of +the sort! You don't understand. What he ought to do is, he ought to----' + +'Well, I shan't do it, anyway!' cried Toad, getting excited. 'I'm not +going to be ordered about by you fellows! It's my house we're talking +about, and I know exactly what to do, and I'll tell you. I'm going +to----' + +By this time they were all three talking at once, at the top of their +voices, and the noise was simply deafening, when a thin, dry voice made +itself heard, saying, 'Be quiet at once, all of you!' and instantly +every one was silent. + +It was the Badger, who, having finished his pie, had turned round in his +chair and was looking at them severely. When he saw that he had secured +their attention, and that they were evidently waiting for him to address +them, he turned back to the table again and reached out for the cheese. +And so great was the respect commanded by the solid qualities of that +admirable animal, that not another word was uttered until he had quite +finished his repast and brushed the crumbs from his knees. The Toad +fidgeted a good deal, but the Rat held him firmly down. + +When the Badger had quite done, he got up from his seat and stood before +the fireplace, reflecting deeply. At last he spoke. + +'Toad!' he said severely. 'You bad, troublesome little animal! Aren't +you ashamed of yourself? What do you think your father, my old friend, +would have said if he had been here to-night, and had known of all your +goings on?' + +Toad, who was on the sofa by this time, with his legs up, rolled over on +his face, shaken by sobs of contrition. + +'There, there!' went on the Badger, more kindly. 'Never mind. Stop +crying. We're going to let bygones be bygones, and try and turn over a +new leaf. But what the Mole says is quite true. The stoats are on guard, +at every point, and they make the best sentinels in the world. It's +quite useless to think of attacking the place. They're too strong for +us.' + +'Then it's all over,' sobbed the Toad, crying into the sofa cushions. 'I +shall go and enlist for a soldier, and never see my dear Toad Hall any +more!' + +'Come, cheer up, Toady!' said the Badger. 'There are more ways of +getting back a place than taking it by storm. I haven't said my last +word yet. Now I'm going to tell you a great secret.' + +Toad sat up slowly and dried his eyes. Secrets had an immense attraction +for him, because he never could keep one, and he enjoyed the sort of +unhallowed thrill he experienced when he went and told another animal, +after having faithfully promised not to. + +'There--is--an--underground--passage,' said the Badger, impressively, +'that leads from the river-bank, quite near here, right up into the +middle of Toad Hall.' + +'O, nonsense! Badger,' said Toad, rather airily. 'You've been listening +to some of the yarns they spin in the public-houses about here. I know +every inch of Toad Hall, inside and out. Nothing of the sort, I do +assure you!' + +'My young friend,' said the Badger, with great severity, 'your father, +who was a worthy animal--a lot worthier than some others I know--was +a particular friend of mine, and told me a great deal he wouldn't have +dreamt of telling you. He discovered that passage--he didn't make it, +of course; that was done hundreds of years before he ever came to live +there--and he repaired it and cleaned it out, because he thought it +might come in useful some day, in case of trouble or danger; and he +showed it to me. "Don't let my son know about it," he said. "He's a good +boy, but very light and volatile in character, and simply cannot hold +his tongue. If he's ever in a real fix, and it would be of use to him, +you may tell him about the secret passage; but not before."' + +The other animals looked hard at Toad to see how he would take it. Toad +was inclined to be sulky at first; but he brightened up immediately, +like the good fellow he was. + +'Well, well,' he said; 'perhaps I am a bit of a talker. A popular fellow +such as I am--my friends get round me--we chaff, we sparkle, we tell +witty stories--and somehow my tongue gets wagging. I have the gift of +conversation. I've been told I ought to have a salon, whatever that may +be. Never mind. Go on, Badger. How's this passage of yours going to help +us?' + +'I've found out a thing or two lately,' continued the Badger. 'I got +Otter to disguise himself as a sweep and call at the back-door with +brushes over his shoulder, asking for a job. There's going to be a big +banquet to-morrow night. It's somebody's birthday--the Chief Weasel's, +I believe--and all the weasels will be gathered together in the +dining-hall, eating and drinking and laughing and carrying on, +suspecting nothing. No guns, no swords, no sticks, no arms of any sort +whatever!' + +'But the sentinels will be posted as usual,' remarked the Rat. + +'Exactly,' said the Badger; 'that is my point. The weasels will trust +entirely to their excellent sentinels. And that is where the passage +comes in. That very useful tunnel leads right up under the butler's +pantry, next to the dining-hall!' + +'Aha! that squeaky board in the butler's pantry!' said Toad. 'Now I +understand it!' + +'We shall creep out quietly into the butler's pantry--' cried the Mole. + +'--with our pistols and swords and sticks--' shouted the Rat. + +'--and rush in upon them,' said the Badger. + +'--and whack 'em, and whack 'em, and whack 'em!' cried the Toad in +ecstasy, running round and round the room, and jumping over the chairs. + +'Very well, then,' said the Badger, resuming his usual dry manner, 'our +plan is settled, and there's nothing more for you to argue and squabble +about. So, as it's getting very late, all of you go right off to bed at +once. We will make all the necessary arrangements in the course of the +morning to-morrow.' + +Toad, of course, went off to bed dutifully with the rest--he knew better +than to refuse--though he was feeling much too excited to sleep. But +he had had a long day, with many events crowded into it; and sheets and +blankets were very friendly and comforting things, after plain straw, +and not too much of it, spread on the stone floor of a draughty cell; +and his head had not been many seconds on his pillow before he was +snoring happily. Naturally, he dreamt a good deal; about roads that ran +away from him just when he wanted them, and canals that chased him and +caught him, and a barge that sailed into the banqueting-hall with his +week's washing, just as he was giving a dinner-party; and he was alone +in the secret passage, pushing onwards, but it twisted and turned round +and shook itself, and sat up on its end; yet somehow, at the last, +he found himself back in Toad Hall, safe and triumphant, with all his +friends gathered round about him, earnestly assuring him that he really +was a clever Toad. + +He slept till a late hour next morning, and by the time he got down +he found that the other animals had finished their breakfast some time +before. The Mole had slipped off somewhere by himself, without telling +any one where he was going to. The Badger sat in the arm-chair, reading +the paper, and not concerning himself in the slightest about what was +going to happen that very evening. The Rat, on the other hand, was +running round the room busily, with his arms full of weapons of every +kind, distributing them in four little heaps on the floor, and saying +excitedly under his breath, as he ran, 'Here's-a-sword-for-the-Rat, +here's-a-sword-for-the Mole, here's-a-sword-for-the-Toad, +here's-a-sword-for-the-Badger! Here's-a-pistol-for-the-Rat, +here's-a-pistol-for-the-Mole, here's-a-pistol-for-the-Toad, +here's-a-pistol-for-the-Badger!' And so on, in a regular, rhythmical +way, while the four little heaps gradually grew and grew. + +'That's all very well, Rat,' said the Badger presently, looking at the +busy little animal over the edge of his newspaper; 'I'm not blaming you. +But just let us once get past the stoats, with those detestable guns of +theirs, and I assure you we shan't want any swords or pistols. We four, +with our sticks, once we're inside the dining-hall, why, we shall clear +the floor of all the lot of them in five minutes. I'd have done the +whole thing by myself, only I didn't want to deprive you fellows of the +fun!' + +'It's as well to be on the safe side,' said the Rat reflectively, +polishing a pistol-barrel on his sleeve and looking along it. + +The Toad, having finished his breakfast, picked up a stout stick and +swung it vigorously, belabouring imaginary animals. 'I'll learn 'em to +steal my house!' he cried. 'I'll learn 'em, I'll learn 'em!' + +'Don't say "learn 'em," Toad,' said the Rat, greatly shocked. 'It's not +good English.' + +'What are you always nagging at Toad for?' inquired the Badger, rather +peevishly. 'What's the matter with his English? It's the same what I use +myself, and if it's good enough for me, it ought to be good enough for +you!' + +'I'm very sorry,' said the Rat humbly. 'Only I THINK it ought to be +"teach 'em," not "learn 'em."' + +'But we don't WANT to teach 'em,' replied the Badger. 'We want to LEARN +'em--learn 'em, learn 'em! And what's more, we're going to DO it, too!' + +'Oh, very well, have it your own way,' said the Rat. He was getting +rather muddled about it himself, and presently he retired into a corner, +where he could be heard muttering, 'Learn 'em, teach 'em, teach 'em, +learn 'em!' till the Badger told him rather sharply to leave off. + +Presently the Mole came tumbling into the room, evidently very pleased +with himself. 'I've been having such fun!' he began at once; 'I've been +getting a rise out of the stoats!' + +'I hope you've been very careful, Mole?' said the Rat anxiously. + +'I should hope so, too,' said the Mole confidently. 'I got the idea when +I went into the kitchen, to see about Toad's breakfast being kept +hot for him. I found that old washerwoman-dress that he came home in +yesterday, hanging on a towel-horse before the fire. So I put it on, and +the bonnet as well, and the shawl, and off I went to Toad Hall, as bold +as you please. The sentries were on the look-out, of course, with their +guns and their "Who comes there?" and all the rest of their nonsense. +"Good morning, gentlemen!" says I, very respectful. "Want any washing +done to-day?" + +'They looked at me very proud and stiff and haughty, and said, "Go away, +washerwoman! We don't do any washing on duty." "Or any other time?" says +I. Ho, ho, ho! Wasn't I FUNNY, Toad?' + +'Poor, frivolous animal!' said Toad, very loftily. The fact is, he felt +exceedingly jealous of Mole for what he had just done. It was exactly +what he would have liked to have done himself, if only he had thought of +it first, and hadn't gone and overslept himself. + +'Some of the stoats turned quite pink,' continued the Mole, 'and the +Sergeant in charge, he said to me, very short, he said, "Now run away, +my good woman, run away! Don't keep my men idling and talking on their +posts." "Run away?" says I; "it won't be me that'll be running away, in +a very short time from now!"' + +'O MOLY, how could you?' said the Rat, dismayed. + +The Badger laid down his paper. + +'I could see them pricking up their ears and looking at each other,' +went on the Mole; 'and the Sergeant said to them, "Never mind HER; she +doesn't know what she's talking about."' + +'"O! don't I?"' said I. '"Well, let me tell you this. My daughter, she +washes for Mr. Badger, and that'll show you whether I know what I'm +talking about; and YOU'LL know pretty soon, too! A hundred bloodthirsty +badgers, armed with rifles, are going to attack Toad Hall this very +night, by way of the paddock. Six boatloads of Rats, with pistols and +cutlasses, will come up the river and effect a landing in the +garden; while a picked body of Toads, known at the Die-hards, or the +Death-or-Glory Toads, will storm the orchard and carry everything before +them, yelling for vengeance. There won't be much left of you to wash, by +the time they've done with you, unless you clear out while you have +the chance!" Then I ran away, and when I was out of sight I hid; and +presently I came creeping back along the ditch and took a peep at them +through the hedge. They were all as nervous and flustered as could be, +running all ways at once, and falling over each other, and every one +giving orders to everybody else and not listening; and the Sergeant kept +sending off parties of stoats to distant parts of the grounds, and then +sending other fellows to fetch 'em back again; and I heard them +saying to each other, "That's just like the weasels; they're to stop +comfortably in the banqueting-hall, and have feasting and toasts and +songs and all sorts of fun, while we must stay on guard in the cold and +the dark, and in the end be cut to pieces by bloodthirsty Badgers!'" + +'Oh, you silly ass, Mole!' cried Toad, 'You've been and spoilt +everything!' + +'Mole,' said the Badger, in his dry, quiet way, 'I perceive you have +more sense in your little finger than some other animals have in the +whole of their fat bodies. You have managed excellently, and I begin to +have great hopes of you. Good Mole! Clever Mole!' + +The Toad was simply wild with jealousy, more especially as he couldn't +make out for the life of him what the Mole had done that was so +particularly clever; but, fortunately for him, before he could show +temper or expose himself to the Badger's sarcasm, the bell rang for +luncheon. + +It was a simple but sustaining meal--bacon and broad beans, and a +macaroni pudding; and when they had quite done, the Badger settled +himself into an arm-chair, and said, 'Well, we've got our work cut out +for us to-night, and it will probably be pretty late before we're quite +through with it; so I'm just going to take forty winks, while I can.' +And he drew a handkerchief over his face and was soon snoring. + +The anxious and laborious Rat at once resumed his preparations, +and started running between his four little heaps, muttering, +'Here's-a-belt-for-the-Rat, here's-a-belt-for-the-Mole, +here's-a-belt-for-the-Toad, here's-a-belt-for-the-Badger!' and so on, +with every fresh accoutrement he produced, to which there seemed really +no end; so the Mole drew his arm through Toad's, led him out into the +open air, shoved him into a wicker chair, and made him tell him all his +adventures from beginning to end, which Toad was only too willing to +do. The Mole was a good listener, and Toad, with no one to check his +statements or to criticise in an unfriendly spirit, rather let himself +go. Indeed, much that he related belonged more properly to the category +of what-might-have-happened-had-I-only-thought-of-it-in-time-instead-of +ten-minutes-afterwards. Those are always the best and the raciest +adventures; and why should they not be truly ours, as much as the +somewhat inadequate things that really come off? + + + + +XII. THE RETURN OF ULYSSES + +When it began to grow dark, the Rat, with an air of excitement and +mystery, summoned them back into the parlour, stood each of them up +alongside of his little heap, and proceeded to dress them up for the +coming expedition. He was very earnest and thoroughgoing about it, and +the affair took quite a long time. First, there was a belt to go round +each animal, and then a sword to be stuck into each belt, and then +a cutlass on the other side to balance it. Then a pair of pistols, a +policeman's truncheon, several sets of handcuffs, some bandages and +sticking-plaster, and a flask and a sandwich-case. The Badger laughed +good-humouredly and said, 'All right, Ratty! It amuses you and it +doesn't hurt me. I'm going to do all I've got to do with this here +stick.' But the Rat only said, 'PLEASE, Badger. You know I shouldn't +like you to blame me afterwards and say I had forgotten ANYTHING!' + +When all was quite ready, the Badger took a dark lantern in one paw, +grasped his great stick with the other, and said, 'Now then, follow me! +Mole first, 'cos I'm very pleased with him; Rat next; Toad last. And +look here, Toady! Don't you chatter so much as usual, or you'll be sent +back, as sure as fate!' + +The Toad was so anxious not to be left out that he took up the inferior +position assigned to him without a murmur, and the animals set off. The +Badger led them along by the river for a little way, and then suddenly +swung himself over the edge into a hole in the river-bank, a little +above the water. The Mole and the Rat followed silently, swinging +themselves successfully into the hole as they had seen the Badger do; +but when it came to Toad's turn, of course he managed to slip and fall +into the water with a loud splash and a squeal of alarm. He was hauled +out by his friends, rubbed down and wrung out hastily, comforted, and +set on his legs; but the Badger was seriously angry, and told him that +the very next time he made a fool of himself he would most certainly be +left behind. + +So at last they were in the secret passage, and the cutting-out +expedition had really begun! + +It was cold, and dark, and damp, and low, and narrow, and poor Toad +began to shiver, partly from dread of what might be before him, partly +because he was wet through. The lantern was far ahead, and he could not +help lagging behind a little in the darkness. Then he heard the Rat call +out warningly, 'COME on, Toad!' and a terror seized him of being left +behind, alone in the darkness, and he 'came on' with such a rush that +he upset the Rat into the Mole and the Mole into the Badger, and for a +moment all was confusion. The Badger thought they were being attacked +from behind, and, as there was no room to use a stick or a cutlass, drew +a pistol, and was on the point of putting a bullet into Toad. When he +found out what had really happened he was very angry indeed, and said, +'Now this time that tiresome Toad SHALL be left behind!' + +But Toad whimpered, and the other two promised that they would be +answerable for his good conduct, and at last the Badger was pacified, +and the procession moved on; only this time the Rat brought up the rear, +with a firm grip on the shoulder of Toad. + +So they groped and shuffled along, with their ears pricked up and their +paws on their pistols, till at last the Badger said, 'We ought by now to +be pretty nearly under the Hall.' + +Then suddenly they heard, far away as it might be, and yet apparently +nearly over their heads, a confused murmur of sound, as if people were +shouting and cheering and stamping on the floor and hammering on tables. +The Toad's nervous terrors all returned, but the Badger only remarked +placidly, 'They ARE going it, the Weasels!' + +The passage now began to slope upwards; they groped onward a little +further, and then the noise broke out again, quite distinct this time, +and very close above them. 'Ooo-ray-ooray-oo-ray-ooray!' they heard, and +the stamping of little feet on the floor, and the clinking of glasses +as little fists pounded on the table. 'WHAT a time they're having!' said +the Badger. 'Come on!' They hurried along the passage till it came to a +full stop, and they found themselves standing under the trap-door that +led up into the butler's pantry. + +Such a tremendous noise was going on in the banqueting-hall that there +was little danger of their being overheard. The Badger said, 'Now, boys, +all together!' and the four of them put their shoulders to the trap-door +and heaved it back. Hoisting each other up, they found themselves +standing in the pantry, with only a door between them and the +banqueting-hall, where their unconscious enemies were carousing. + +The noise, as they emerged from the passage, was simply deafening. At +last, as the cheering and hammering slowly subsided, a voice could +be made out saying, 'Well, I do not propose to detain you much +longer'--(great applause)--'but before I resume my seat'--(renewed +cheering)--'I should like to say one word about our kind host, Mr. Toad. +We all know Toad!'--(great laughter)--'GOOD Toad, MODEST Toad, HONEST +Toad!' (shrieks of merriment). + +'Only just let me get at him!' muttered Toad, grinding his teeth. + +'Hold hard a minute!' said the Badger, restraining him with difficulty. +'Get ready, all of you!' + +'--Let me sing you a little song,' went on the voice, 'which I have +composed on the subject of Toad'--(prolonged applause). + +Then the Chief Weasel--for it was he--began in a high, squeaky voice-- + + 'Toad he went a-pleasuring + Gaily down the street--' + +The Badger drew himself up, took a firm grip of his stick with both +paws, glanced round at his comrades, and cried-- + +'The hour is come! Follow me!' + +And flung the door open wide. + +My! + +What a squealing and a squeaking and a screeching filled the air! + +Well might the terrified weasels dive under the tables and spring madly +up at the windows! Well might the ferrets rush wildly for the fireplace +and get hopelessly jammed in the chimney! Well might tables and chairs +be upset, and glass and china be sent crashing on the floor, in the +panic of that terrible moment when the four Heroes strode wrathfully +into the room! The mighty Badger, his whiskers bristling, his great +cudgel whistling through the air; Mole, black and grim, brandishing his +stick and shouting his awful war-cry, 'A Mole! A Mole!' Rat; desperate +and determined, his belt bulging with weapons of every age and every +variety; Toad, frenzied with excitement and injured pride, swollen to +twice his ordinary size, leaping into the air and emitting Toad-whoops +that chilled them to the marrow! 'Toad he went a-pleasuring!' he yelled. +'I'LL pleasure 'em!' and he went straight for the Chief Weasel. They +were but four in all, but to the panic-stricken weasels the hall seemed +full of monstrous animals, grey, black, brown and yellow, whooping and +flourishing enormous cudgels; and they broke and fled with squeals +of terror and dismay, this way and that, through the windows, up the +chimney, anywhere to get out of reach of those terrible sticks. + +The affair was soon over. Up and down, the whole length of the hall, +strode the four Friends, whacking with their sticks at every head that +showed itself; and in five minutes the room was cleared. Through the +broken windows the shrieks of terrified weasels escaping across the lawn +were borne faintly to their ears; on the floor lay prostrate some dozen +or so of the enemy, on whom the Mole was busily engaged in fitting +handcuffs. The Badger, resting from his labours, leant on his stick and +wiped his honest brow. + +'Mole,' he said,' 'you're the best of fellows! Just cut along outside +and look after those stoat-sentries of yours, and see what they're +doing. I've an idea that, thanks to you, we shan't have much trouble +from them to-night!' + +The Mole vanished promptly through a window; and the Badger bade the +other two set a table on its legs again, pick up knives and forks and +plates and glasses from the debris on the floor, and see if they could +find materials for a supper. 'I want some grub, I do,' he said, in that +rather common way he had of speaking. 'Stir your stumps, Toad, and look +lively! We've got your house back for you, and you don't offer us so +much as a sandwich.' Toad felt rather hurt that the Badger didn't say +pleasant things to him, as he had to the Mole, and tell him what a +fine fellow he was, and how splendidly he had fought; for he was rather +particularly pleased with himself and the way he had gone for the Chief +Weasel and sent him flying across the table with one blow of his stick. +But he bustled about, and so did the Rat, and soon they found some guava +jelly in a glass dish, and a cold chicken, a tongue that had hardly +been touched, some trifle, and quite a lot of lobster salad; and in the +pantry they came upon a basketful of French rolls and any quantity of +cheese, butter, and celery. They were just about to sit down when the +Mole clambered in through the window, chuckling, with an armful of +rifles. + +'It's all over,' he reported. 'From what I can make out, as soon as the +stoats, who were very nervous and jumpy already, heard the shrieks and +the yells and the uproar inside the hall, some of them threw down their +rifles and fled. The others stood fast for a bit, but when the weasels +came rushing out upon them they thought they were betrayed; and the +stoats grappled with the weasels, and the weasels fought to get away, +and they wrestled and wriggled and punched each other, and rolled +over and over, till most of 'em rolled into the river! They've all +disappeared by now, one way or another; and I've got their rifles. So +that's all right!' + +'Excellent and deserving animal!' said the Badger, his mouth full of +chicken and trifle. 'Now, there's just one more thing I want you to do, +Mole, before you sit down to your supper along of us; and I wouldn't +trouble you only I know I can trust you to see a thing done, and I wish +I could say the same of every one I know. I'd send Rat, if he wasn't a +poet. I want you to take those fellows on the floor there upstairs with +you, and have some bedrooms cleaned out and tidied up and made really +comfortable. See that they sweep UNDER the beds, and put clean sheets +and pillow-cases on, and turn down one corner of the bed-clothes, just +as you know it ought to be done; and have a can of hot water, and clean +towels, and fresh cakes of soap, put in each room. And then you can give +them a licking a-piece, if it's any satisfaction to you, and put them +out by the back-door, and we shan't see any more of THEM, I fancy. And +then come along and have some of this cold tongue. It's first rate. I'm +very pleased with you, Mole!' + +The goodnatured Mole picked up a stick, formed his prisoners up in a +line on the floor, gave them the order 'Quick march!' and led his squad +off to the upper floor. After a time, he appeared again, smiling, and +said that every room was ready, and as clean as a new pin. 'And I didn't +have to lick them, either,' he added. 'I thought, on the whole, they had +had licking enough for one night, and the weasels, when I put the point +to them, quite agreed with me, and said they wouldn't think of troubling +me. They were very penitent, and said they were extremely sorry for +what they had done, but it was all the fault of the Chief Weasel and the +stoats, and if ever they could do anything for us at any time to make +up, we had only got to mention it. So I gave them a roll a-piece, and +let them out at the back, and off they ran, as hard as they could!' + +Then the Mole pulled his chair up to the table, and pitched into the +cold tongue; and Toad, like the gentleman he was, put all his jealousy +from him, and said heartily, 'Thank you kindly, dear Mole, for all +your pains and trouble tonight, and especially for your cleverness this +morning!' The Badger was pleased at that, and said, 'There spoke my +brave Toad!' So they finished their supper in great joy and contentment, +and presently retired to rest between clean sheets, safe in Toad's +ancestral home, won back by matchless valour, consummate strategy, and a +proper handling of sticks. + +The following morning, Toad, who had overslept himself as usual, came +down to breakfast disgracefully late, and found on the table a certain +quantity of egg-shells, some fragments of cold and leathery toast, a +coffee-pot three-fourths empty, and really very little else; which did +not tend to improve his temper, considering that, after all, it was his +own house. Through the French windows of the breakfast-room he could +see the Mole and the Water Rat sitting in wicker-chairs out on the lawn, +evidently telling each other stories; roaring with laughter and kicking +their short legs up in the air. The Badger, who was in an arm-chair and +deep in the morning paper, merely looked up and nodded when Toad entered +the room. But Toad knew his man, so he sat down and made the best +breakfast he could, merely observing to himself that he would get square +with the others sooner or later. When he had nearly finished, the Badger +looked up and remarked rather shortly: 'I'm sorry, Toad, but I'm afraid +there's a heavy morning's work in front of you. You see, we really ought +to have a Banquet at once, to celebrate this affair. It's expected of +you--in fact, it's the rule.' + +'O, all right!' said the Toad, readily. 'Anything to oblige. Though +why on earth you should want to have a Banquet in the morning I cannot +understand. But you know I do not live to please myself, but merely to +find out what my friends want, and then try and arrange it for 'em, you +dear old Badger!' + +'Don't pretend to be stupider than you really are,' replied the Badger, +crossly; 'and don't chuckle and splutter in your coffee while you're +talking; it's not manners. What I mean is, the Banquet will be at night, +of course, but the invitations will have to be written and got off at +once, and you've got to write 'em. Now, sit down at that table--there's +stacks of letter-paper on it, with "Toad Hall" at the top in blue and +gold--and write invitations to all our friends, and if you stick to it +we shall get them out before luncheon. And I'LL bear a hand, too; and +take my share of the burden. I'LL order the Banquet.' + +'What!' cried Toad, dismayed. 'Me stop indoors and write a lot of +rotten letters on a jolly morning like this, when I want to go around my +property, and set everything and everybody to rights, and swagger about +and enjoy myself! Certainly not! I'll be--I'll see you----Stop a minute, +though! Why, of course, dear Badger! What is my pleasure or convenience +compared with that of others! You wish it done, and it shall be done. +Go, Badger, order the Banquet, order what you like; then join our young +friends outside in their innocent mirth, oblivious of me and my cares +and toils. I sacrifice this fair morning on the altar of duty and +friendship!' + +The Badger looked at him very suspiciously, but Toad's frank, open +countenance made it difficult to suggest any unworthy motive in this +change of attitude. He quitted the room, accordingly, in the direction +of the kitchen, and as soon as the door had closed behind him, Toad +hurried to the writing-table. A fine idea had occurred to him while he +was talking. He WOULD write the invitations; and he would take care to +mention the leading part he had taken in the fight, and how he had laid +the Chief Weasel flat; and he would hint at his adventures, and what a +career of triumph he had to tell about; and on the fly-leaf he would set +out a sort of a programme of entertainment for the evening--something +like this, as he sketched it out in his head:-- + + SPEECH. . . . BY TOAD. + (There will be other speeches by TOAD during the evening.) + + ADDRESS. . . BY TOAD + + SYNOPSIS--Our Prison System--the Waterways of Old + England--Horse-dealing, and how to deal--Property, + its rights and its duties--Back to the Land-- + A Typical English Squire. + + SONG. . . . BY TOAD. (Composed by himself.) + + OTHER COMPOSITIONS. BY TOAD + will be sung in the course of the evening + by the. . . COMPOSER. + + +The idea pleased him mightily, and he worked very hard and got all the +letters finished by noon, at which hour it was reported to him that +there was a small and rather bedraggled weasel at the door, inquiring +timidly whether he could be of any service to the gentlemen. Toad +swaggered out and found it was one of the prisoners of the previous +evening, very respectful and anxious to please. He patted him on the +head, shoved the bundle of invitations into his paw, and told him to +cut along quick and deliver them as fast as he could, and if he liked +to come back again in the evening, perhaps there might be a shilling +for him, or, again, perhaps there mightn't; and the poor weasel seemed +really quite grateful, and hurried off eagerly to do his mission. + +When the other animals came back to luncheon, very boisterous and +breezy after a morning on the river, the Mole, whose conscience had been +pricking him, looked doubtfully at Toad, expecting to find him sulky or +depressed. Instead, he was so uppish and inflated that the Mole began +to suspect something; while the Rat and the Badger exchanged significant +glances. + +As soon as the meal was over, Toad thrust his paws deep into his +trouser-pockets, remarked casually, 'Well, look after yourselves, you +fellows! Ask for anything you want!' and was swaggering off in the +direction of the garden, where he wanted to think out an idea or two for +his coming speeches, when the Rat caught him by the arm. + +Toad rather suspected what he was after, and did his best to get away; +but when the Badger took him firmly by the other arm he began to see +that the game was up. The two animals conducted him between them into +the small smoking-room that opened out of the entrance-hall, shut the +door, and put him into a chair. Then they both stood in front of +him, while Toad sat silent and regarded them with much suspicion and +ill-humour. + +'Now, look here, Toad,' said the Rat. 'It's about this Banquet, and +very sorry I am to have to speak to you like this. But we want you to +understand clearly, once and for all, that there are going to be no +speeches and no songs. Try and grasp the fact that on this occasion +we're not arguing with you; we're just telling you.' + +Toad saw that he was trapped. They understood him, they saw through him, +they had got ahead of him. His pleasant dream was shattered. + +'Mayn't I sing them just one LITTLE song?' he pleaded piteously. + +'No, not ONE little song,' replied the Rat firmly, though his heart bled +as he noticed the trembling lip of the poor disappointed Toad. 'It's no +good, Toady; you know well that your songs are all conceit and boasting +and vanity; and your speeches are all self-praise and--and--well, and +gross exaggeration and--and----' + +'And gas,' put in the Badger, in his common way. + +'It's for your own good, Toady,' went on the Rat. 'You know you MUST +turn over a new leaf sooner or later, and now seems a splendid time to +begin; a sort of turning-point in your career. Please don't think that +saying all this doesn't hurt me more than it hurts you.' + +Toad remained a long while plunged in thought. At last he raised his +head, and the traces of strong emotion were visible on his features. +'You have conquered, my friends,' he said in broken accents. 'It was, +to be sure, but a small thing that I asked--merely leave to blossom +and expand for yet one more evening, to let myself go and hear the +tumultuous applause that always seems to me--somehow--to bring out my +best qualities. However, you are right, I know, and I am wrong. Hence +forth I will be a very different Toad. My friends, you shall never have +occasion to blush for me again. But, O dear, O dear, this is a hard +world!' + +And, pressing his handkerchief to his face, he left the room, with +faltering footsteps. + +'Badger,' said the Rat, '_I_ feel like a brute; I wonder what YOU feel +like?' + +'O, I know, I know,' said the Badger gloomily. 'But the thing had to be +done. This good fellow has got to live here, and hold his own, and be +respected. Would you have him a common laughing-stock, mocked and jeered +at by stoats and weasels?' + +'Of course not,' said the Rat. 'And, talking of weasels, it's lucky we +came upon that little weasel, just as he was setting out with Toad's +invitations. I suspected something from what you told me, and had a look +at one or two; they were simply disgraceful. I confiscated the lot, +and the good Mole is now sitting in the blue boudoir, filling up plain, +simple invitation cards.' + +* * * * * + +At last the hour for the banquet began to draw near, and Toad, who on +leaving the others had retired to his bedroom, was still sitting there, +melancholy and thoughtful. His brow resting on his paw, he pondered long +and deeply. Gradually his countenance cleared, and he began to smile +long, slow smiles. Then he took to giggling in a shy, self-conscious +manner. At last he got up, locked the door, drew the curtains across +the windows, collected all the chairs in the room and arranged them in a +semicircle, and took up his position in front of them, swelling visibly. +Then he bowed, coughed twice, and, letting himself go, with uplifted +voice he sang, to the enraptured audience that his imagination so +clearly saw. + + + TOAD'S LAST LITTLE SONG! + + The Toad--came--home! + There was panic in the parlours and howling in the halls, + There was crying in the cow-sheds and shrieking in the stalls, + When the Toad--came--home! + + When the Toad--came--home! + There was smashing in of window and crashing in of door, + There was chivvying of weasels that fainted on the floor, + When the Toad--came--home! + + Bang! go the drums! + The trumpeters are tooting and the soldiers are saluting, + And the cannon they are shooting and the motor-cars are hooting, + As the--Hero--comes! + + Shout--Hoo-ray! + And let each one of the crowd try and shout it very loud, + In honour of an animal of whom you're justly proud, + For it's Toad's--great--day! + + +He sang this very loud, with great unction and expression; and when he +had done, he sang it all over again. + +Then he heaved a deep sigh; a long, long, long sigh. + +Then he dipped his hairbrush in the water-jug, parted his hair in the +middle, and plastered it down very straight and sleek on each side of +his face; and, unlocking the door, went quietly down the stairs to greet +his guests, who he knew must be assembling in the drawing-room. + +All the animals cheered when he entered, and crowded round to +congratulate him and say nice things about his courage, and his +cleverness, and his fighting qualities; but Toad only smiled faintly, +and murmured, 'Not at all!' Or, sometimes, for a change, 'On the +contrary!' Otter, who was standing on the hearthrug, describing to an +admiring circle of friends exactly how he would have managed things had +he been there, came forward with a shout, threw his arm round Toad's +neck, and tried to take him round the room in triumphal progress; but +Toad, in a mild way, was rather snubby to him, remarking gently, as he +disengaged himself, 'Badger's was the mastermind; the Mole and the Water +Rat bore the brunt of the fighting; I merely served in the ranks and did +little or nothing.' The animals were evidently puzzled and taken aback +by this unexpected attitude of his; and Toad felt, as he moved from one +guest to the other, making his modest responses, that he was an object +of absorbing interest to every one. + +The Badger had ordered everything of the best, and the banquet was a +great success. There was much talking and laughter and chaff among the +animals, but through it all Toad, who of course was in the chair, looked +down his nose and murmured pleasant nothings to the animals on either +side of him. At intervals he stole a glance at the Badger and the Rat, +and always when he looked they were staring at each other with their +mouths open; and this gave him the greatest satisfaction. Some of the +younger and livelier animals, as the evening wore on, got whispering +to each other that things were not so amusing as they used to be in the +good old days; and there were some knockings on the table and cries of +'Toad! Speech! Speech from Toad! Song! Mr. Toad's song!' But Toad only +shook his head gently, raised one paw in mild protest, and, by pressing +delicacies on his guests, by topical small-talk, and by earnest +inquiries after members of their families not yet old enough to appear +at social functions, managed to convey to them that this dinner was +being run on strictly conventional lines. + +He was indeed an altered Toad! + +* * * * * + +After this climax, the four animals continued to lead their lives, +so rudely broken in upon by civil war, in great joy and contentment, +undisturbed by further risings or invasions. Toad, after due +consultation with his friends, selected a handsome gold chain and locket +set with pearls, which he dispatched to the gaoler's daughter with +a letter that even the Badger admitted to be modest, grateful, and +appreciative; and the engine-driver, in his turn, was properly thanked +and compensated for all his pains and trouble. Under severe compulsion +from the Badger, even the barge-woman was, with some trouble, sought +out and the value of her horse discreetly made good to her; though Toad +kicked terribly at this, holding himself to be an instrument of Fate, +sent to punish fat women with mottled arms who couldn't tell a real +gentleman when they saw one. The amount involved, it was true, was not +very burdensome, the gipsy's valuation being admitted by local assessors +to be approximately correct. + +Sometimes, in the course of long summer evenings, the friends would take +a stroll together in the Wild Wood, now successfully tamed so far as +they were concerned; and it was pleasing to see how respectfully they +were greeted by the inhabitants, and how the mother-weasels would bring +their young ones to the mouths of their holes, and say, pointing, 'Look, +baby! There goes the great Mr. Toad! And that's the gallant Water Rat, a +terrible fighter, walking along o' him! And yonder comes the famous Mr. +Mole, of whom you so often have heard your father tell!' But when their +infants were fractious and quite beyond control, they would quiet them +by telling how, if they didn't hush them and not fret them, the terrible +grey Badger would up and get them. This was a base libel on Badger, who, +though he cared little about Society, was rather fond of children; but +it never failed to have its full effect. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS *** + +***** This file should be named 289.txt or 289.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/8/289/ + +Produced by Mike Lough + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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