CONTENTS
THERIVERBANK
TheMolehadbeenworkingveryhardallthemorning,spring-
cleaninghislittlehome。Firstwithbrooms,thenwithdusters;
thenonladdersandstepsandchairs,withabrushandapailofwhitewash;tillhehaddustinhisthroatandeyes,andsplashesofwhitewashalloverhisblackfur,andanachingbackandwearyarms。Springwasmovingintheairaboveandintheearthbelowandaroundhim,penetratingevenhisdarkandlowlylittlehousewithitsspiritofdivinediscontentandlonging。Itwassmallwonder,then,thathesuddenlyflungdownhisbrushonthefloor,said`Bother!’and`Oblow!’andalso`Hangspring-cleaning!’
andboltedoutofthehousewithoutevenwaitingtoputonhiscoat。Somethingupabovewascallinghimimperiously,andhemadeforthesteeplittletunnelwhichansweredinhiscasetothegravelledcarriage-driveownedbyanimalswhoseresidencesarenearertothesunandair。Sohescrapedandscratchedandscrabbledandscroogedandthenhescroogedagainandscrabbledandscratchedandscraped,workingbusilywithhislittlepawsandmutteringtohimself,`Upwego!Upwego!’tillatlast,pop!hissnoutcameoutintothesunlight,andhefoundhimselfrollinginthewarmgrassofagreatmeadow。
`Thisisfine!’hesaidtohimself。`Thisisbetterthanwhitewashing!’Thesunshinestruckhotonhisfur,softbreezescaressedhisheatedbrow,andaftertheseclusionofthecellaragehehadlivedinsolongthecarolofhappybirdsfellonhisdulledhearingalmostlikeashout。Jumpingoffallhisfourlegsatonce,inthejoyoflivingandthedelightofspringwithoutitscleaning,hepursuedhiswayacrossthemeadowtillhereachedthehedgeonthefurtherside。
`Holdup!’saidanelderlyrabbitatthegap。`Sixpencefortheprivilegeofpassingbytheprivateroad!’HewasbowledoverinaninstantbytheimpatientandcontemptuousMole,whotrottedalongthesideofthehedgechaffingtheotherrabbitsastheypeepedhurriedlyfromtheirholestoseewhattherowwasabout。
`Onion-sauce!Onion-sauce!’heremarkedjeeringly,andwasgonebeforetheycouldthinkofathoroughlysatisfactoryreply。Thentheyallstartedgrumblingateachother。`HowSTUPIDyouare!Whydidn’tyoutellhim————’`Well,whydidn’tYOU
say————’`Youmighthaveremindedhim————’andsoon,intheusualway;but,ofcourse,itwasthenmuchtoolate,asisalwaysthecase。
Itallseemedtoogoodtobetrue。Hitherandthitherthroughthemeadowsherambledbusily,alongthehedgerows,acrossthecopses,findingeverywherebirdsbuilding,flowersbudding,leavesthrusting——everythinghappy,andprogressive,andoccupied。Andinsteadofhavinganuneasyconscienceprickinghimandwhispering`whitewash!’hesomehowcouldonlyfeelhowjollyitwastobetheonlyidledogamongallthesebusycitizens。Afterall,thebestpartofaholidayisperhapsnotsomuchtoberestingyourself,astoseealltheotherfellowsbusyworking。
Hethoughthishappinesswascompletewhen,ashemeanderedaimlesslyalong,suddenlyhestoodbytheedgeofafull-fedriver。Neverinhislifehadheseenariverbefore——thissleek,sinuous,full-bodiedanimal,chasingandchuckling,grippingthingswithagurgleandleavingthemwithalaugh,toflingitselfonfreshplaymatesthatshookthemselvesfree,andwerecaughtandheldagain。Allwasa-shakeanda-shiver——glintsandgleamsandsparkles,rustleandswirl,chatterandbubble。TheMolewasbewitched,entranced,fascinated。Bythesideoftheriverhetrottedasonetrots,whenverysmall,bythesideofamanwhoholdsonespell-boundbyexcitingstories;andwhentiredatlast,hesatonthebank,whiletheriverstillchatteredontohim,ababblingprocessionofthebeststoriesintheworld,sentfromtheheartoftheearthtobetoldatlasttotheinsatiablesea。
Ashesatonthegrassandlookedacrosstheriver,adarkholeinthebankopposite,justabovethewater’sedge,caughthiseye,anddreamilyhefelltoconsideringwhatanicesnugdwelling-placeitwouldmakeforananimalwithfewwantsandfondofabijoriversideresidence,abovefloodlevelandremotefromnoiseanddust。Ashegazed,somethingbrightandsmallseemedtotwinkledownintheheartofit,vanished,thentwinkledoncemorelikeatinystar。Butitcouldhardlybeastarinsuchanunlikelysituation;anditwastooglitteringandsmallforaglow-worm。Then,ashelooked,itwinkedathim,andsodeclareditselftobeaneye;andasmallfacebegangraduallytogrowuproundit,likeaframeroundapicture。
Abrownlittleface,withwhiskers。
Agraveroundface,withthesametwinkleinitseyethathadfirstattractedhisnotice。
Smallneatearsandthicksilkyhair。
ItwastheWaterRat!
Thenthetwoanimalsstoodandregardedeachothercautiously。
`Hullo,Mole!’saidtheWaterRat。
`Hullo,Rat!’saidtheMole。
`Wouldyouliketocomeover?’enquiredtheRatpresently。
`Oh,itsallverywelltoTALK,’saidtheMole,ratherpettishly,hebeingnewtoariverandriversidelifeanditsways。
TheRatsaidnothing,butstoopedandunfastenedaropeandhauledonit;thenlightlysteppedintoalittleboatwhichtheMolehadnotobserved。Itwaspaintedblueoutsideandwhitewithin,andwasjustthesizefortwoanimals;andtheMole’swholeheartwentouttoitatonce,eventhoughhedidnotyetfullyunderstanditsuses。
TheRatsculledsmartlyacrossandmadefast。ThenhehelduphisforepawastheMolesteppedgingerlydown。`Leanonthat!’
hesaid。`Nowthen,steplively!’andtheMoletohissurpriseandrapturefoundhimselfactuallyseatedinthesternofarealboat。
`Thishasbeenawonderfulday!’saidhe,astheRatshovedoffandtooktothescullsagain。`Doyouknow,I`veneverbeeninaboatbeforeinallmylife。’
`What?’criedtheRat,open-mouthed:`Neverbeenina——younever——wellI——whathaveyoubeendoing,then?’
`Isitsoniceasallthat?’askedtheMoleshyly,thoughhewasquitepreparedtobelieveitasheleantbackinhisseatandsurveyedthecushions,theoars,therowlocks,andallthefascinatingfittings,andfelttheboatswaylightlyunderhim。
`Nice?It’stheONLYthing,’saidtheWaterRatsolemnly,asheleantforwardforhisstroke。`Believeme,myyoungfriend,thereisNOTHING——absolutenothing——halfsomuchworthdoingassimplymessingaboutinboats。Simplymessing,’hewentondreamily:`messing——about——in——boats;messing————’
`Lookahead,Rat!’criedtheMolesuddenly。
Itwastoolate。Theboatstruckthebankfulltilt。Thedreamer,thejoyousoarsman,layonhisbackatthebottomoftheboat,hisheelsintheair。
`——aboutinboats——orWITHboats,’theRatwentoncomposedly,pickinghimselfupwithapleasantlaugh。`Inoroutof’em,itdoesn’tmatter。Nothingseemsreallytomatter,that’sthecharmofit。Whetheryougetaway,orwhetheryoudon’t;whetheryouarriveatyourdestinationorwhetheryoureachsomewhereelse,orwhetheryounevergetanywhereatall,you’realwaysbusy,andyouneverdoanythinginparticular;andwhenyou’vedoneitthere’salwayssomethingelsetodo,andyoucandoitifyoulike,butyou’dmuchbetternot。Lookhere!Ifyou’vereallynothingelseonhandthismorning,supposingwedropdowntherivertogether,andhavealongdayofit?’
TheMolewaggledhistoesfromsheerhappiness,spreadhischestwithasighoffullcontentment,andleanedbackblissfullyintothesoftcushions。`WHATadayI’mhaving!’hesaid。`Letusstartatonce!’
`Holdhardaminute,then!’saidtheRat。Heloopedthepainterthrougharinginhislanding-stage,climbedupintohisholeabove,andafterashortintervalreappearedstaggeringunderafat,wickerluncheon-basket。
`Shovethatunderyourfeet,’heobservedtotheMole,ashepasseditdownintotheboat。Thenheuntiedthepainterandtookthescullsagain。
`What’sinsideit?’askedtheMole,wrigglingwithcuriosity。
`There’scoldchickeninsideit,’repliedtheRatbriefly;
`coldtonguecoldhamcoldbeefpickledgherkinssaladfrenchrollscresssandwichespottedmeatgingerbeerlemonadesodawater————’
`Ostop,stop,’criedtheMoleinecstacies:`Thisistoomuch!’
`Doyoureallythinkso?’enquiredtheRatseriously。`It’sonlywhatIalwaystakeontheselittleexcursions;andtheotheranimalsarealwaystellingmethatI’mameanbeastandcutitVERYfine!’
TheMoleneverheardawordhewassaying。Absorbedinthenewlifehewasenteringupon,intoxicatedwiththesparkle,theripple,thescentsandthesoundsandthesunlight,hetrailedapawinthewateranddreamedlongwakingdreams。TheWaterRat,likethegoodlittlefellowhewas,sculledsteadilyonandforeboretodisturbhim。
`Ilikeyourclothesawfully,oldchap,’heremarkedaftersomehalfanhourorsohadpassed。`I’mgoingtogetablackvelvetsmoking-suitmyselfsomeday,assoonasIcanaffordit。’
`Ibegyourpardon,’saidtheMole,pullinghimselftogetherwithaneffort。`Youmustthinkmeveryrude;butallthisissonewtome。So——this——is——a——River!’
`THERiver,’correctedtheRat。
`Andyoureallylivebytheriver?Whatajollylife!’
`Byitandwithitandonitandinit,’saidtheRat。`It’sbrotherandsistertome,andaunts,andcompany,andfoodanddrink,and(naturally)washing。It’smyworld,andIdon’twantanyother。Whatithasn’tgotisnotworthhaving,andwhatitdoesn’tknowisnotworthknowing。Lord!thetimeswe’vehadtogether!Whetherinwinterorsummer,springorautumn,it’salwaysgotitsfunanditsexcitements。WhenthefloodsareoninFebruary,andmycellarsandbasementarebrimmingwithdrinkthat’snogoodtome,andthebrownwaterrunsbymybestbedroomwindow;oragainwhenitalldropsawayand,showspatchesofmudthatsmellslikeplum-cake,andtherushesandweedclogthechannels,andIcanpotteraboutdryshodovermostofthebedofitandfindfreshfoodtoeat,andthingscarelesspeoplehavedroppedoutofboats!’
`Butisn’titabitdullattimes?’theMoleventuredtoask。
`Justyouandtheriver,andnooneelsetopassawordwith?’
`Nooneelseto——well,Imustn’tbehardonyou,’saidtheRatwithforbearance。`You’renewtoit,andofcourseyoudon’tknow。Thebankissocrowdednowadaysthatmanypeoplearemovingawayaltogether:Ono,itisn’twhatitusedtobe,atall。Otters,kingfishers,dabchicks,moorhens,allofthemaboutalldaylongandalwayswantingyoutoDOsomething——asifafellowhadnobusinessofhisowntoattendto!’
`WhatliesoverTHERE’askedtheMole,wavingapawtowardsabackgroundofwoodlandthatdarklyframedthewater-meadowsononesideoftheriver。
`That?O,that’sjusttheWildWood,’saidtheRatshortly。`Wedon’tgothereverymuch,weriver-bankers。’
`Aren’tthey——aren’ttheyveryNICEpeopleinthere?’saidtheMole,atriflenervously。
`W-e-ll,’repliedtheRat,`letmesee。Thesquirrelsareallright。ANDtherabbits——someof’em,butrabbitsareamixedlot。Andthenthere’sBadger,ofcourse。Helivesrightintheheartofit;wouldn’tliveanywhereelse,either,ifyoupaidhimtodoit。DearoldBadger!NobodyinterfereswithHIM。
They’dbetternot,’headdedsignificantly。
`Why,whoSHOULDinterferewithhim?’askedtheMole。
`Well,ofcourse——there——areothers,’explainedtheRatinahesitatingsortofway。
`Weasels——andstoats——andfoxes——andsoon。They’reallrightinaway——I’mverygoodfriendswiththem——passthetimeofdaywhenwemeet,andallthat——buttheybreakoutsometimes,there’snodenyingit,andthen——well,youcan’treallytrustthem,andthat’sthefact。’
TheMoleknewwellthatitisquiteagainstanimal-etiquettetodwellonpossibletroubleahead,oreventoalludetoit;sohedroppedthesubject。
`AndbeyondtheWildWoodagain?’heasked:`Whereit’sallblueanddim,andoneseeswhatmaybehillsorperhapstheymayn’t,andsomethinglikethesmokeoftowns,orisitonlycloud-
drift?’
`BeyondtheWildWoodcomestheWideWorld,’saidtheRat。`Andthat’ssomethingthatdoesn’tmatter,eithertoyouorme。I’veneverbeenthere,andI’mnevergoing,noryoueither,ifyou’vegotanysenseatall。Don’teverrefertoitagain,please。Nowthen!Here’sourbackwateratlast,wherewe’regoingtolunch。’
Leavingthemainstream,theynowpassedintowhatseemedatfirstsightlikealittleland-lockedlake。Greenturfslopeddowntoeitheredge,brownsnakytree-rootsgleamedbelowthesurfaceofthequietwater,whileaheadofthemthesilveryshoulderandfoamytumbleofaweir,arm-in-armwitharestlessdrippingmill-wheel,thatheldupinitsturnagrey-gabledmill-
house,filledtheairwithasoothingmurmurofsound,dullandsmothery,yetwithlittleclearvoicesspeakingupcheerfullyoutofitatintervals。ItwassoverybeautifulthattheMolecouldonlyholdupbothforepawsandgasp,`Omy!Omy!Omy!’
TheRatbroughttheboatalongsidethebank,madeherfast,helpedthestillawkwardMolesafelyashore,andswungouttheluncheon-basket。TheMolebeggedasafavourtobeallowedtounpackitallbyhimself;andtheRatwasverypleasedtoindulgehim,andtosprawlatfulllengthonthegrassandrest,whilehisexcitedfriendshookoutthetable-clothandspreadit,tookoutallthemysteriouspacketsonebyoneandarrangedtheircontentsindueorder,stillgasping,`Omy!Omy!’ateachfreshrevelation。Whenallwasready,theRatsaid,`Now,pitchin,oldfellow!’andtheMolewasindeedverygladtoobey,forhehadstartedhisspring-cleaningataveryearlyhourthatmorning,aspeopleWILLdo,andhadnotpausedforbiteorsup;andhehadbeenthroughaverygreatdealsincethatdistanttimewhichnowseemedsomanydaysago。
`Whatareyoulookingat?’saidtheRatpresently,whentheedgeoftheirhungerwassomewhatdulled,andtheMole’seyeswereabletowanderoffthetable-clothalittle。
`Iamlooking,’saidtheMole,`atastreakofbubblesthatIseetravellingalongthesurfaceofthewater。Thatisathingthatstrikesmeasfunny。’
`Bubbles?Oho!’saidtheRat,andchirrupedcheerilyinaninvitingsortofway。
Abroadglisteningmuzzleshoweditselfabovetheedgeofthebank,andtheOtterhauledhimselfoutandshookthewaterfromhiscoat。
`Greedybeggars!’heobserved,makingfortheprovender。`Whydidn’tyouinviteme,Ratty?’
`Thiswasanimpromptuaffair,’explainedtheRat。`Bytheway——
myfriendMr。Mole。’
`Proud,I’msure,’saidtheOtter,andthetwoanimalswerefriendsforthwith。
`Sucharumpuseverywhere!’continuedtheOtter。`Alltheworldseemsoutontheriverto-day。Icameupthisbackwatertotryandgetamoment’speace,andthenstumbleuponyoufellows!——Atleast——Ibegpardon——Idon’texactlymeanthat,youknow。’
Therewasarustlebehindthem,proceedingfromahedgewhereinlastyear’sleavesstillclungthick,andastripyhead,withhighshouldersbehindit,peeredforthonthem。
`Comeon,oldBadger!’shoutedtheRat。
TheBadgertrottedforwardapaceortwo;thengrunted,`H’m!
Company,’andturnedhisbackanddisappearedfromview。
`That’sJUSTthesortoffellowheis!’observedthedisappointedRat。`SimplyhatesSociety!Nowweshan’tseeanymoreofhimto-day。Well,tellus,WHO’Soutontheriver?’
`Toad’sout,forone,’repliedtheOtter。`Inhisbrand-newwager-boat;newtogs,neweverything!’
Thetwoanimalslookedateachotherandlaughed。
`Once,itwasnothingbutsailing,’saidtheRat,`Thenhetiredofthatandtooktopunting。Nothingwouldpleasehimbuttopuntalldayandeveryday,andanicemesshemadeofit。Lastyearitwashouse-boating,andweallhadtogoandstaywithhiminhishouse-boat,andpretendwelikedit。Hewasgoingtospendtherestofhislifeinahouse-boat。It’sallthesame,whateverhetakesup;hegetstiredofit,andstartsonsomethingfresh。’
`Suchagoodfellow,too,’remarkedtheOtterreflectively:`Butnostability——especiallyinaboat!’
Fromwheretheysattheycouldgetaglimpseofthemainstreamacrosstheislandthatseparatedthem;andjustthenawager-boatflashedintoview,therower——ashort,stoutfigure——splashingbadlyandrollingagooddeal,butworkinghishardest。TheRatstoodupandhailedhim,butToad——foritwashe——shookhisheadandsettledsternlytohiswork。
`He’llbeoutoftheboatinaminuteifherollslikethat,’
saidtheRat,sittingdownagain。
`Ofcoursehewill,’chuckledtheOtter。`DidIevertellyouthatgoodstoryaboutToadandthelock-keeper?Ithappenedthisway。Toad……’
AnerrantMay-flyswervedunsteadilyathwartthecurrentintheintoxicatedfashionaffectedbyyoungbloodsofMay-fliesseeinglife。Aswirlofwateranda`cloop!’andtheMay-flywasvisiblenomore。
NeitherwastheOtter。
TheMolelookeddown。Thevoicewasstillinhisears,buttheturfwhereonhehadsprawledwasclearlyvacant。NotanOttertobeseen,asfarasthedistanthorizon。
Butagaintherewasastreakofbubblesonthesurfaceoftheriver。
TheRathummedatune,andtheMolerecollectedthatanimal-
etiquetteforbadeanysortofcommentonthesuddendisappearanceofone’sfriendsatanymoment,foranyreasonornoreasonwhatever。
`Well,well,’saidtheRat,`Isupposeweoughttobemoving。I
wonderwhichofushadbetterpacktheluncheon-basket?’Hedidnotspeakasifhewasfrightfullyeagerforthetreat。
`O,pleaseletme,’saidtheMole。So,ofcourse,theRatlethim。
Packingthebasketwasnotquitesuchpleasantworkasunpacking’
thebasket。Itneveris。ButtheMolewasbentonenjoyingeverything,andalthoughjustwhenhehadgotthebasketpackedandstrappeduptightlyhesawaplatestaringupathimfromthegrass,andwhenthejobhadbeendoneagaintheRatpointedoutaforkwhichanybodyoughttohaveseen,andlastofall,behold!themustardpot,whichhehadbeensittingonwithoutknowingit——still,somehow,thethinggotfinishedatlast,withoutmuchlossoftemper。
TheafternoonsunwasgettinglowastheRatsculledgentlyhomewardsinadreamymood,murmuringpoetry-thingsovertohimself,andnotpayingmuchattentiontoMole。ButtheMolewasveryfulloflunch,andself-satisfaction,andpride,andalreadyquiteathomeinaboat(sohethought)andwasgettingabitrestlessbesides:andpresentlyhesaid,`Ratty!Please,_I_
wanttorow,now!’
TheRatshookhisheadwithasmile。`Notyet,myyoungfriend,’
hesaid——’waittillyou’vehadafewlessons。It’snotsoeasyasitlooks。’
TheMolewasquietforaminuteortwo。ButhebegantofeelmoreandmorejealousofRat,scullingsostronglyandsoeasilyalong,andhispridebegantowhisperthathecoulddoiteverybitaswell。Hejumpedupandseizedthesculls,sosuddenly,thattheRat,whowasgazingoutoverthewaterandsayingmorepoetry-thingstohimself,wastakenbysurpriseandfellbackwardsoffhisseatwithhislegsintheairforthesecondtime,whilethetriumphantMoletookhisplaceandgrabbedthescullswithentireconfidence。
`Stopit,youSILLYass!’criedtheRat,fromthebottomoftheboat。`Youcan’tdoit!You’llhaveusover!’
TheMoleflunghisscullsbackwithaflourish,andmadeagreatdigatthewater。Hemissedthesurfacealtogether,hislegsflewupabovehishead,andhefoundhimselflyingonthetopoftheprostrateRat。Greatlyalarmed,hemadeagrabatthesideoftheboat,andthenextmoment——Sploosh!
Overwenttheboat,andhefoundhimselfstrugglingintheriver。
Omy,howcoldthewaterwas,andO,howVERYwetitfelt。
Howitsanginhisearsashewentdown,down,down!Howbrightandwelcomethesunlookedasherosetothesurfacecoughingandspluttering!Howblackwashisdespairwhenhefelthimselfsinkingagain!Thenafirmpawgrippedhimbythebackofhisneck。ItwastheRat,andhewasevidentlylaughing——theMolecouldFEELhimlaughing,rightdownhisarmandthroughhispaw,andsointohis——theMole’s——neck。
TheRatgotholdofascullandshoveditundertheMole’sarm;
thenhedidthesamebytheothersideofhimand,swimmingbehind,propelledthehelplessanimaltoshore,hauledhimout,andsethimdownonthebank,asquashy,pulpylumpofmisery。
WhentheRathadrubbedhimdownabit,andwrungsomeofthewetoutofhim,hesaid,`Now,then,oldfellow!Trotupanddownthetowing-pathashardasyoucan,tillyou’rewarmanddryagain,whileIdivefortheluncheon-basket。’
SothedismalMole,wetwithoutandashamedwithin,trottedabouttillhewasfairlydry,whiletheRatplungedintothewateragain,recoveredtheboat,rightedherandmadeherfast,fetchedhisfloatingpropertytoshorebydegrees,andfinallydivedsuccessfullyfortheluncheon-basketandstruggledtolandwithit。
Whenallwasreadyforastartoncemore,theMole,limpanddejected,tookhisseatinthesternoftheboat;andastheysetoff,hesaidinalowvoice,brokenwithemotion,`Ratty,mygenerousfriend!Iamverysorryindeedformyfoolishandungratefulconduct。MyheartquitefailsmewhenIthinkhowI
mighthavelostthatbeautifulluncheon-basket。Indeed,Ihavebeenacompleteass,andIknowit。Willyouoverlookitthisonceandforgiveme,andletthingsgoonasbefore?’
`That’sallright,blessyou!’respondedtheRatcheerily。
`What’salittlewettoaWaterRat?I’mmoreinthewaterthanoutofitmostdays。Don’tyouthinkanymoreaboutit;and,lookhere!Ireallythinkyouhadbettercomeandstopwithmeforalittletime。It’sveryplainandrough,youknow——notlikeToad’shouseatall——butyouhaven’tseenthatyet;still,Icanmakeyoucomfortable。AndI’llteachyoutorow,andtoswim,andyou’llsoonbeashandyonthewaterasanyofus。’
TheMolewassotouchedbyhiskindmannerofspeakingthathecouldfindnovoicetoanswerhim;andhehadtobrushawayatearortwowiththebackofhispaw。ButtheRatkindlylookedinanotherdirection,andpresentlytheMole’sspiritsrevivedagain,andhewasevenabletogivesomestraightback-talktoacoupleofmoorhenswhoweresniggeringtoeachotherabouthisbedraggledappearance。
Whentheygothome,theRatmadeabrightfireintheparlour,andplantedtheMoleinanarm-chairinfrontofit,havingfetcheddownadressing-gownandslippersforhim,andtoldhimriverstoriestillsupper-time。Verythrillingstoriestheywere,too,toanearth-dwellinganimallikeMole。Storiesaboutweirs,andsuddenfloods,andleapingpike,andsteamersthatflunghardbottles——atleastbottleswerecertainlyflung,andFROMsteamers,sopresumablyBYthem;andaboutherons,andhowparticulartheywerewhomtheyspoketo;andaboutadventuresdowndrains,andnight-fishingswithOtter,orexcursionsfara-
fieldwithBadger。Supperwasamostcheerfulmeal;butveryshortlyafterwardsaterriblysleepyMolehadtobeescortedupstairsbyhisconsideratehost,tothebestbedroom,wherehesoonlaidhisheadonhispillowingreatpeaceandcontentment,knowingthathisnew-foundfriendtheRiverwaslappingthesillofhiswindow。
ThisdaywasonlythefirstofmanysimilaronesfortheemancipatedMole,eachofthemlongerandfullofinterestastheripeningsummermovedonward。Helearnttoswimandtorow,andenteredintothejoyofrunningwater;andwithhiseartothereed-stemshecaught,atintervals,somethingofwhatthewindwentwhisperingsoconstantlyamongthem。
II
THEOPENROAD
`Ratty,’saidtheMolesuddenly,onebrightsummermorning,`ifyouplease,Iwanttoaskyouafavour。’
TheRatwassittingontheriverbank,singingalittlesong。Hehadjustcomposedithimself,sohewasverytakenupwithit,andwouldnotpayproperattentiontoMoleoranythingelse。
Sinceearlymorninghehadbeenswimmingintheriver,incompanywithhisfriendstheducks。Andwhentheducksstoodontheirheadssuddenly,asduckswill,hewoulddivedownandtickletheirnecks,justunderwheretheirchinswouldbeifduckshadchins,tilltheywereforcedtocometothesurfaceagaininahurry,splutteringandangryandshakingtheirfeathersathim,foritisimpossibletosayquiteALLyoufeelwhenyourheadisunderwater。Atlasttheyimploredhimtogoawayandattendtohisownaffairsandleavethemtomindtheirs。SotheRatwentaway,andsatontheriverbankinthesun,andmadeupasongaboutthem,whichhecalled`DUCKS’DITTY。’
Allalongthebackwater,Throughtherushestall,Ducksarea-dabbling,Uptailsall!
Ducks’tails,drakes’tails,Yellowfeeta-quiver,YellowbillsalloutofsightBusyintheriver!
SlushygreenundergrowthWheretheroachswim——
Herewekeepourlarder,Coolandfullanddim。
Everyoneforwhathelikes!
WEliketobeHeadsdown,tailsup,Dabblingfree!
HighintheblueaboveSwiftswhirlandcall——
WEaredowna-dabblingUptailsall!
`Idon’tknowthatIthinksoVERYmuchofthatlittlesong,Rat,’observedtheMolecautiously。Hewasnopoethimselfanddidn’tcarewhoknewit;andhehadacandidnature。
`Nordon’ttheducksneither,’repliedtheRatcheerfully。`Theysay,\"WHYcan’tfellowsbeallowedtodowhattheylikeWHENtheylikeandAStheylike,insteadofotherfellowssittingonbanksandwatchingthemallthetimeandmakingremarksandpoetryandthingsaboutthem?WhatNONSENSEitallis!\"That’swhattheduckssay。’
`Soitis,soitis,’saidtheMole,withgreatheartiness。
`No,itisn’t!’criedtheRatindignantly。
`Wellthen,itisn’t,itisn’t,’repliedtheMolesoothingly。
`ButwhatIwantedtoaskyouwas,won’tyoutakemetocallonMr。Toad?I’veheardsomuchabouthim,andIdosowanttomakehisacquaintance。’
`Why,certainly,’saidthegood-naturedRat,jumpingtohisfeetanddismissingpoetryfromhismindfortheday。`Gettheboatout,andwe’llpaddleupthereatonce。It’sneverthewrongtimetocallonToad。Earlyorlatehe’salwaysthesamefellow。
Alwaysgood-tempered,alwaysgladtoseeyou,alwayssorrywhenyougo!’
`Hemustbeaveryniceanimal,’observedtheMole,ashegotintotheboatandtookthesculls,whiletheRatsettledhimselfcomfortablyinthestern。
`Heisindeedthebestofanimals,’repliedRat。`Sosimple,sogood-natured,andsoaffectionate。Perhapshe’snotveryclever——wecan’tallbegeniuses;anditmaybethatheisbothboastfulandconceited。Buthehasgotsomegreatqualities,hasToady。’
Roundingabendintheriver,theycameinsightofahandsome,dignifiedoldhouseofmellowedredbrick,withwell-keptlawnsreachingdowntothewater’sedge。
`There’sToadHall,’saidtheRat;`andthatcreekontheleft,wherethenotice-boardsays,\"Private。Nolandingallowed,\"
leadstohisboat-house,wherewe’llleavetheboat。Thestablesareovertheretotheright。That’sthebanqueting-hallyou’relookingatnow——veryold,thatis。Toadisratherrich,youknow,andthisisreallyoneofthenicesthousesintheseparts,thoughweneveradmitasmuchtoToad。’
Theyglidedupthecreek,andtheMoleslippedhisscullsastheypassedintotheshadowofalargeboat-house。Heretheysawmanyhandsomeboats,slungfromthecrossbeamsorhauleduponaslip,butnoneinthewater;andtheplacehadanunusedandadesertedair。
TheRatlookedaroundhim。`Iunderstand,’saidhe。`Boatingisplayedout。He’stiredofit,anddonewithit。Iwonderwhatnewfadhehastakenupnow?Comealongandlet’slookhimup。
Weshallhearallaboutitquitesoonenough。’
Theydisembarked,andstrolledacrossthegayflower-deckedlawnsinsearchofToad,whomtheypresentlyhappeneduponrestinginawickergarden-chair,withapre-occupiedexpressionofface,andalargemapspreadoutonhisknees。
`Hooray!’hecried,jumpinguponseeingthem,`thisissplendid!’Heshookthepawsofbothofthemwarmly,neverwaitingforanintroductiontotheMole。`HowKINDofyou!’
hewenton,dancingroundthem。`Iwasjustgoingtosendaboatdowntheriverforyou,Ratty,withstrictordersthatyouweretobefetcheduphereatonce,whateveryouweredoing。Iwantyoubadly——bothofyou。Nowwhatwillyoutake?Comeinsideandhavesomething!Youdon’tknowhowluckyitis,yourturningupjustnow!’
`Let’ssitquietabit,Toady!’saidtheRat,throwinghimselfintoaneasychair,whiletheMoletookanotherbythesideofhimandmadesomecivilremarkaboutToad’s`delightfulresidence。’
`Finesthouseonthewholeriver,’criedToadboisterously。`Oranywhereelse,forthatmatter,’hecouldnothelpadding。
HeretheRatnudgedtheMole。UnfortunatelytheToadsawhimdoit,andturnedveryred。Therewasamoment’spainfulsilence。
ThenToadburstoutlaughing。`Allright,Ratty,’hesaid。
`It’sonlymyway,youknow。Andit’snotsuchaverybadhouse,isit?Youknowyouratherlikeityourself。Now,lookhere。
Let’sbesensible。YouaretheveryanimalsIwanted。You’vegottohelpme。It’smostimportant!’
`It’saboutyourrowing,Isuppose,’saidtheRat,withaninnocentair。`You’regettingonfairlywell,thoughyousplashagoodbitstill。Withagreatdealofpatience,andanyquantityofcoaching,youmay————’
`O,pooh!boating!’interruptedtheToad,ingreatdisgust。
Sillyboyishamusement。I’vegiventhatupLONGago。Sheerwasteoftime,that’swhatitis。Itmakesmedownrightsorrytoseeyoufellows,whooughttoknowbetter,spendingallyourenergiesinthataimlessmanner。No,I’vediscoveredtherealthing,theonlygenuineoccupationforalifetime。Iproposetodevotetheremainderofminetoit,andcanonlyregretthewastedyearsthatliebehindme,squanderedintrivialities。
Comewithme,dearRatty,andyouramiablefriendalso,ifhewillbesoverygood,justasfarasthestable-yard,andyoushallseewhatyoushallsee!’
Heledthewaytothestable-yardaccordingly,theRatfollowingwithamostmistrustfulexpression;andthere,drawnoutofthecoachhouseintotheopen,theysawagipsycaravan,shiningwithnewness,paintedacanary-yellowpickedoutwithgreen,andredwheels。
`Thereyouare!’criedtheToad,straddlingandexpandinghimself。`There’sreallifeforyou,embodiedinthatlittlecart。Theopenroad,thedustyhighway,theheath,thecommon,thehedgerows,therollingdowns!Camps,villages,towns,cities!Hereto-day,upandofftosomewhereelseto-morrow!
Travel,change,interest,excitement!Thewholeworldbeforeyou,andahorizonthat’salwayschanging!Andmind!thisistheveryfinestcartofitssortthatwaseverbuilt,withoutanyexception。Comeinsideandlookatthearrangements。Planned’emallmyself,Idid!’
TheMolewastremendouslyinterestedandexcited,andfollowedhimeagerlyupthestepsandintotheinteriorofthecaravan。
TheRatonlysnortedandthrusthishandsdeepintohispockets,remainingwherehewas。
Itwasindeedverycompactandcomfortable。Littlesleepingbunks——alittletablethatfoldedupagainstthewall——acooking-
stove,lockers,bookshelves,abird-cagewithabirdinit;andpots,pans,jugsandkettlesofeverysizeandvariety。
`Allcomplete!’saidtheToadtriumphantly,pullingopenalocker。`Yousee——biscuits,pottedlobster,sardines——everythingyoucanpossiblywant。Soda-waterhere——baccythere——letter-
paper,bacon,jam,cardsanddominoes——you’llfind,’hecontinued,astheydescendedthestepsagain,`you’llfindthatnothingwhateverhasbeenforgotten,whenwemakeourstartthisafternoon。’
`Ibegyourpardon,’saidtheRatslowly,ashechewedastraw,`butdidIoverhearyousaysomethingabout\"WE,\"and\"START,\"and\"THISAFTERNOON?\"’
`Now,youdeargoodoldRatty,’saidToad,imploringly,`don’tbegintalkinginthatstiffandsniffysortofway,becauseyouknowyou’veGOTtocome。Ican’tpossiblymanagewithoutyou,sopleaseconsideritsettled,anddon’targue——it’stheonethingIcan’tstand。Yousurelydon’tmeantosticktoyourdullfustyoldriverallyourlife,andjustliveinaholeinabank,andBOAT?Iwanttoshowyoutheworld!I’mgoingtomakeanANIMALofyou,myboy!’
`Idon’tcare,’saidtheRat,doggedly。`I’mnotcoming,andthat’sflat。AndIAMgoingtosticktomyoldriver,AND
liveinahole,ANDboat,asI’vealwaysdone。Andwhat’smore,Mole’sgoingtostickmeanddoasIdo,aren’tyou,Mole?’
`OfcourseIam,’saidtheMole,loyally。`I’llalwayssticktoyou,Rat,andwhatyousayistobe——hasgottobe。Allthesame,itsoundsasifitmighthavebeen——well,ratherfun,youknow!’headded,wistfully。PoorMole!TheLifeAdventurouswassonewathingtohim,andsothrilling;andthisfreshaspectofitwassotempting;andhehadfalleninloveatfirstsightwiththecanary-colouredcartandallitslittlefitments。
TheRatsawwhatwaspassinginhismind,andwavered。Hehateddisappointingpeople,andhewasfondoftheMole,andwoulddoalmostanythingtoobligehim。Toadwaswatchingbothofthemclosely。
`Comealongin,andhavesomelunch,’hesaid,diplomatically,`andwe’lltalkitover。Weneedn’tdecideanythinginahurry。
Ofcourse,_I_don’treallycare。Ionlywanttogivepleasuretoyoufellows。\"Liveforothers!\"That’smymottoinlife。’
Duringluncheon——whichwasexcellent,ofcourse,aseverythingatToadHallalwayswas——theToadsimplylethimselfgo。
DisregardingtheRat,heproceededtoplayupontheinexperiencedMoleasonaharp。Naturallyavolubleanimal,andalwaysmasteredbyhisimagination,hepaintedtheprospectsofthetripandthejoysoftheopenlifeandtheroadsideinsuchglowingcoloursthattheMolecouldhardlysitinhischairforexcitement。Somehow,itsoonseemedtakenforgrantedbyallthreeofthemthatthetripwasasettledthing;andtheRat,thoughstillunconvincedinhismind,allowedhisgood-naturetoover-ridehispersonalobjections。Hecouldnotbeartodisappointhistwofriends,whowerealreadydeepinschemesandanticipations,planningouteachday’sseparateoccupationforseveralweeksahead。
Whentheywerequiteready,thenowtriumphantToadledhiscompanionstothepaddockandsetthemtocapturetheoldgreyhorse,who,withouthavingbeenconsulted,andtohisownextremeannoyance,hadbeentoldoffbyToadforthedustiestjobinthisdustyexpedition。Hefranklypreferredthepaddock,andtookadealofcatching。MeantimeToadpackedthelockersstilltighterwithnecessaries,andhungnosebags,netsofonions,bundlesofhay,andbasketsfromthebottomofthecart。Atlastthehorsewascaughtandharnessed,andtheysetoff,alltalkingatonce,eachanimaleithertrudgingbythesideofthecartorsittingontheshaft,asthehumourtookhim。Itwasagoldenafternoon。Thesmellofthedusttheykickedupwasrichandsatisfying;outofthickorchardsoneithersidetheroad,birdscalledandwhistledtothemcheerily;good-naturedwayfarers,passingthem,gavethem`Good-day,’orstoppedtosaynicethingsabouttheirbeautifulcart;andrabbits,sittingattheirfrontdoorsinthehedgerows,helduptheirfore-paws,andsaid,`Omy!
Omy!Omy!’
Lateintheevening,tiredandhappyandmilesfromhome,theydrewuponaremotecommonfarfromhabitations,turnedthehorseloosetograze,andatetheirsimplesuppersittingonthegrassbythesideofthecart。Toadtalkedbigaboutallhewasgoingtodointhedaystocome,whilestarsgrewfullerandlargerallaroundthem,andayellowmoon,appearingsuddenlyandsilentlyfromnowhereinparticular,cametokeepthemcompanyandlistentotheirtalk。Atlasttheyturnedintotheirlittlebunksinthecart;andToad,kickingouthislegs,sleepilysaid,`Well,goodnight,youfellows!Thisisthereallifeforagentleman!
Talkaboutyouroldriver!’
`IDON’Ttalkaboutmyriver,’repliedthepatientRat。
`YouKNOWIdon’t,Toad。ButITHINKaboutit,’headdedpathetically,inalowertone:`Ithinkaboutit——allthetime!’
TheMolereachedoutfromunderhisblanket,feltfortheRat’spawinthedarkness,andgaveitasqueeze。`I’lldowhateveryoulike,Ratty,’hewhispered。`Shallwerunawayto-morrowmorning,quiteearly——VERYearly——andgobacktoourdearoldholeontheriver?’
`No,no,we’llseeitout,’whisperedbacktheRat。`Thanksawfully,butIoughttostickbyToadtillthistripisended。
Itwouldn’tbesafeforhimtobelefttohimself。Itwon’ttakeverylong。Hisfadsneverdo。Goodnight!’
TheendwasindeednearerthaneventheRatsuspected。
AftersomuchopenairandexcitementtheToadsleptverysoundly,andnoamountofshakingcouldrousehimoutofbednextmorning。SotheMoleandRatturnedto,quietlyandmanfully,andwhiletheRatsawtothehorse,andlitafire,andcleanedlastnight’scupsandplatters,andgotthingsreadyforbreakfast,theMoletrudgedofftothenearestvillage,alongwayoff,formilkandeggsandvariousnecessariestheToadhad,ofcourse,forgottentoprovide。Thehardworkhadallbeendone,andthetwoanimalswereresting,thoroughlyexhausted,bythetimeToadappearedonthescene,freshandgay,remarkingwhatapleasanteasylifeitwastheywereallleadingnow,afterthecaresandworriesandfatiguesofhousekeepingathome。
Theyhadapleasantramblethatdayovergrassydownsandalongnarrowby-lanes,andcampedasbefore,onacommon,onlythistimethetwogueststookcarethatToadshoulddohisfairshareofwork。Inconsequence,whenthetimecameforstartingnextmorning,Toadwasbynomeanssorapturousaboutthesimplicityoftheprimitivelife,andindeedattemptedtoresumehisplaceinhisbunk,whencehewashauledbyforce。Theirwaylay,asbefore,acrosscountrybynarrowlanes,anditwasnottilltheafternoonthattheycameoutonthehigh-road,theirfirsthigh-
road;andtheredisaster,fleetandunforeseen,sprangoutonthem——disastermomentousindeedtotheirexpedition,butsimplyoverwhelminginitseffectontheafter-careerofToad。