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.
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