'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.
Pages:
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256