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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
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THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
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。 Sothis…
…isaRiver！'
‘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 towell； 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
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THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
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 theyaren'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 rabbitssome 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 coursethereare others；' explained the Rat in a hesitating
sort of way。
‘Weaselsand stoatsand foxesand so on。 They're all right in a way
I'm very good friends with thempass the time of day when we meet； and
all thatbut 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
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THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
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 leastI beg pardonI don't