"Ho, ho, ho!" shouted Jimmy Skunk from behind another.

"Hee, hee, hee!" shouted Johnny Chuck from behind a third.

Then Old Mr. Toad knew that his old friends and neighbors had planned this
to teach him a lesson.

XXIII

OLD MR. TOAD IS VERY HUMBLE

When Old Mr. Toad saw Mr. Blacksnake and turned his back on Buster Bear and
the fine dinner to which Buster had invited him, he had but just one idea
in his head, and that was to get out of sight of Mr. Blacksnake as soon as
possible. He forgot to ask Buster Bear to excuse him. He forgot that he was
tired and hot. He forgot all the pride with which he had been so puffed up.
He forgot everything but the need of getting out of sight of Mr. Blacksnake
as soon as ever he could. So away went Old Mr. Toad, hop, hop,
hipperty-hop, hop, hop, hipperty-hop! He heard Peter Rabbit and Jimmy Skunk
and Johnny Chuck and others of his old friends and neighbors shouting with
laughter. Yes, and he heard the deep, grumbly-rumbly laugh of Buster Bear.
But he didn't mind it. Not then, anyway. He hadn't room for any feeling
except fear of Mr. Blacksnake.

But Old Mr. Toad had to stop after a while. You see, his legs were so tired
they just wouldn't go any longer. And he was so out of breath that he
wheezed. He crawled under a big piece of bark, and there he lay flat on the
ground and panted and panted for breath. He would stay there until jolly,
round, bright Mr. Sun went to bed behind the Purple Hills. Then Mr.
Blacksnake would go to bed too, and it would be safe for him to go home.
Now, lying there in the dark, for it was dark under that big piece of bark,
Old Mr. Toad had time to think. Little by little he began to understand
that his invitation to dine with Buster Bear had been part of a plan by his
old friends and neighbors whom he had so snubbed and looked down on when he
had been puffed up with pride, to teach him a lesson. At first he was
angry, very angry indeed. Then he began to see how foolish and silly he had
been, and shame took the place of anger. As he remembered the deep,
grumbly-rumbly laughter of Buster Bear, the feeling of shame grew.

"I deserve it," thought Old Mr. Toad. "Yes, Sir, I deserve every bit of it.
The only thing that I have to be proud of is that I'm honest and work for
my living. Yes, Sir, that's all."

When darkness came at last, and he crawled out to go home, he was feeling
very humble. Peter Rabbit happened along just then. Old Mr. Toad opene