ing in a wicker
garden-chair, with a pre-occupied expression of face, and a large map
spread out on his knees.

'Hooray!' he cried, jumping up on seeing them, 'this is splendid!' He
shook the paws of both of them warmly, never waiting for an introduction
to the Mole. 'How KIND of you!' he went on, dancing round them. 'I was
just going to send a boat down the river for you, Ratty, with strict
orders that you were to be fetched up here at once, whatever you were
doing. I want you badly--both of you. Now what will you take? Come
inside and have something! You don't know how lucky it is, your turning
up just now!'

'Let's sit quiet a bit, Toady!' said the Rat, throwing himself into an
easy chair, while the Mole took another by the side of him and made some
civil remark about Toad's 'delightful residence.'

'Finest house on the whole river,' cried Toad boisterously. 'Or anywhere
else, for that matter,' he could not help adding.

Here the Rat nudged the Mole. Unfortunately the Toad saw him do it, and
turned very red. There was a moment's painful silence. Then Toad burst
out laughing. 'All right, Ratty,' he said. 'It's only my way, you know.
And it's not such a very bad house, is it? You know you rather like it
yourself. Now, look here. Let's be sensible. You are the very animals I
wanted. You've got to help me. It's most important!'

'It's about your rowing, I suppose,' said the Rat, with an innocent air.
'You're getting on fairly well, though you splash a good bit still. With
a great deal of patience, and any quantity of coaching, you may----'

'O, pooh! boating!' interrupted the Toad, in great disgust. Silly boyish
amusement. I've given that up LONG ago. Sheer waste of time, that's what
it is. It makes me downright sorry to see you fellows, who ought to
know better, spending all your energies in that aimless manner. No, I've
discovered the real thing, the only genuine occupation for a life time.
I propose to devote the remainder of mine to it, and can only regret the
wasted years that lie behind me, squandered in trivialities. Come with
me, dear Ratty, and your amiable friend also, if he will be so very
good, just as far as the stable-yard, and you shall see what you shall
see!'

He led the way to the stable-yard accordingly, the Rat following with
a most mistrustful expression; and there, drawn out of the coach house
into the open, they saw a gipsy caravan, shining with newness, painted a
canary-yellow picked out w