the best stories in the world, sent from the
heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea.

As he sat on the grass and looked across the river, a dark hole in the
bank opposite, just above the water's edge, caught his eye, and dreamily
he fell to considering what a nice snug dwelling-place it would make for
an animal with few wants and fond of a bijou riverside residence, above
flood level and remote from noise and dust. As he gazed, something
bright and small seemed to twinkle down in the heart of it, vanished,
then twinkled once more like a tiny star. But it could hardly be a star
in such an unlikely situation; and it was too glittering and small for a
glow-worm. Then, as he looked, it winked at him, and so declared itself
to be an eye; and a small face began gradually to grow up round it, like
a frame round a picture.

A brown little face, with whiskers.

A grave round face, with the same twinkle in its eye that had first
attracted his notice.

Small neat ears and thick silky hair.

It was the Water Rat!

Then the two animals stood and regarded each other cautiously.

'Hullo, Mole!' said the Water Rat.

'Hullo, Rat!' said the Mole.

'Would you like to come over?' enquired the Rat presently.

'Oh, its all very well to TALK,' said the Mole, rather pettishly, he
being new to a river and riverside life and its ways.

The Rat said nothing, but stooped and unfastened a rope and hauled
on it; then lightly stepped into a little boat which the Mole had not
observed. It was painted blue outside and white within, and was just the
size for two animals; and the Mole's whole heart went out to it at once,
even though he did not yet fully understand its uses.

The Rat sculled smartly across and made fast. Then he held up his
forepaw as the Mole stepped gingerly down. 'Lean on that!' he said.
'Now then, step lively!' and the Mole to his surprise and rapture found
himself actually seated in the stern of a real boat.

'This has been a wonderful day!' said he, as the Rat shoved off and took
to the sculls again. 'Do you know, I've never been in a boat before in
all my life.'

'What?' cried the Rat, open-mouthed: 'Never been in a--you never--well
I--what have you been doing, then?'

'Is it so nice as all that?' asked the Mole shyly, though he was quite
prepared to believe it as he leant back in his seat and surveyed the
cushions, the oars, the rowlocks, and all the fascinating fittings, and
felt the boat