n view
of the astonished and hitherto incredulous Mole.

In the side of what had seemed to be a snow-bank stood a solid-looking
little door, painted a dark green. An iron bell-pull hung by the side,
and below it, on a small brass plate, neatly engraved in square capital
letters, they could read by the aid of moonlight MR. BADGER.

The Mole fell backwards on the snow from sheer surprise and delight.
'Rat!' he cried in penitence, 'you're a wonder! A real wonder, that's
what you are. I see it all now! You argued it out, step by step, in that
wise head of yours, from the very moment that I fell and cut my shin,
and you looked at the cut, and at once your majestic mind said to
itself, "Door-scraper!" And then you turned to and found the very
door-scraper that done it! Did you stop there? No. Some people would
have been quite satisfied; but not you. Your intellect went on working.
"Let me only just find a door-mat," says you to yourself, "and my theory
is proved!" And of course you found your door-mat. You're so clever, I
believe you could find anything you liked. "Now," says you, "that door
exists, as plain as if I saw it. There's nothing else remains to be done
but to find it!" Well, I've read about that sort of thing in books, but
I've never come across it before in real life. You ought to go where
you'll be properly appreciated. You're simply wasted here, among us
fellows. If I only had your head, Ratty----'

'But as you haven't,' interrupted the Rat, rather unkindly, 'I suppose
you're going to sit on the snow all night and TALK Get up at once and
hang on to that bell-pull you see there, and ring hard, as hard as you
can, while I hammer!'

While the Rat attacked the door with his stick, the Mole sprang up
at the bell-pull, clutched it and swung there, both feet well off
the ground, and from quite a long way off they could faintly hear a
deep-toned bell respond.

IV. MR. BADGER

THEY waited patiently for what seemed a very long time, stamping in
the snow to keep their feet warm. At last they heard the sound of slow
shuffling footsteps approaching the door from the inside. It seemed, as
the Mole remarked to the Rat, like some one walking in carpet slippers
that were too large for him and down at heel; which was intelligent of
Mole, because that was exactly what it was.

There was the noise of a bolt shot back, and the door opened a few
inches, enough to show a long snout and a pair of sleepy blinking eyes.