FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   >>  
nd don't chuckle and splutter in your coffee while you're talking; it's not manners. What I mean is, the Banquet will be at night, of course, but the invitations will have to be written and got off at once, and you've got to write 'em. Now sit down at that table--there's stacks of letter-paper on it, with 'Toad Hall' at the top in blue and gold--and write invitations to all our friends, and if you stick to it we shall get them out before luncheon. And _I'll_ bear a hand, too, and take my share of the burden. _I'll_ order the Banquet." "What!" cried Toad, dismayed. "Me stop indoors and write a lot of rotten letters on a jolly morning like this, when I want to go around my property and set everything and everybody to rights, and swagger about and enjoy myself! Certainly not! I'll be--I'll see you--Stop a minute, though! Why, of course, dear Badger! What is my pleasure or convenience compared with that of others! You wish it done, and it shall be done. Go, Badger, order the Banquet, order what you like; then join our young friends outside in their innocent mirth, oblivious of me and my cares and toils. I sacrifice this fair morning on the altar of duty and friendship!" The Badger looked at him very suspiciously, but Toad's frank, open countenance made it difficult to suggest any unworthy motive in this change of attitude. He quitted the room, accordingly, in the direction of the kitchen, and as soon as the door had closed behind him, Toad hurried to the writing-table. A fine idea had occurred to him while he was talking. He _would_ write the invitations; and he would take care to mention the leading part he had taken in the fight, and how he had laid the Chief Weasel flat; and he would hint at his adventures, and what a career of triumph he had to tell about; and on the fly-leaf he would set out a sort of a programme of entertainment for the evening--something like this, as he sketched it out in his head:-- SPEECH BY TOAD. (There will be other speeches by TOAD during the evening.) ADDRESS BY TOAD. SYNOPSIS--Our Prison System--the Waterways of Old England--Horse-dealing, and how to deal--Property, its rights and its duties--Back to the Land--A Typical English Squire. SONG BY TOAD. (_Composed
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   >>  



Top keywords:
invitations
 

Badger

 

Banquet

 

morning

 

friends

 
evening
 
rights
 

talking

 
direction
 

kitchen


difficult

 

suspiciously

 
looked
 

leading

 
mention
 

countenance

 
occurred
 
closed
 

unworthy

 

motive


change

 

quitted

 

attitude

 

suggest

 

hurried

 

writing

 

programme

 

System

 

Waterways

 

England


Prison

 
ADDRESS
 

SYNOPSIS

 

dealing

 

English

 
Squire
 

Composed

 
Typical
 

Property

 
duties

speeches
 

adventures

 
career
 
triumph
 

Weasel

 

sketched

 
SPEECH
 

entertainment

 
convenience
 

burden