less and forgetful person has left his
door-scraper lying about in the middle of the Wild Wood, _just_ where
it's _sure_ to trip _everybody_ up. Very thoughtless of him, I call
it. When I get home I shall go and complain about it to--to somebody
or other, see if I don't!"

"O, dear! O, dear!" cried the Rat, in despair at his obtuseness.
"Here, stop arguing and come and scrape!" And he set to work again and
made the snow fly in all directions around him.

After some further toil his efforts were rewarded, and a very shabby
door-mat lay exposed to view.

"There, what did I tell you?" exclaimed the Rat in great triumph.

"Absolutely nothing whatever," replied the Mole, with perfect truthfulness.
"Well, now," he went on, "you seem to have found another piece of
domestic litter, done for and thrown away, and I suppose you're
perfectly happy. Better go ahead and dance your jig round that if you've
got to, and get it over, and then perhaps we can go on and not waste any
more time over rubbish-heaps. Can we _eat_ a door-mat? Or sleep under a
door-mat? Or sit on a door-mat and sledge home over the snow on it, you
exasperating rodent?"

"Do--you--mean--to--say," cried the excited Rat, "that this door-mat
doesn't _tell_ you anything?"

"Really, Rat," said the Mole, quite pettishly, "I think we've had
enough of this folly. Who ever heard of a door-mat _telling_ any one
anything? They simply don't do it. They are not that sort at all.
Door-mats know their place."

"Now look here, you--you thick-headed beast," replied the Rat, really
angry, "this must stop. Not another word, but scrape--scrape and
scratch and dig and hunt round, especially on the sides of the
hummocks, if you want to sleep dry and warm to-night, for it's our
last chance!"

The Rat attacked a snow-bank beside them with ardour, probing with his
cudgel everywhere and then digging with fury; and the Mole scraped
busily too, more to oblige the Rat than for any other reason, for his
opinion was that his friend was getting light-headed.

Some ten minutes' hard work, and the point of the Rat's cudgel struck
something that sounded hollow. He worked till he could get a paw
through and feel; then called the Mole to come and help him. Hard at
it went the two animals, till at last the result of their labours
stood full in 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