error coming back to him at the mention of the Wild Wood.

"Nervous?" The Otter showed a gleaming set of strong white teeth as he
laughed. "I'd give 'em nerves if any of them tried anything on with
me. Here, Mole, fry me some slices of ham, like the good little chap
you are. I'm frightfully hungry, and I've got any amount to say to
Ratty here. Haven't seen him for an age."

So the good-natured Mole, having cut some slices of ham, set the
hedgehogs to fry it, and returned to his own breakfast, while the
Otter and the Rat, their heads together, eagerly talked river-shop,
which is long shop and talk that is endless, running on like the
babbling river itself.

A plate of fried ham had just been cleared and sent back for more,
when the Badger entered, yawning and rubbing his eyes, and greeted
them all in his quiet, simple way, with kind inquiries for every one.
"It must be getting on for luncheon time," he remarked to the Otter.
"Better stop and have it with us. You must be hungry, this cold
morning."

"Rather!" replied the Otter, winking at the Mole. "The sight of these
greedy young hedgehogs stuffing themselves with fried ham makes me
feel positively famished."

The hedgehogs, who were just beginning to feel hungry again after
their porridge, and after working so hard at their frying, looked
timidly up at Mr. Badger, but were too shy to say anything.

"Here, you two youngsters, be off home to your mother," said the
Badger kindly. "I'll send some one with you to show you the way. You
won't want any dinner to-day, I'll be bound."

He gave them sixpence a-piece and a pat on the head, and they went off
with much respectful swinging of caps and touching of forelocks.

Presently they all sat down to luncheon together. The Mole found
himself placed next to Mr. Badger, and, as the other two were still
deep in river-gossip from which nothing could divert them, he took the
opportunity to tell Badger how comfortable and home-like it all felt
to him. "Once well underground," he said, "you know exactly where you
are. Nothing can happen to you, and nothing can get at you. You're
entirely your own master, and you don't have to consult anybody or
mind what they say. Things go on all the same overhead, and you let
'em, and don't bother about 'em. When you want to, up you go, and
there the things are, waiting for you."

The Badger simply beamed on him. "That's exactly what I say," he
replied. "There's no security, or peace and tr