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reason of Toad’s? The wind is in the south today which will considerably help our passage upstream, and the sooner we —”
    “It didn’t seem paltry when he explained it to me,” said the Mole with a trace more vigour. “And it’s certainly not a matter of Toad being entirely self-centred, because, you see, we are all to be part of it. We need only be delayed for an hour or two and —”
    “My dear Mole, you are beginning to confuse me,” said the Badger, sitting down and taking out his pipe. “Why don’t we all make ourselves comfortable and hear what it is you’ve promised we will do?”
    The day was bright and breezy fresh but summery. They were all gathered on the bank by the Rat’s cottage, and it was plain enough from the pile of gear they had begun to load into the two boats moored there, that the Mole’s expedition was about to start at last, and it was not expected to be a short trip either. One of the craft was the Water Rat’s familiar blue and white boat, the other a smaller snub-nosed dory of the kind that can be safely loaded with supplies and towed along behind.
    In addition to several hampers of varying sizes stuffed full to overflowing with provisions of every description, the bulk of which was food and drink, there was a large-looking tent, neatly stowed in a brown canvas bag, complete with pegs and poles. There were, as well, two large valises, respectively labelled in the Mole’s neat hand, Clothes: Good Weather & Evening and Clothes: Bad Weather & Mud.
    The Water Rat, it seemed, travelled more frugally than the Mole, for his valise was a third of the size of one of the Mole’s and was labelled thus: Clothes, of no value: if found, return to the Water Rat, The Cottage, River Bank, and if Owner missing contact Mr Badger of the Wild Wood.
    It was plain that their preparations were complete, and given the fair wind and good weather the Rat’s irritation at their delay was understandable. The more so, perhaps, because his beloved River, as if sensing that she had her part to play as well, flowed full and majestically her wind-ruffled surface catching in turns the white of drifting cloud and the blue of the summer sky while on the far side the willows hung heavy with leaf now, green and summer-beautiful, their fronds swaying lightly in the breeze, caught sometimes at their lowest extremities by the River’s flow, to be pulled forward a little and then released, then pulled forward once more.
    “So, Mole,” said the Badger, tamping at his briar before lighting up and taking a few calming puffs while the others, much under his sway finally settled down, “why don’t you tell us exactly what it is that Toad has said to you?”
    “Well,” began the Mole with more composure, “I do begin to see now that I may have been mistaken in allowing Toad to persuade me to agree to something without first consulting you, Badger, and you other fellows. Also I should have talked to you all a good few weeks ago when Toad’s symptoms began to show, but as you all now know I was too much pre-occupied with my own concerns at the time — but let me tell you about it just as it happened, and you can judge for yourselves! But —”
    A look of anxiety crossed his face.
    “What is it now, Mole, for goodness’ sake?” said the Rat.
    “Well you see — I had not thought — O dear! I begin to see that the matter is more difficult, more urgent, than I had thought. You see it is not only what Toad said to me, but what I suggested to him, and I did not mean it other than lightly Dear me — I —”
    “Mole, old fellow,” said the Badger, taking another puff at his pipe and putting his hand on the hapless animal’s shoulder, “whether it be urgent or otherwise we can do nothing at all till you tell us what ‘it’ is. Therefore —”
    “But we should get to Toad Hall right away before he —” said the Mole, now seriously alarmed.
    “So we shall, I dare say” said the Badger. “But before we move