The River Bank The Mole had been working very hard all the morning spring cleaning his little home First with brooms then with dusters then on ladders and chairs till he had dust in his throat and an aching back and weary arms Spring was moving in the air above his burrow with its spirit of divine discontent and longing It was small wonder then that he suddenly flung down his brush on the floor said Bother and Hang spring cleaning and bolted out of the house without even waiting to put on his coat Something above ground was calling him and he made for his steep little tunnel So he scraped and scratched and scrabbled till at last pop his snout came out into the sunlight and he found himself rolling in the warm grass of a great meadow This is fine he said to himself The sunshine struck hot on his fur and soft breezes caressed his heated brow Jumping up in the delight of spring without its cleaning he pursued his way across the meadow It all seemed too good to be true Hither and thither through the meadows he rambled 10 busily finding everywhere birds building flowers budding leaves thrusting everything happy And instead of having an uneasy conscience whispering cleaning he could only feel jolly He thought his happiness was complete when suddenly he stood by the edge of a river Never in his life had he seen a river before this sleek full bodied animal chasing and chuckling gripping things with a gurgle and leaving them with a laugh All was glints and gleams and sparkles rustle and swirl chatter and bubble The Mole was fascinated By the side of the river
he trotted and when tired at last he sat on the bank while the river chattered on a babbling procession of the best stories in the world As he sat on the grass and looked across the river a dark hole in the bank opposite caught his eye As he gazed something bright and small seemed to twinkle down in the heart of it like a tiny star Then as he looked it winked at him and so declared itself to be an eye and a small face began gradually to grow up round it a serious little brown face with whiskers small neat ears and thick silky hair 11
It was the Water Rat The two animals stood and regarded each other cautiously Hello Mole said the Water Rat Hello Rat said the Mole Would you like to come over inquired the Rat He stepped into a little boat which the Mole had not observed It was just the size for two animals The Rat rowed briskly across He held up his forepaw as the Mole stepped gingerly down Now then step lively he said and the Mole soon found himself seated in the stern of a real boat This has been a wonderful day said the Mole as the Rat shoved off Do you know I’ve never been in a boat before in all my life What cried the Rat Believe me my young friend there is absolute nothing better than simply messing about in boats Look here If you’ve really nothing to do this morning why don’t we drop down the river together and have a long day of it The Mole waggled his toes from sheer happiness and leaned back blissfully into the soft cushions What a day I’m having he said Let us start at once The Rat pulled the boat up alongside his hole and after a short interval reappeared staggering under a fat wicker luncheon-basket Shove that under your feet he observed to the Mole as he passed it down into the boat and took the oars again What’s inside it asked the Mole wriggling with curiosity Cold chicken replied the Rat briefly Coldhamcoldbeefpickledgherkinssaladfrenchrollssandwichesgingeralelemonade Oh stop stop cried the Mole in ecstasies This is too much Do you really think so inquired the Rat seriously It’s only what I always take on these little excursions 12
The Mole never heard a word he was saying Absorbed in the new life he was entering upon he trailed a paw in the water and dreamed long waking dreams The Water Rat like the good little fellow he was rowed steadily on and did not disturb him So this is a river said the Mole after a while The River corrected the Rat And you really live by the river What a jolly life By it and with it and on it and in it said the Rat It’s my world and I don’t want any other What it hasn’t got is not worth having What lies over there asked the Mole waving a paw towards a woodland on one Aren’t they very nice people in there said the Mole a trifle nervously W-e-ll replied the Rat let me see The squirrels are all right and the rabbits some of em but rabbits are a mixed lot And then there’s Badger of course He lives right in the heart of it wouldn’t live anywhere else Nobody interferes with him They’d better not he added significantly side of the river much we river bankers That Oh that’s just the Wild Wood said the Rat shortly We don’t go there very 13
