Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Part 3.
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Chapter 2 – The Open Road
One bright summer morning the Mole and the Rat were out on the river bank, watching the world go by. The Rat was writing a song and was singing quietly to himself as he tried different words.
‘Ratty,’ said the Mole, ‘could I ask you something?’
‘Mmm,’ the Rat said, not really listening. ‘Sky, fly, high, die, why … Oh dear! What did you say, Mole?’
‘Will you take me to visit Mr Toad? I’ve heard so much about him, and I do want to meet him.’
‘Why, of course,’ said the Rat kindly. ‘Get the boat out, and we’ll row up there now. Toad’s always happy to see his friends.’
‘He must be a very nice animal,’ said the Mole, as he got into the boat and took the oars.
‘He’s the best of animals,’ replied the Rat. ‘Kind, friendly – not very clever, perhaps, and sometimes he’s just a little bit boastful, but he’s a good fellow really.’
The Mole rowed hard up the river and in a while they came to a large red house, with beautiful gardens reaching down to the water’s edge.
‘There’s Toad Hall,’ said the Rat. ‘It’s a lovely old house – Toad is very rich, you know, and this is really one of the nicest houses on the river. But we never say that to Toad, of course.’ They left their boat by the boathouse at the end of the garden. The boathouse was full of expensive boats, which looked new and mostly unused.
The Rat looked around him. ‘I see that all the boats are out of the water,’ he said. ‘I suppose Toad has finished with boating now and has some new interest to amuse him.’
They walked over the grass towards the house and soon found Toad, resting in a garden-chair and carefully studying a large map.
‘Wonderful!’ he cried, as he saw them. ‘You’re just the fellow that I wanted to see, Ratty.’ He jumped up and came towards them, talking all the time, and gave the Rat no time to introduce the Mole. ‘I need you very much – both of you. You’ve got to help me. It’s most important!’
‘It’s about your rowing, I suppose,’ said the Rat, keeping his face very serious. ‘ You will learn to do it in the end, you know, if you’re patient and work hard and— ’
‘Oh, bother boats!’ the Toad said crossly. ‘I’ve finished with boats. Silly way to pass the time. No, I’ve discovered the real thing – the best way, the only way, to spend one’s life. Come with me, dear Ratty, and your kind friend too, and I will show you!’
He took them round to the other side of the house, and there they saw a shiny new gypsy caravan. It had yellow and green sides, and red wheels.
‘There you are!’ cried the Toad. ‘There’s real life for you. The open road, the fields, the hills … villages, towns, cities! Here today, off to a different place tomorrow! Travel, change, interest – the world in front of you!’
‘The Mole was very interested and excited, and followed the Toad inside the caravan to look around. But the Rat shook his head and waited outside.
When they came down the steps again, the Toad was still talking excitedly to the Mole. ‘So you see, everything is ready for when we start this afternoon.’
‘What was that?’ said the Rat slowly. ‘Did you say “we” and “start” and “this afternoon”?’
‘Now, dear good old Ratty,’ said Toad quickly, ‘don’t talk in that cross voice. You know you’ve got to come. You can’t stay by your boring old river all your life. I want to show you the world!’
‘I don’t care,’ said the Rat calmly. ‘I’m not coming, and that’s final. I’m going to stay by my old river, and what’s more, Mole’s going to stay with me, aren’t you, Mole?’
‘Of course I am,’ said the Mole bravely. But his face looked sad. Poor Mole! He thought that life in a caravan on the open road would be an exciting adventure.
The Rat saw his sad face and felt worried. He liked his friends to be happy and he could see that the Mole really wanted to go.
Toad watched them both carefully. ‘Come in and have some lunch,’ he said pleasantly, ‘and we’ll talk it over.’
During lunch – which was excellent, of course, because everything at Toad Hall always was – the Toad talked and talked. He was full of wonderful plans. How interesting each day would be! What adventures the three friends would have together! Ah, the happiness of the travelling life!
In the end, of course, the Rat agreed to go, and by the evening they found themselves on a lonely hillside miles from home. It had been a golden afternoon, and even the Rat had enjoyed the journey so far. Only the old grey horse was not very happy. He had to do all the hard work of pulling the caravan, and he was not at all pleased about it.