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风雨河岸柳
The Wind in the Willows

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5 A lesson for Mr Toad

Winter passed, and spring returned to the river bank. Then came a fine morning in early summer, when the world seemed full of sunlight and new green leaves. Down by the river bank, the Mole and the Water Rat were hard at work, mending and cleaning boats, looking for lost oars, and getting ready for a summer on the river. Then they went in to breakfast and had nearly finished when they heard a heavy knock on the door.

The Mole went to see who it was, and came back with a very surprised face. ' Mr Badger' he said.

This was a wonderful thing indeed, for the Badger to come and visit them. He came into the room and stood looking at them, very seriously. The Rat dropped his egg-spoon, and sat open-mouthed.

'The hour has come! 'said the Badger at last.

'What hour?' asked the Rat worriedly, looking at the clock on the wall.

' Whose hour, you mean, 'replied the Badger. ' Why, Toad's hour! The hour of Toad! I said I would teach him a lesson when the summer came, and I'm going to begin today. '

' Toad's hour, of course! 'cried the Mole. ' I remember now. We'll teach him to be a sensible Toad! '

'I learnt last night, ' continued the Badger, ‘ that another new and very fast motor-car has just arrived at Toad Hall. You two must come with me immediately, and we will save Toad from this madness. '

' Right! ' cried the Rat, jumping up. ' Let's go at once. '

When they reached Toad Hall, they saw the new motor-car in front of the house. It was long, shiny, and bright red-Toad's favourite colour. Then Toad himself came down the steps in an enormous overcoat, hat and driving goggles.

' Hello, you fellows! 'Toad called. 'Come for a drive. You're just in time to…to…'

He saw his friends' serious faces and stopped.

The Badger walked up the steps. ' Come inside the house, Toad, 'he said. 'We have to talk to you. '

The three of them took Toad inside and shut the door.

'Now, ' the Badger said to Toad, 'first of all, take off those silly driving-clothes. '

'No, I won't! ' replied Toad. ' What is the meaning of this? Explain yourself at once! '

'Take his things off, you two, ' ordered the Badger.

It wasn't easy to do. The Rat had to sit on Toad, while the Mole pulled off his overcoat, hat and goggles . And Toad called them some very unpleasant names while this was going on. But when he stood up again, he seemed more like himself, the Toad that they had always known.

' You knew this would happen one day, Toad, ' explained the Badger. 'We've warned you so many times, and you haven' t listened. You're spending all your money, you're al-ways in trouble with the police, and you drive like a madman. You will come with me into the next room, and there you will hear some facts about yourself. And you will come out a different Toad. '

He took Toad into a room off the hall and closed the door. The Rat shook his head.' We won't save Toad by just talking to him, ' he said. 'He'll say anything— and then just go and do what he likes. '

After about an hour the door opened, and a very sad and sorry Toad came out, followed by the Badger.

' My friends, ' said the Badger, looking pleased, ' I' am happy to tell you that Toad now realizes how silly he has been. He has promised never to get into a motor-car again. '

'That is very good news, ' said the Mole seriously.

'Very good indeed, 'the Rat said, watching Toad's face carefully.

'Now, Toad, ' continued the Badger, 'I'd like you to repeat your promise in front of your friends. '

There was a long, long silence.

' No! ' said Toad suddenly. ' No, I won't. I'm not sorry, and I haven't been silly at all. It was all wonderful! And I won't promise anything! '

'What?' cried the Badger. 'But in there you told me—'

'Yes, yes, I know, 'said Toad quickly. ' You argue so beautifully, dear Badger, and I can't stop myself agreeing with you. But I' ve been thinking about it. I love driving, I' m a wonderful driver, and I promise you I' ll go on driving for ever! Poop-poop! '

' I told you so, didn' t I? ' the Rat said to the Mole.

' Very well, ' said the Badger . ' If you won' t listen to reason, we' ll have to try another way. We' re going to stay with you in your house until you become sensible. Take him upstairs, you two, and lock him in his bedroom, '

So Toad, fighting and shouting, was pulled upstairs by his two friends.

' It' s for your own good, Toady, you know, ' said the Rat kindly. ' We' ll all have good times together again soon, when this—this madness has passed. '

' We' ll take good care of you, Toad, ' added the Mole. ' No more trouble with the police. No more crashes, and weeks in hospital, '

Then began a very tiring few weeks for the three friends. Day and night they guarded Toad , and one of them was always with him. They talked to him and tried to amuse him, hoping that he would forget his motor-car madness.

But Toad did not seem to get better. He often put the bed-room chairs together to look like a motor-car. Then he sat in the front one and pretended to drive, making terrible engine noises all the time. His friends tried to interest him in other things, but Toad just became sad and silent.

One day the Rat was the guard for the morning. He went upstairs and found Toad still in bed, ' How are you today, old fellow?' he asked brightly.

A sad whisper came from me bed, ' Thank you so much, dear Ratty! But how are you, and the excellent Mole, and dear old Badger?'

' Fine, fine, ' replied the Rat. ' Badger and Mole, ' he added, perhaps not very sensibly, ' have gone out for a run round. They' ll be out until lunch-time, so you and I will spend a pleasant morning together. '

' I don' t want you to trouble yourself about me, ' Toad said, in a sad little voice. ' I was wondering if you would go down to the village and fetch the doctor. But no, it' s not important. It' s probably too late by now. '

' Are you feeling ill, Toad? What’s the matter? '

' I don't know… I think my heart… But you mustn' t be sad, Ratty. Dear, kind friend… I have enjoyed knowing you so much… hate to say goodbye…' Toad' s whisper became slower and slower, and then stopped.

The Rat felt very worried. Toad lay so still and quiet—perhaps he really was ill. The Rat wished that the other two were not so far away. What should he do? He looked again at the still and silent Toad, and decided that he must get th doctor at once. He hurried out, carefully locking the door behind him, and ran off to the village as fast as he could.

When Toad heard the front door bang, he jumped out of bed, laughing loudly. He quickly put on his best suit and filled his pockets with money. Then he took the sheets off the bed, tied them together, and in minutes he had climbed down from the bedroom window and was running across the garden to-wards the fields.

A few hours later he was a long way from home. As he walked happily along the road, he felt very pleased with him-self. ' A clever piece of work, that was! he boasted to the trees and the fields. ' Poor old Ratty! A good fellow, but not very intelligent. Badger will be so angry with him! '

Soon he came to a small town and decided to have lunch in the pub there. He was very hungry after his long walk. Halfway through his meal, he heard a sound that he knew very well indeed. Poop-poop! The car stopped outside and the people in it came into the pub to have lunch.

Shaking with excitement, Toad paid his bill and hurried out. He walked slowly round the car, looking at it lovingly. Every-body was having lunch and the street was empty.

' I wonder, ' Toad said to himself, ' I wonder if this kind of car starts easily?'

It started very easily, and Toad found himself in the driver' s seat. He did not know how it happened, but a minute later he was driving out of the town, forgetting right and wrong, for-getting everything except this wonderful, beautiful madness.

Faster and faster he drove, singing and laughing, as the car ate up the miles. Once again he knew that he was Toad-Toad the dreamer, Toad the adventurer, Toad the terror of the open road!

' You are a dangerous criminal, ' said the Judge. ' You stole a valuable motor-car, and you drove like a madman. It' s surprising that you didn' t kill somebody. And finally, you were very rude indeed to the police when they arrested you. Because of all this, I am sending you to prison for twenty years. Guards! Take the prisoner away! '

And so, shouting and crying, Toad was taken away. He was taken to an old dark castle, pushed into the smallest and darkest room below the ground, and the door was locked behind him.