The Mole had been working very hard all the morning,
spring-cleaning his little home. First with brooms, then with dusters...
till he had dust in this throat and eyes..and an aching back and weary arms.
Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him.
It was small wonder, then, that he suddenly flung down is brush on the floor,
said 'Bother!' and 'O blow!' and also 'Hang spring-cleaning!'
and bolted out of the house..
'This is fine!' he said to himself...
The sunshine struck hot on his fur, soft breezes caressed his heated brow,
and after the peace of the underground home he had lived in so long
the carol of happy birds fell on his dulled hearing almost like a shout.
Jumping off all his four legs at once,
in the joy of living and the delight of spring without its cleaning,
he went on his way across the meadow till he reached the hedge on the further side.
It all seemed too good to be true.
Hither and thither through the meadows he rambled busily,
along the hedgerows, across the copses, finding everywhere birds building,
flowers budding, leaves thrusting -
everything happy, and progressive, and occupied.
He thought his happiness was complete when, as he wandered aimlessly along,
suddenly he stood by the edge of a full-fed river.
All was a-shake and a-shiver - glints and gleams and sparkles,
rustle and swirl, chatter and bubble.
The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated.
By the side of the river he trotted; and tired at last,
he sat on the bank, while the river chattered on.
A grave round face...attracted his notice. It was the Water Rat! '
Would you like to come over?' asked the Rat presently.
The Rat...helped Mole safely ashore, and swung out the luncheon basket. The Mole begged as a favour to be allowed to unpack it all by himself; and the Rat was very pleased to indulge him, and to sprawl at full length on the grass and rest, while his excited friend shook out the table-cloth and spread it, took out all the mysterious packets one by one and arranged their contents in due order, still gasping, 'O my! O my!' at each fresh revelation.
and the Mole was indeed very glad to obey...
Rat...sat on the river bank in the sun, and made up a song about [the ducks]...
All along the backwater,
Through the rushes tall,
Ducks are a-dabbling,
Up tails all!
Ducks' tails, drakes' tails,
Yellow feet a-quiver
Yellow bills all out of sight
Busy in the river!
This day was only the first of many similar ones for the Mole,
each of them longer and fuller of interest as the ripening summer moved onward.
All quotes taken from The Wind In The Willows.
7:40 AM |
Category:
Discover Britain
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Comments (2)
so fun to see pictures of you guys!!!
I love it!!! Thanks for posting! It's great to see you guys!! And I loved the story : )
What a beautiful place for a stroll and lunch out doors!!!
I hope you're doing well!! I have thought of you often over the past week. I'll try to write soon.
Love you, dear,
tanya