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Authors: William Horwood
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involved if a fellow is to get married,” said the Mole sensibly.
“Exactly my point,” said the Rat as if to clinch the argument.
The boats rocked gently and for a time neither ventured to get out, for the matter they were pondering troubled them and needed much thought.
“What we can safely say” said the Rat eventually “is that the arrival of a female personage at Toad Hall brings matrimony nearer than if that person had stayed away. We can also be sure that Toad, who is weak and vain and capable of anything if he sees some advantage to himself is likely to be vulnerable to the snares that someone of the female gender might set him.”
“Are females very dangerous then?” the Mole asked nervously The Rat climbed out onto the landing-stage and pondered the Mole’s question as he tied up the boats.
“They are not dangerous in themselves,” he said finally “but I have heard it said that they have a capacity for causing trouble and dissension. I mean no disrespect to them in any way of course.”
“Of course not,” said the Mole, adding ingenuously “why your own mother was a female, was she not?”
“I believe she was,” conceded the Rat, a shade irritated to be reminded of the fact.
“Mine as well,” said the Mole confidentially glad to have discovered some non-contentious ground in territory that seemed so riddled with danger and difficulty.
“Perhaps it is enough to say that we along the River Bank have no need of females and have lived happily without them for a large number of years,” said the Rat judiciously as he finally led the way into Toad’s garden. “They are perfectly all right in their own place but perhaps they would feel uncomfortable here.”
“I see,” said the Mole, doing his very best to sound as if he did. For the Mole had fond memories of the female members of his family and often, in his quiet and gentle way regretted their passing. Life had brought him many blessings and many pleasures, but it was no good pretending that occasionally he did not remember his mother’s touch with fondness, or that he did not feel wistful when he remembered the sound of his sisters’ laughter in childhood days. Naturally from the confidential conversation he had when he had been recuperating at the Badger’s house, he had not forgotten that the Badger was not without a soft spot for a particular female he had known many years before and had never quite forgotten. So the Rat’s seeming dismissal of all female virtues did not entirely convince him.
But perhaps the Rat recognized the fact and felt that some final statement was necessary to keep the Mole upon the narrow path, for as they approached the terrace steps up to the Hall, and heard the sound of their friends’ voices, he stopped and put a hand upon the Mole’s shoulder.
“Mole, old friend, you would be well advised to put out of your mind such dangerous thoughts as these, and desist from mentioning matrimony to those of your present friendship and acquaintance.”
“Even my Nephew?” persisted the Mole.
He had some hope that one day Nephew would settle down and raise a family and that he, Mole, might have some little use and value still to a new generation. Not that he had ever said so bold a thing to anyone, least of all his Nephew, but it was no good pretending he did not have such simple, harmless dreams.
“Especially your Nephew, if you want him to remain happy and content,” said the Rat firmly. “You must warn him against such impulses, Mole, should they ever present themselves. Keep him busy and occupied with things that matter, that’s the best approach. Now, let us see how badly Toad is infected with this new idea.”
The Mole judged it was best not to pursue his enquiries further, and they made their way up the steps, across the terrace, to join the others in Toad’s conservatory.
From the warning glance that the Badger immediately gave them, and the air of weary good humour that came from the
“Exactly my point,” said the Rat as if to clinch the argument.
The boats rocked gently and for a time neither ventured to get out, for the matter they were pondering troubled them and needed much thought.
“What we can safely say” said the Rat eventually “is that the arrival of a female personage at Toad Hall brings matrimony nearer than if that person had stayed away. We can also be sure that Toad, who is weak and vain and capable of anything if he sees some advantage to himself is likely to be vulnerable to the snares that someone of the female gender might set him.”
“Are females very dangerous then?” the Mole asked nervously The Rat climbed out onto the landing-stage and pondered the Mole’s question as he tied up the boats.
“They are not dangerous in themselves,” he said finally “but I have heard it said that they have a capacity for causing trouble and dissension. I mean no disrespect to them in any way of course.”
“Of course not,” said the Mole, adding ingenuously “why your own mother was a female, was she not?”
“I believe she was,” conceded the Rat, a shade irritated to be reminded of the fact.
“Mine as well,” said the Mole confidentially glad to have discovered some non-contentious ground in territory that seemed so riddled with danger and difficulty.
“Perhaps it is enough to say that we along the River Bank have no need of females and have lived happily without them for a large number of years,” said the Rat judiciously as he finally led the way into Toad’s garden. “They are perfectly all right in their own place but perhaps they would feel uncomfortable here.”
“I see,” said the Mole, doing his very best to sound as if he did. For the Mole had fond memories of the female members of his family and often, in his quiet and gentle way regretted their passing. Life had brought him many blessings and many pleasures, but it was no good pretending that occasionally he did not remember his mother’s touch with fondness, or that he did not feel wistful when he remembered the sound of his sisters’ laughter in childhood days. Naturally from the confidential conversation he had when he had been recuperating at the Badger’s house, he had not forgotten that the Badger was not without a soft spot for a particular female he had known many years before and had never quite forgotten. So the Rat’s seeming dismissal of all female virtues did not entirely convince him.
But perhaps the Rat recognized the fact and felt that some final statement was necessary to keep the Mole upon the narrow path, for as they approached the terrace steps up to the Hall, and heard the sound of their friends’ voices, he stopped and put a hand upon the Mole’s shoulder.
“Mole, old friend, you would be well advised to put out of your mind such dangerous thoughts as these, and desist from mentioning matrimony to those of your present friendship and acquaintance.”
“Even my Nephew?” persisted the Mole.
He had some hope that one day Nephew would settle down and raise a family and that he, Mole, might have some little use and value still to a new generation. Not that he had ever said so bold a thing to anyone, least of all his Nephew, but it was no good pretending he did not have such simple, harmless dreams.
“Especially your Nephew, if you want him to remain happy and content,” said the Rat firmly. “You must warn him against such impulses, Mole, should they ever present themselves. Keep him busy and occupied with things that matter, that’s the best approach. Now, let us see how badly Toad is infected with this new idea.”
The Mole judged it was best not to pursue his enquiries further, and they made their way up the steps, across the terrace, to join the others in Toad’s conservatory.
From the warning glance that the Badger immediately gave them, and the air of weary good humour that came from the
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