Part 7 (1/2)

There are ants, for instance You wouldn't want to eat thery But Old Mr Toad and Buster Bear think there is nothingants, one at a time, as he kept watch beside their home, and it had pleased Buster to find soht away he invited Old Mr

Toad to dine with hihtened alrumbly-ru the ants that he hadn't seen Buster coht over on his back, which wasn't at all dignified, and htened Mr Toad more than ever You see he didn't have the least doubt in the world that Buster Bear meant to eat him, and when Buster invited him to dinner, he was sure that that was just a joke on Buster's part

But there was no way to escape, and after a little Old Mr Toad thought it best to be polite, because, you know, it always pays to be polite So he said in a very faint voice that he would be pleased to dine with Buster

Then he waved his feet feebly, trying to get on his feet again Buster Bear laughed harder than ever It was a low, deep, gruh, and sent cold shi+vers all over poor Old Mr Toad But when Buster reached out a great paith great cruel-looking claws Mr Toad quite gave up He didn't have strength enough left to even kick He just closed his eyes and waited for the end

What do you think happened? Why, he was rolled over on to his feet so gently that he just gasped with surprise It didn't seeentle

”Now,” said Buster Bear in a voice which he tried to rumbly-rumbly just the sa for us just a little way from here You follow me, and we'll have it in no time”

So Buster Bear led the way, and Old Mr Toad followed as fast as he could, because he didn't dare not to Presently Buster stopped beside a big decayed old log ”If you are ready, Mr Toad, ill dine now,” said he

Old Mr Toad didn't see anything to eat His heart sank again, and he shook all over ”I--I'ry,” said he in a very faint voice

Buster Bear didn't seeave a , and there were ants and ants and ants, hurrying this way and scurrying that way, more ants than Mr Toad had seen in all his life before!

”Help yourself,” said Buster Bear politely

Old Mr Toad didn't wait to be told twice He forgot all about his fright

He forgot all about Buster Bear He forgot that he wasn't hungry He forgot histhose ants, and for a little while he was the busiest Toad ever seen Buster Bear was busy too He swept his long tongue this way, and he swept it that way, and each time he drew it back into his mouth, it was covered with ants At last Old Mr Toad couldn't hold another ant Then he remembered Buster Bear and looked up a little fearfully Buster was s his lips, and there was a twinkle in each eye

”Good, aren't they?” said he

”The best I ever ate,” declared Old Mr Toad with a sigh of satisfaction

”Coain,” said Buster Bear, and somehow this tirumbly-rumbly

”Thank you, I will,” replied Old Mr Toad

XX

OLD MR TOAD IS PUFFED UP

Old Mr Toad hopped slowly down the Lone Little Path He usually does hop slowly, but this time he hopped slower than ever You see, he was so puffed up that he couldn't have hopped fast if he had wanted to, and he didn't want to In the first place his stomach was so full of ants that there wasn't room for another one No, Sir, Old Mr Toad couldn't have sed another ant if he had tried Of course they made his stomach stick out, but it wasn't the ants that puffed him out all over Oh, my, no! It was pride

That's what it was--pride You know nothing can puff any one up quite like foolish pride

Old Mr Toad was old enough to have known better It is bad enough to see young and foolish creatures puffed up with pride, but it is worse to see any one as old as Old Mr Toad that way He held his head so high that he couldn't see his own feet, and more than once he stubbed his toes

Presently he met his old friend, Danny Meadow Mouse He tipped his head a little higher, puffed himself out a little more, and pretended not to see Danny