"You may tell my friend, Buster Bear, that I shall be very happy to honorhim by dining with him," replied Old Mr. Toad with a very grand air.
Jimmy went off to deliver his reply, and Old Mr. Toad sat and puffedhimself out until he could hardly breathe. "Honor him by dining with him,"said he over and over to himself. "I never was so flattered in my life."
XXII
OLD MR. TOAD LEARNS A LESSON
Pride is like a great big bubble; You'll find there's nothing in it. Prick it and for all your trouble It has vanished in a minute.
Old Mr. Toad was so puffed out with pride as he started for the GreenForest to dine with Buster Bear that those who saw him wondered if hewouldn't burst before he got there. Everybody knew where he was going, andthis made Old Mr. Toad feel more important and proud than ever. He mightnot have felt quite so puffed up if he had known just how it had come aboutthat he received this second invitation to dine with Buster Bear. WhenJimmy Skunk brought it to him, Jimmy didn't tell him that Buster had beenasked to send the invitation, and that it was all part of a plan on thepart of some of Old Mr. Toad's old friends and neighbors to teach him alesson. No, indeed, Jimmy didn't say anything at all about that!
So Old Mr. Toad went hopping along and stumbling over his own feet, becausehis head was held so high and he was so puffed out that he couldn't seewhere he was going. He could think of nothing but how important Buster Bearmust consider him to invite him to dinner a second time, and of thedelicious ants he was sure he would have to eat.
"What very good taste Buster Bear has," thought he, "and how very fortunateit is that he found out that I also am fond of ants."
He was so busy with these pleasant thoughts and of the good dinner that heexpected to have that he took no notice of what was going on about him. Hedidn't see his old friends and neighbors peeping out at him and laughingbecause he looked so foolish and silly. He was dressed in his very best,which was nothing at all to be proud of, for you know Old Mr. Toad has nofine clothes. And being puffed up so, he was homelier than ever, which issaying a great deal, for at best Mr. Toad is anything but handsome.
He was beginning to get pretty tired by the time he reached the GreenForest and came in sight of the rotted old chestnut stump where he was tomeet Buster Bear.
Buster was waiting for him. "How do you do this fine day? You look a littletired and rather warm, Mr. Toad," said he.
"I am a little warm," replied Mr. Toad in his most polite manner, althoughhe couldn't help panting for breath as he said it. "I hope you are feelingas well as you are looking, Mr. Bear."
"I am a little warm," replied Mr. Toad in his most politemanner.]
Buster Bear laughed a great, grumbly-rumbly laugh. "I always feel fine whenthere is a dinner of fat ants ready for me," said he. "It is fine of you tohonor me by coming to dine."
Here Mr. Toad put one hand on his stomach and tried to make a very grandbow. Peter Rabbit, hiding behind a near-by tree, almost giggled aloud, helooked so funny.
"I have ventured to invite another to enjoy the dinner with us," continuedBuster Bear. Mr. Toad's face fell. You see he was selfish. He wanted to bethe only one to have the honor of dining with Buster Bear. "He's a littlelate," went on Buster, "but I think he will be here soon, and I hope youwill be glad to meet him. Ah, there he comes now!"
Old Mr. Toad looked in the direction in which Buster Bear was looking. Hegave a little gasp and turned quite pale. All his puffiness disappeared. Hedidn't look like the same Toad at all. The newcomer was Mr. Blacksnake."Oh!" cried Old Mr. Toad, and then, without even asking to be excused, heturned his back on Buster Bear and started back the way he had come, withlong, frightened hops.
"Ha, ha, ha!" shouted Peter Rabbit, jumping out from behind a tree.
"Ho, ho, ho!" shouted Jimmy Skunk from behind another.
"Hee, hee, hee!" shouted Johnny Chuck from behind a third.
Then Old Mr. Toad knew that his old friends and neighbors had planned thisto teach him a lesson.
XXIII
OLD MR. TOAD IS VERY HUMBLE
When Old Mr. Toad saw Mr. Blacksnake and turned his back on Buster Bear andthe fine dinner to which Buster had invited him, he had but just one ideain his head, and that was to get out of sight of Mr. Blacksnake as soon aspossible. He forgot to ask Buster Bear to excuse him. He forgot that he wastired and hot. He forgot all the pride with which he had been so puffed up.He forgot everything but the need of getting out of sight of Mr. Blacksnakeas soon as ever he could. So away went Old Mr. Toad, hop, hop,hipperty-hop, hop, hop, hipperty-hop! He heard Peter Rabbit and Jimmy Skunkand Johnny Chuck and others of his old friends and neighbors shouting withlaughter. Yes, and he heard the deep, grumbly-rumbly laugh of Buster Bear.But he didn't mind it. Not then, anyway. He hadn't room for any feelingexcept fear of Mr. Blacksnake.
But Old Mr. Toad had to stop after a while. You see, his legs were so tiredthey just wouldn't go any longer. And he was so out of breath that hewheezed. He crawled under a big piece of bark, and there he lay flat on theground and panted and panted for breath. He would stay there until jolly,round, bright Mr. Sun went to bed behind the Purple Hills. Then Mr.Blacksnake would go to bed too, and it would be safe for him to go home.Now, lying there in the dark, for it was dark under that big piece of bark,Old Mr. Toad had time to think. Little by little he began to understandthat his invitation to dine with Buster Bear had been part of a plan by hisold friends and neighbors whom he had so snubbed and looked down on when hehad been puffed up with pride, to teach him a lesson. At first he wasangry, very angry indeed. Then he began to see how foolish and silly he hadbeen, and shame took the place of anger. As he remembered the deep,grumbly-rumbly laughter of Buster Bear, the feeling of shame grew.
"I deserve it," thought Old Mr. Toad. "Yes, Sir, I deserve every bit of it.The only thing that I have to be proud of is that I'm honest and work formy living. Yes, Sir, that's all."
When darkness came at last, and he crawled out to go home, he was feelingvery humble. Peter Rabbit happened along just then. Old Mr. Toad opened hismouth to speak, but Peter suddenly threw his head up very high and struttedpast as if he didn't see Old Mr. Toad at all. Mr. Toad gulped and went on.Pretty soon he met Jimmy Skunk. Jimmy went right on about his business andactually stepped right over Old Mr. Toad as if he had been a stick or astone. Old Mr. Toad gulped again and went on. The next day he went down tosee Danny Meadow Mouse. He meant to tell Danny how ashamed he was for theway he had treated Danny and his other friends. But Danny brushed rightpast without even a glance at him. Old Mr. Toad gulped and started up tosee Johnny Chuck. The same thing happened again. So it did when he metStriped Chipmunk.
At last Old Mr. Toad gave up and went home, where he sat under a bigmullein leaf the rest of the day, feeling very miserable and lonely. Hedidn't have appetite enough to snap at a single fly. Late that afternoon heheard a little noise and looked up to find all his old friends andneighbors forming a circle around him. Suddenly they began to dance andshout:
"Old Mr. Toad is a jolly good fellow! His temper is sweet, disposition is mellow! And now that his bubble of pride is quite busted We know that he knows that his friends can be trusted."
Then Old Mr. Toad knew that all was well once more, and presently he beganto dance too, the funniest dance that ever was seen.
This is all for now about homely Old Mr. Toad, because I have just got totell you about another homely fellow,--Prickly Porky the Porcupine,--whocarries a thousand little spears. The next book will tell you all about_his_ adventures.
THE END
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