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Speaker 1: Extract from the Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham.

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What a fellow you are for giving in, said the

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rat reproachfully. Why only just now I saw a sardine

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opener on the kitchen dresser quite distinctly, And everybody knows

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that means there are sardines about somewhere in the neighborhood.

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Rouse yourself, pull yourself together, and come with me in forage.

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They went and foraged accordingly, hunting through every cupboard and

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turning out every drawer. The resort was not so very

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depressing after all, though of course it might have been better.

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A tin of sardines, a box of Captain's biscuits nearly full,

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and a German sausage encased in silver paper. There's a

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banquet for you, observed the rat as he arranged the table.

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I know some animals who would give their ears to

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be sitting down to supper with us to night. No bread,

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groaned the mole dolorously. No butter, no no patty de

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fois gras, no champagne, continued the rat, grinning. And that

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reminds me, what's that little door at the end of

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the passage your cellar? Of course, every luxury in this house.

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Just you wait a minute, He made for the cellar door,

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and presently reappeared, somewhat dusty, with a bottle of beer

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in each paw and another under each arm. Self indulgent, beggar,

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you seem to be, mole, he observed. Deny yourself nothing.

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This is really the jolliest little place I ever was in. Now,

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wherever did you pick up those prints? Make the place

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look so homelike they do? No wonder you're so fond

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of it, Mole. Tell us all about it and how

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you came to make it what it is. Then, while

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the rat busied himself fetching plates and knives and forks

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and mustard, which he mixed in an egg, up, the mole,

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his bosom, still heaving with the stress of his recent emotion,

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related somewhat shyly at first, but with more freedom as

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he warmed to his subject, how this was planned, and

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how that was thought out, and how this was got

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through a windfall from an aunt, and that was a

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wonderful find and a bargain, and this other thing was

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bought out of laborious savings and a certain amount of

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going without his spirits. Finally, quite restored. He must needs

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go and caress his possessions, and take a lamp and

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show off their points to his visitor and expatiate on them.

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Quite forgetful of the supper they both so much needed rat,

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who was desperately hungry, but strove to conceal it, nodding seriously,

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examining with a puckered brow, and saying wonderful and most

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remarkable at intervals when the chance for an observation was

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given him. At last, the rat succeeded in decoying him

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to the table, and had just got seriously to work

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with the sardine opener when sounds were heard from the

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forecourt without sounds like the scuffling of small feet in

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the gravel, and a confused murmur of tiny voices, while

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broken sentences reached them. Now all in a line, hold

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the lantern up a bit, Tommy, clear your throats first,

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no coughing after I say one, two, three? Where's young

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Bill here? Come on? Do we're all awaiting? What's up?

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Inquired the rat, pausing in his labors. I think it

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must be the field mice, replied the mole, with a

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touch of pride in his manner. They go round carol

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singing regularly at this time of the year. They're quite

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an institution in these parts, and they never pass me over.

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They came to mole End last of all, and I

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used to give them hot drinks and sapp or two

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sometimes when I could afford it. It would be like

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old times to hear them again. Let's have a look

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at them, cried the rat, jumping up and running to

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the door. It was a pretty sight, and the seasonable

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one that met their eyes when they flung the door open.

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In the forecourt, lit by the dim rays of a

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horn lantern, some eight or ten little field mice stood

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in a semicircle, red worsted comforters round their throats, their

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forepaws thrust deep into their pockets, their feet jigging for warmth.

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With bright beady eyes, they glanced shyly at each other,

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sniggering a little, sniffing, and applying coat sleeves a good deal.

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As the door opened, one of the elder ones that

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carried the lantern was just saying now then one, two, three,

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and forthwith their shrill little voices. Up rose on the air,

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singing one of the old time carols that their forefathers

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composed in fields that were fallow and held by frost,

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or when snow bound in chimney corners and handed down

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to be sung in the miry street to lamp lit

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windows at Yule time. Carol villagers, all this frosty tide,

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let your doors swing open wide, though wind may follow

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and snow beside. Yet draw us in by your fire

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to bide. Joy shall be yours in the morning. Here

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we stand in the cold, and the sleet, blowing fingers

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and stamping feet come from far away you to greet

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you by the fire, and we in the street bidding

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you joy in the morning. For ere one half of

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the night was gone sudden as star has led us

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on reigning bliss and benison bliss tomorrow and more anon

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joy for every morning. Good man Joseph toiled through the snow,

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saw the star o'er a stable low Mary, she might

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not further go, welcome thatch and litter below. Joy was

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hers in the morning. And then they heard the angels

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tell who were the first to cry? O weell animals,

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All as it befell in the stable where they did dwell,

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Joy shall be theirs in the morning. The voices ceased

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the singers, bashful but smiling, exchanged sidelong glances, and silence succeeded,

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but for a moment only. Then from up above and

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far away down the tunnel they had so lately traveled,

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was borne to their ears in a faint musical hum,

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the sound of distant bells ringing a joyful and clangorous peal.

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Very well sung, boys, cried the rat heartily. And now

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come along in, all of you, and warm yourselves by

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the fire and have something hot. Yes, come along, field mice,

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cried the mole eagerly. This is quite like old times.

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Shut the door after you pull up that settle to

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the fire. Now you just wait a minute while we

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Oh ratty, he cried in despair, plumping down on a

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seat with tears impending. Whatever are we doing? We nothing

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to give them. You leave all that to me, said

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the masterful rat. Here, you with the lantern, come over

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this way. I want to talk to you. Now tell me,

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are there any shops open at this hour of the night. Why, certainly, sir,

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replied the field mouse, respectfully, at this time of the year,

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our shops keep open to all sorts of hours. Then

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look here, said the rat. You go off at once,

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you and your lantern, and you get me here. Much

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muttered conversation ensued, and the mole only heard bits of it,

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such as fresh mind, No a pound of that will do?

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See you get bug ins, for I won't have any other. No,

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only the best. If you can't get it there, try

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somewhere else, yes, of course, homemade, no tin stuff. Well,

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then do the best you can. Finally there was a

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chink of coin passing from port to paw. The field

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mouse was provided with an ample basket for his purchasers,

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and off he hurried, he and his lantern. The rest

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of the field mice perched in a row on the settle,

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their small legs swinging, gave themselves up to enjoyment of

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the fire, and toasted their chilblains till they tingled, while

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the mole, failing to draw them into easy conversation, plunged

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into family history and made each of them recite the

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names of his numerous brothers who were too young. It

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appeared to be allowed to go out caroling this year,

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but looked forward very shortly to winning the parental consent.

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The rat, meanwhile, was busy examining the label on one

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of the beer bottles. I perceive this to be old Burton,

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he remarked, approvingly, sensible mole, the very thing. Now we

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should be able to mull some ale. Get the things ready, mole,

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while I draw the corks. It did not take long

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to prepare the brew and thrust the tin heater well

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into the red heart of the fire. And soon every

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field mouse was sipping and coughing and choking for a

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little mulled ale goes a long way and wiping his

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eyes and laughing, and forgetting he had ever been cold

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in all his life. They act plays too, these fellows,

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the mole explained to the rat. Make them up all

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by themselves, and act them afterwards. And very well they

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do it too. They gave us a capital one last

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year about a field mouse who was captured at sea

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by a barbary course air and made to row in

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a galley. And when he escaped and got home again,

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his lady love had gone into a convent. Here. You

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you were in it, I remember, Get up and recite

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a bit. The field mouse addressed, got up on his legs,

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giggle shyly, looked round the room, and remained absolutely tongue tied.

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His comrades cheered him on, Mole coaxed and encouraged him,

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and the rat went so far as to take him

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by the shoulders and shake him. That nothing could overcome

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his stage fright. They were all busily engaged on him

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like watermen, applying the Royal Humane Society's regulations to a

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case of long submersion. When the latch clicked, the door opened,

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and the field mouse with the lantern reappeared, staggering under

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the weight of his basket. There was no more talk

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of play acting. Once the very real and solid contents

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of the basket had been tumbled out on the table

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under the generalship of rat, everybody was set to do

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something or to fetch something. In a very few minutes,

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supper was ready, and Mole, as he took the head

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of the table, in a sort of a dream, saw

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a late the barren board set thick with savory comforts,

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saw his little friend's faces brighten and beam as they

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fell to without delay, and then let himself loose, for

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he was famished indeed on the provender so magically provided,

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thinking what a happy homecoming this had turned out after all.

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As they ate, they talked of old times and the field.

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Mice gave him the local gossip up to date, and

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answered as well as they could the hundred questions he

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had to ask them. The rat said little or nothing,

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only taking care that each guest had what he wanted

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and plenty of it, and that Mole had no trouble

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or anxiety about anything. They clattered off at last, very

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grateful and showering wishes of the season, with their jacket

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pockets stuffed with remembrances for the small brothers and sisters

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at home. When the door had closed on the last

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of them, and the chink of the lanterns had died away,

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Mole and rat kicked the fire up, drew their chairs in,

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brooded themselves and last nightcap of Mulldale, and discussed the

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events of the long day. At last, the rat, with

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a tremendous yawn, said Mole, old chap, I'm ready to drop.

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Sleepy is simply not the word. Not your own bunk

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over on that side. Very well, then, I'll take this.

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What a ripping little house, this is everything so handy.

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He clambered into his bunk and rolled himself well up

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in the blankets and slumber gathered him forthwith as a

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swathe of barley is folded into the arms of the

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reaping machine. The weary mole was also glad to turn

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in without delay, and soon had his head on his

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pillow in great joy and contentment. But ere he closed

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his eyes, he let them wander round his old room,

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mellow in the glow of the firelight that played or

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rested on familiar and friendly things which had long been

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unconsciously a part of him, and now smilingly received him

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back without rancor. He was now in just the frame

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of mind that the tactful rat had quietly worked to

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bring about in him. He saw clearly how plain and simple,

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how narrow even it all was, but clearly too how

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much it all meant to him, and the special value

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of some such anchorage in one's existence. He did not

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at all want to abandon the new life and its

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splendid spaces, to turn his back on sun and air

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all they offered him, and creep home and stay there.

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The upper world was all too strong, it called to

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him still even down there, and he knew he must

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return to the larger stage. But it was good to

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think he had this, to come back to, this place

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which was all his own, these things which were so

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glad to see him again, and could always be counted

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upon for the same, simple welcome end of an extract

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from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham