01 The Wind in the Willows
柳林风声

Chapter 1 The River Bank

Mole worked hard all morning in his house under the ground. It was spring and he wanted to clean his house after the winter. There was a lot of work for him.

Suddenly he felt tired and wanted to stop. So he climbed up his tunnel—up! up!—to the ground. Then he jumped out of his hole and started walking. He liked being outside. Mole felt very happy.

He walked for a long time. Then suddenly he saw something new. It was a river. It looked beautiful with the sun on it. Mole stood and watched it for a long time. Then he sat down on the bank.

He saw a dark hole in the other bank across the river. Then he saw two brown eyes inside the hole. The eyes moved and a head came out: it was the Water Rat.

“Hello, Mole!” said Rat.

“Hello, Rat!” said Mole.

“Would you like to come over here?” Rat asked next.

“Yes—but can I?” said Mole. He didn't know very much about the river or boats.

“Of course you can!” laughed Rat. “I'll come for you in my boat.”There was a little blue and white boat outside his hole. Rat got into it and came across the river.

Mole was afraid when he first got into the boat. But he was also excited. “This is a wonderful day!” he told Rat. “It's my first time in a boat!”

“Really? First time in a boat?” said Rat. He was very surprised.“But boats are very nice. Listen, Mole, are you doing anything this morning? Let's go out in the boat. We can take some food and go out on the river all day.”

“Oh, Rat!” said Mole. “This is the best day of my life!”

“Wait a minute, then. I'll go and get some food,” said Rat, and he climbed into his hole. Two minutes later he came back. He had a very large box with him. “Here, Mole. Put this under your feet.”

Rat started to row.Mole sat back and looked at everything.It was beautiful: the sun on the water, the green banks of the river and the noise of the water on the bottom of the boat.

Mole and Rat didn't speak for a long time. Then Mole said quietly,“So you live by the river, Rat—that's a great life!”

“By it, with it, on it and in it,” said Rat. “The river is my brother and sister, my mother and father, my friend, my food and drink—and, of course, I can wash in it. It's my world.”

The Mole saw a lot of dark trees. “What's that place there, Ratty?” he asked.

“Oh, that,” said Rat. “That's the Wild Wood. We don't go there often.”

“Why?” asked Mole. “Aren't the animals in the Wild Wood very nice?”

“Some of them aren't bad,” said Rat slowly.“Badger lives there and he's a good friend. But the weasels live there too—I don't know them very well, but...” He stopped. Mole didn't ask any more questions about the Wild Wood.

Later, Rat stopped the boat in a quiet place and said, “Here's a good place for lunch.”

He helped Mole out of the boat on to the bank. Then he got out the box of food. “Let's eat, Mole. Are you hungry?”

Mole was very hungry. They had a wonderful lunch and then they sat on the bank in the sun.

“Rat,” said Mole. “I think there's something in the water there, but I can't really see it.”

Suddenly,there was a nose above the water.It was Otter.

“Why didn't you ask me to lunch, Ratty?” he cried, when he saw the food box.

“I didn't have time,” said Rat. “Oh, Otter, this is my friend, Mr. Mole.”

“How do you do, Mole,” said Otter.

“How do you do, Otter,” said Mole.

“This is a beautiful day,” said Otter. “Everybody's out on the river. Toad's out. He's got a new boat, new clothes—everything's new.”Otter looked at Rat and they laughed.

“Toad's very nice,” said Rat, “but he always has new ideas.”

A short time later, Otter said, “I have to go now.”

“We have to go too, Mole,” said Rat.

“Can I row, please?” asked Mole, when they were in the boat.

“No, Mole, not today. It isn't easy.”

So Mole sat down. But after half an hour he tried again. This time he didn't say anything. He got up and pushed Rat out of the way. Then he started to row.

“Stop it!Don't be stupid!” shouted Rat.“You can't row!”

But it was too late. The boat turned over and Rat and Mole were in the water.

“Help!” thought Mole. He went down and down. “It's very cold! Perhaps I'm going to die!” But Rat could swim very well. He pushed Mole up and then pushed him to the bank. Mole was very wet and cold and unhappy.

“Stand up, Mole,” said Rat. “Run up and down the bank. It will make you dry again.I'm going to get the boat.”

Rat rowed home.

“Sorry, Ratty,” Mole said. “I was very stupid. I won't do it again.”

“It's not a problem,” Rat answered. “A little water is nothing to a Water Rat. But, Mole, why don't you come and stay with me by the river? Then I can teach you to row and swim.”

“Oh,Rat,thank you,” said Mole.“I'd really like that.”He felt very happy.

And so Mole stayed at Rat's house. They had many happy days by the river, on the river and in the river. Mole learned to swim and to row. And he learned to love the river.