d the Mole, some of yesterday's
terror coming back to him at the mention of the Wild Wood.

'Nervous?' The Otter showed a gleaming set of strong white teeth as he
laughed. 'I'd give 'em nerves if any of them tried anything on with me.
Here, Mole, fry me some slices of ham, like the good little chap you
are. I'm frightfully hungry, and I've got any amount to say to Ratty
here. Haven't seen him for an age.'

So the good-natured Mole, having cut some slices of ham, set the
hedgehogs to fry it, and returned to his own breakfast, while the Otter
and the Rat, their heads together, eagerly talked river-shop, which is
long shop and talk that is endless, running on like the babbling river
itself.

A plate of fried ham had just been cleared and sent back for more, when
the Badger entered, yawning and rubbing his eyes, and greeted them all
in his quiet, simple way, with kind enquiries for every one. 'It must
be getting on for luncheon time,' he remarked to the Otter. 'Better stop
and have it with us. You must be hungry, this cold morning.'

'Rather!' replied the Otter, winking at the Mole. 'The sight of these
greedy young hedgehogs stuffing themselves with fried ham makes me feel
positively famished.'

The hedgehogs, who were just beginning to feel hungry again after their
porridge, and after working so hard at their frying, looked timidly up
at Mr. Badger, but were too shy to say anything.

'Here, you two youngsters be off home to your mother,' said the Badger
kindly. 'I'll send some one with you to show you the way. You won't want
any dinner to-day, I'll be bound.'

He gave them sixpence apiece and a pat on the head, and they went off
with much respectful swinging of caps and touching of forelocks.

Presently they all sat down to luncheon together. The Mole found himself
placed next to Mr. Badger, and, as the other two were still deep
in river-gossip from which nothing could divert them, he took the
opportunity to tell Badger how comfortable and home-like it all felt to
him. 'Once well underground,' he said, 'you know exactly where you are.
Nothing can happen to you, and nothing can get at you. You're entirely
your own master, and you don't have to consult anybody or mind what
they say. Things go on all the same overhead, and you let 'em, and don't
bother about 'em. When you want to, up you go, and there the things are,
waiting for you.'

The Badger simply beamed on him. 'That's exactly what I say,' he
replied. 'There