id little carts--common carts--canary-coloured
carts!"

"What are we to do with him?" asked the Mole of the Water Rat.

"Nothing at all," replied the Rat firmly. "Because there is really
nothing to be done. You see, I know him from of old. He is now
possessed. He has got a new craze, and it always takes him that way,
in its first stage. He'll continue like that for days now, like an
animal walking in a happy dream, quite useless for all practical
purposes. Never mind him. Let's go and see what there is to be done
about the cart."

A careful inspection showed them that, even if they succeeded in
righting it by themselves, the cart would travel no longer. The axles
were in a hopeless state, and the missing wheel was shattered into
pieces.

The Rat knotted the horse's reins over his back and took him by the
head, carrying the bird-cage and its hysterical occupant in the other
hand. "Come on!" he said grimly to the Mole. "It's five or six miles
to the nearest town, and we shall just have to walk it. The sooner we
make a start the better."

"But what about Toad?" asked the Mole anxiously, as they set off
together. "We can't leave him here, sitting in the middle of the road
by himself, in the distracted state he's in! It's not safe. Supposing
another Thing were to come along?"

"O, _bother_ Toad," said the Rat savagely; "I've done with him."

They had not proceeded very far on their way, however, when there was
a pattering of feet behind them, and Toad caught them up and thrust a
paw inside the elbow of each of them; still breathing short and
staring into vacancy.

"Now, look here, Toad!" said the Rat sharply: "as soon as we get to
the town, you'll have to go straight to the police-station and see if
they know anything about that motor-car and who it belongs to, and
lodge a complaint against it. And then you'll have to go to a
blacksmith's or a wheelwright's and arrange for the cart to be fetched
and mended and put to rights. It'll take time, but it's not quite a
hopeless smash. Meanwhile, the Mole and I will go to an inn and find
comfortable rooms where we can stay till the cart's ready, and till
your nerves have recovered their shock."

"Police-station! Complaint!" murmured Toad dreamily. "Me _complain_ of
that beautiful, that heavenly vision that has been vouchsafed me!
_Mend_ the _cart_! I've done with carts for ever. I never want to see
the cart, or to hear of it, again. O Ratty! You can't think how
obliged