The front door of the hollow tree faced east. The bright morning sun woke Toad early. His toes were very cold. He had a dream about his home at Toad Hall. In the dream, he was in his beautiful bedroom. But his blankets were cold and they ran away. Toad followed them through long, icy halls. He woke up and rubbed his eyes. He looked for the stone walls of the prison. Then he remembered his escape. He was happy because he was free!
Toad felt warm because he was happy. He thought the whole world was waiting for him. He thought everyone wanted to help him. He brushed the dry leaves out of his hair with his fingers. Then he walked out into the sun. He was hungry, but he felt very brave. The sun was bright and the morning was quiet.
The woods were empty. The green fields were quiet too. Toad reached a road, but no one was there. Toad wanted to find someone to talk to. He wanted to ask for directions. It is easy to walk when you are happy and have money. But Toad wanted to get home quickly. He was annoyed because the road was silent.
A canal joined the road. A Canal (a long, narrow river made by people for boats) moved slowly next to the road. Toad walked along the water. He saw a horse walking toward him. The horse pulled a long rope. The rope was connected to a boat.
A Barge (a long, flat boat used for carrying things on a canal) came around the corner. The boat moved quietly through the water. A big, strong woman sat at the back of the boat. she held a Tiller (a handle used to steer a boat). She wore a large hat.
"Good morning, ma'am!" the woman said to Toad. Toad was still wearing his washerwoman dress.
"Good morning," Toad replied politely. "It is a nice morning for some people. But I am in trouble. My daughter is very sick. I must go to her now. I left my business and my children. I lost all my money and I am lost. I am very worried about my daughter."
"Where does your daughter live?" the woman asked.
"She lives near Toad Hall," Toad said. "Do you know it?"
"I am going that way," the woman said. "This canal joins the river near Toad Hall. Come on the boat with me. I will give you a lift."
Toad was very happy. He stepped onto the boat. "I am always lucky!" Toad thought.
"You said you have a business?" the woman asked.
"Yes, the best business in the country," Toad said. "I wash clothes for all the important people. I do everything myself. I wash, I iron, and I fix shirts. I am an expert."
"Do you do all the work alone?" the woman asked.
"I have twenty girls to help me," Toad said. "But girls are lazy. They do not work hard."
"I agree," the woman said. "Do you like washing clothes?"
"I love it," Toad said. "It is my favorite thing to do. I am very happy when I am washing."
"That is wonderful luck!" the woman said. "It is good for both of us."
"What do you mean?" Toad asked. He felt nervous.
"I have to do all the washing on this boat," the woman said. "My husband is lazy. He is not here. He is hunting rabbits with the dog. He will meet me later. I have a lot of dirty clothes in the cabin. Since you love washing, you can wash them for me. It will be fun for you and a help for me. There is soap and a tub in the cabin."
"Oh, I should steer the boat instead," Toad said. He was afraid. "I might ruin your clothes. I am better at washing expensive clothes for gentlemen."
The woman laughed. "Steering is difficult," she said. "I want you to be happy. You do the washing. I will steer the boat. It is a treat for you!"
Toad could not escape. He was far from the land. He went into the cabin. He found the tub and the soap. He took some clothes and started to wash. He thought, "I am smart. Any fool can wash clothes."
Half an hour passed. Toad was very angry. The clothes did not look clean. He tried to rub them and hit them. But the clothes stayed dirty. His back hurt. His paws became wet and soft. Toad was very proud of his paws. He whispered angry words. He lost the soap many times.
The woman began to laugh loudly. Tears ran down her face.
"I was watching you," she said. "You are a liar! You do not know how to wash clothes. You never washed a rag in your life!"
Toad became very angry. He lost control of himself.
"You are a common, fat woman!" Toad shouted. "Do not talk to me like that! I am not a washerwoman! I am Toad! I am famous and respected! People like me do not wash clothes!"
The woman looked closely at Toad. "You are a toad!" she cried. "A nasty, crawling toad! I do not want a toad on my clean boat!"
She grabbed Toad by his legs. She swung him around. Then she threw Toad into the air. Toad flew through the sky and fell into the water with a splash!
The water was very cold. Toad was furious. He swam to the surface. He saw the woman on the boat. She was laughing at him. Toad promised to get revenge.
He swam to the shore. His wet dress was very heavy. It was hard to climb the bank. He rested for a minute. Then he picked up his skirts and ran after the boat. He was very angry.
"Go wash yourself, Toad!" the woman shouted. She was still laughing.
Toad did not answer. He wanted real revenge. He ran past the boat and reached the horse. He unfastened the rope from the boat. He jumped on the horse’s back. He kicked the horse and made it gallop. He rode away into the fields. He looked back and saw the boat hit the side of the canal. The woman shouted, "Stop! Stop!" Toad laughed and rode away.
The horse soon slowed down to a walk. Toad was happy. He thought he was very clever. He forgot that he was hungry. He rode for many miles.
The sun was hot and Toad felt sleepy. The horse stopped to eat some grass. Toad almost fell off. He looked around. He was on a large piece of open land. He saw a Caravan (a small house on wheels pulled by a horse). A man sat near the caravan. This man was a Gipsy (a person who travels and lives in a caravan).
The Gipsy was smoking a pipe. A pot of food sat over a fire. The food smelled wonderful. It was a rich, warm smell. Toad realized he was very hungry. He looked at the Gipsy. He wondered if he should fight the man or be nice to him.
"Do you want to sell that horse?" the Gipsy asked.
Toad was surprised. He did not think about selling the horse. But he needed money and food.
"Sell this beautiful horse?" Toad asked. "No, I love this horse. He is a very special horse. He is very fast and famous."
"I can give you five shillings for him," the Gipsy said.
"Five shillings?" Toad cried. "That is only four legs at a shilling each, plus one extra! No, that is not enough."
Toad thought about it. He had no money and no food. Five shillings was a lot of money for a hungry animal. But the horse did not belong to him. Any money was a profit.
"Listen," Toad said. "I will sell the horse for six shillings and sixpence. Also, you must give me a big breakfast from that pot. If you agree, the horse is yours."
The Gipsy complained, but he agreed. He gave Toad the money. Then he gave Toad a big plate of stew. The stew had rabbit, chicken, and many other things. Toad ate and ate. He thought it was the best meal of his life.
After breakfast, Toad said goodbye. He felt strong and confident again. The sun was shining. He had money in his pocket. He was walking toward home.
Toad felt very proud. "I am so clever!" he said. "I escaped from prison. I stole a horse and sold it for money. I am the great Mr. Toad!" He began to sing a very conceited song about himself. He sang that he was smarter than the men at university. He sang that he was more famous than the King.
He walked and sang for many miles. He felt very important. But then, he saw something on the road. A small black shape was coming toward him. It made a familiar sound: "Beep-beep!"
Toad became very pale. His heart beat fast. He felt sick. It was the same motor-car he stole before! The people in the car were the same people from the hotel!
"It is over!" Toad whispered. "The police will catch me! I am a fool! Why did I sing songs on the road? I should have hidden in the woods!"
The car stopped near him. Two gentlemen got out. They saw Toad in his washerwoman dress. Toad was lying on the ground.
"Oh dear," a gentleman said. "This poor old woman has fainted. Maybe she is hungry. Let's put her in the car. We can take her to the next village."
They lifted Toad into the car. They put him on soft cushions. Toad realized they did not recognize him. His courage returned. He opened one eye.
"Are you feeling better, ma'am?" a gentleman asked.
"Yes, thank you," Toad said in a weak voice.
"Do not try to talk," the gentleman said.
"I just thought," Toad said. "I would feel better if I sat in the front seat. The fresh air would be good for me."
"What a sensible woman!" the gentleman said. They helped Toad sit next to the driver.
Toad felt the old excitement. He wanted to drive the car. He could not stop himself.
"Please, sir," Toad said to the driver. "Can I try to drive? It looks very easy. I want to tell my friends that I drove a car once."
The driver laughed. But the gentleman said, "Let her try. She won't do any harm."
Toad took the steering wheel. He started the car slowly. He wanted to be careful. The gentlemen clapped. "Look at her go!" they said. "A washerwoman is driving our car!"
Toad went faster. Then he went very fast.
"Be careful!" the gentlemen shouted.
Toad was angry. He forgot he was a "washerwoman." He pushed the driver away with his elbow. He drove at full speed.
"Washerwoman?" Toad shouted. "I am Toad! I am the car-thief! I am the famous Toad who always escapes!"
The men were terrified. "Stop him!" they cried. "It is the Toad! Catch the wicked animal!"
They tried to grab him. But Toad turned the wheel. The car crashed through a hedge. It flew into the air and landed in a muddy pond.
Toad flew through the air like a bird. He landed on the soft grass of a field. He sat up and saw the car in the water. The men were struggling in the mud.
Toad ran away as fast as he could. He ran across fields and jumped over ditches. Finally, he stopped to rest. He began to laugh.
"Toad wins again!" he shouted. "I got a lift in their car! I drove their car! I put them in a pond! I am the greatest Toad in the world!"
He sang his song again. But then he heard a noise behind him. He looked back.
Two policemen and a driver were running toward him!
Toad was terrified. He ran away again. "I am such a fool!" he cried. "I am too conceited! I talked too much again!"
The policemen were getting closer. Toad was fat and his legs were short. He could hear them behind him. He did not look where he was going. He looked back at his enemies. Suddenly, there was no ground under his feet.
Splash! Toad fell into deep, fast water. He was in the river!
The river moved very fast. Toad tried to grab the plants by the side, but the water pulled him away. "I will never steal a car again!" he shouted. Then he went under the water.
He came up and saw a big dark hole in the bank. He grabbed the edge of the hole. He pulled himself up slowly. He was very tired. He rested his elbows on the edge.
He looked into the dark hole. He saw two small, bright eyes. A face appeared. It was a small, brown face with whiskers.
It was the Water Rat!