Don't, For Goodness' Sake, Keep On Saying

The Past Was Like A Bad Dream; The Future Was All Happy Holiday As I Moved Southwards Week By Week, Easily, Lazily, Lingering As Long As I Dared, But Always Heeding The Call!

We Shall Creep Out Quietly Into The Butler's Pantry--" Cried The Mole. "--with Out Pistols And Swords And Sticks--" Shouted Ther Rat. "--and Rush In Upon Them," Said Badger. "--and Whack 'em, And Whack 'em, And Whack 'em!" Cried The Toad In Ecstasy, Running Round And Round The Room, And Jupming Over The Chairs.

Weasels--and Stoats--and Foxes--and So On. They're All Right In A Way--i'm Very Good Friends With Them--pass The Time Of Day When We Meet, And All That--but They Break Out Sometimes, There's No Denying It, And Then--well, You Can't Really Trust Them, And That's The Fact.

Well, Very Long Ago, On The Spot Where The Wild Wood Waves Now, Before Ever It Had Planted Itself And Grown Up To What It Now Is, There Was A City - A City Of People, You Know. Here, Where We Are Standing, They Lived, And Walked, And Talked, And Slept, And Carried On Their Business. Here They Stabled Their Horses And Feasted, From Here They Rode Out To Fight Or Drove Out To Trade. They Were A Powerful People, And Rich, And Great Builders. They Built To Last, For They Thought Their City Would Last For Ever.

Toad, With No One To Check His Statements Or To Criticize In An Unfriendly Spirit, Rather Let Himself Go. Indeed, Much That He Related Belonged More Properly To The Category Of What-might-have-happened-had-i-only-thought-of-it-in-time-instead-of-ten-minutes-afterwards. Those Are Always The Best And Raciest Adventures; And Why Should They Not Be Truly Ours, As Much As The Somewhat Inadequate Things That Really Come Off?