The Open Road

           "RATTY,"saidtheMolesuddenly,onebrightsummermorning,"ifyouplease,Iwanttoaskyouafavour."

           TheRatwassittingontheriverbank,singingalittlesong.Hehadjustcomposedithimself,sohewasverytakenupwithit,andwouldnotpayproperattentiontoMoleoranythingelse.Sinceearlymorninghehadbeenswimmingintheriver,incompanywithhisfriends,theducks.Andwhentheducksstoodontheirheadssuddenly,asduckswill,hewoulddivedownandtickletheirnecks,justunderwheretheirchinswouldbeifduckshadchins,tilltheywereforcedtocometothesurfaceagaininahurry,splutteringandangryandshakingtheirfeathersathim,foritisimpossibletosayquiteallyoufeelwhenyourheadisunderwater.Atlasttheyimploredhimtogoawayandattendtohisownaffairsandleavethemtomindtheirs.SotheRatwentaway,andsatontheriverbankinthesun,andmadeupasongaboutthem,whichhecalled:

           "Ducks’Ditty."

           Allalongthebackwater,

           Throughtherushestall,

           Ducksarea-dabbling,

           Uptailsall!

           Ducks’tails,drakes’tails,

           Yellowfeeta-quiver,

           Yellowbillsalloutofsight

           Busyintheriver!

           Slushygreenundergrowth

           Wheretheroachswim—

           Herewekeepourlarder,

           Coolandfullanddim.