Ветер в ивах
Mr. Badger
Whenatlasttheywerethoroughlytoasted,theBadgersummonedthemtothetable,wherehehadbeenbusylayingarepast.Theyhadfeltprettyhungrybefore,butwhentheyactuallysawatlastthesupperthatwasspreadforthem,reallyitseemedonlyaquestionofwhattheyshouldattackfirstwhereallwassoattractive,andwhethertheotherthingswouldobliginglywaitforthemtilltheyhadtimetogivethemattention.Conversationwasimpossibleforalongtime;andwhenitwasslowlyresumed,itwasthatregrettablesortofconversationthatresultsfromtalkingwithyourmouthfull.TheBadgerdidnotmindthatsortofthingatall,nordidhetakeanynoticeofelbowsonthetable,oreverybodyspeakingatonce.AshedidnotgointoSocietyhimself,hehadgotanideathatthesethingsbelongedtothethingsthatdidn’treallymatter.(Weknowofcoursethathewaswrong,andtooktoonarrowaview;becausetheydomatterverymuch,thoughitwouldtaketoolongtoexplainwhy.)Hesatinhisarm-chairattheheadofthetable,andnoddedgravelyatintervalsastheanimalstoldtheirstory;andhedidnotseemsurprisedorshockedatanything,andheneversaid,"Itoldyouso,"or,"JustwhatIalwayssaid,"orremarkedthattheyoughttohavedoneso-and-so,oroughtnottohavedonesomethingelse.TheMolebegantofeelveryfriendlytowardshim.