Ветер в ивах

           "Whentheywent,"continuedtheBadger,"thestrongwindsandpersistentrainstookthematterinhand,patiently,ceaselessly,yearafteryear.Perhapswebadgerstoo,inoursmallway,helpedalittle—whoknows?Itwasalldown,down,down,gradually—ruinandlevellinganddisappearance.Thenitwasallup,up,up,gradually,asseedsgrewtosaplings,andsaplingstoforesttrees,andbrambleandferncamecreepingintohelp.Leaf-mouldroseandobliterated,streamsintheirwinterfreshetsbroughtsandandsoiltoclogandtocover,andincourseoftimeourhomewasreadyforusagain,andwemovedin.Upaboveus,onthesurface,thesamethinghappened.Animalsarrived,likedthelookoftheplace,tookuptheirquarters,settleddown,spread,andflourished.Theydidn’tbotherthemselvesaboutthepast—theyneverdo;they’retoobusy.Theplacewasabithumpyandhillocky,naturally,andfullofholes;butthatwasratheranadvantage.Andtheydon’tbotheraboutthefuture,either—thefuturewhenperhapsthepeoplewillmoveinagain—foratime—asmayverywellbe.TheWildWoodisprettywellpopulatedbynow;withalltheusuallot,good,bad,andindifferent—Inamenonames.Ittakesallsortstomakeaworld.ButIfancyyouknowsomethingaboutthemyourselfbythistime."

           "Idoindeed,"saidtheMole,withaslightshiver.

           "Well,well,"saidtheBadger,pattinghimontheshoulder,"itwasyourfirstexperienceofthem,yousee.