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Toad sat straight down in the middle of the dusty road, his legs stretched out before him, and stared fixedly in the direction of the disappearing motor-car. He breathed short, his face wore a placid satisfied expression, and at intervals he faintly murmured `Poop-poop!' |
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The Mole was busy trying to quiet the horse, which he succeeded in doing after a time. Then he went to look at the cart, on its side in the ditch. It was indeed a sorry sight. Panels and windows smashed, axles hopelessly bent, one wheel off, sardine- tins scattered over the wide world, and the bird in the bird-cage sobbing pitifully and calling to be let out. |
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The Rat came to help him, but their united efforts were not sufficient to right the cart. `Hi! Toad!' they cried. `Come and bear a hand, can't you!' |
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The Toad never answered a word, or budged from his seat in the road; so they went to see what was the matter with him. They found him in a sort of a trance, a happy smile on his face, his eyes still fixed on the dusty wake of their destroyer. At intervals he was still heard to murmur `Poop-poop!' |
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The Rat shook him by the shoulder. `Are you coming to help us, Toad?' he demanded sternly. |
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`Glorious, stirring sight!' murmured Toad, never offering to move. `The poetry of motion! The REAL way to travel! The ONLY way to travel! Here to-day--in next week to-morrow! Villages skipped, towns and cities jumped--always somebody else's horizon! O bliss! O poop-poop! O my! O my!' |
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`O STOP being an ass, Toad!' cried the Mole despairingly. |
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`And to think I never KNEW!' went on the Toad in a dreamy monotone. `All those wasted years that lie behind me, I never knew, never even DREAMT! But NOW--but now that I know, now that I fully realise! O what a flowery track lies spread before me, henceforth! What dust-clouds shall spring up behind me as I speed on my reckless way! What carts I shall fling carelessly into the ditch in the wake of my magnificent onset! Horrid little carts--common carts--canary-coloured carts!' |
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`What are we to do with him?' asked the Mole of the Water Rat. |
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