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don't trust him, once he gets off with that dog, who's worse than he is. But meantime, how am I to get on with my washing?' |
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`O, never mind about the washing,' said Toad, not liking the subject. `Try and fix your mind on that rabbit. A nice fat young rabbit, I'll be bound. Got any onions?' |
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`I can't fix my mind on anything but my washing,' said the barge- woman, `and I wonder you can be talking of rabbits, with such a joyful prospect before you. There's a heap of things of mine that you'll find in a corner of the cabin. If you'll just take one or two of the most necessary sort--I won't venture to describe them to a lady like you, but you'll recognise them at a glance--and put them through the wash-tub as we go along, why, it'll be a pleasure to you, as you rightly say, and a real help to me. You'll find a tub handy, and soap, and a kettle on the stove, and a bucket to haul up water from the canal with. Then I shall know you're enjoying yourself, instead of sitting here idle, looking at the scenery and yawning your head off.' |
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`Here, you let me steer!' said Toad, now thoroughly frightened, `and then you can get on with your washing your own way. I might spoil your things, or not do 'em as you like. I'm more used to gentlemen's things myself. It's my special line.' |
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`Let you steer?' replied the barge-woman, laughing. `It takes some practice to steer a barge properly. Besides, it's dull work, and I want you to be happy. No, you shall do the washing you are so fond of, and I'll stick to the steering that I understand. Don't try and deprive me of the pleasure of giving you a treat!' |
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Toad was fairly cornered. He looked for escape this way and that, saw that he was too far from the bank for a flying leap, and sullenly resigned himself to his fate. `If it comes to that,' he thought in desperation, `I suppose any fool can WASH!' |
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He fetched tub, soap, and other necessaries from the cabin, selected a few garments at random, tried to recollect what he had seen in casual glances through laundry windows, and set to. |
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A long half-hour passed, and every minute of it saw Toad getting crosser and crosser. Nothing that he could do to the things seemed to please them or do them good. He tried coaxing, he tried slapping, he tried punching; they smiled back at him out of the tub unconverted, happy in their original sin. Once or twice he looked nervously over his shoulder at the barge-woman, but she appeared to be gazing out in front of her, absorbed in her steering. His back ached badly, and he noticed with dismay that his paws were beginning to get all crinkly. Now Toad was |
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