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This episode is brought to you by Public Houses.

Tonight, we'll read another excerpt from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham, published in 1908.

This story centers around four small animals, mole, rat, toad, and badger.

Their stories take place in the countryside of Edwardian, England.

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In the last episode, toad is a washerwoman on the run, boldly stealing his way across the countryside.

Now, the strong arm of the law almost catches him when he lands in a river and is saved by his old friend, Raddy.

Let's get cozy, close your eyes, relax your body into the softness of your bed.

Now, take a few deep breaths.

Like summer tempests came his tears.

The rat put out a neat little brown paw, gripped toad firmly by the scruff of the neck, and gave a great hoist and a pool.

And the water-locked toad came up slowly but surely over the edge of the hole, till at last he stood safe and sound in the hall,

streaked with mud and weed to be sure, and with the water streaming off him, but happy and high-spirited as a bold.

Now that he found himself once more in the house of a friend, and dodgings and evasions were over, and he could lay aside a disguise that was unworthy of his position, and wanted such a lot of living up to.

Oh, Raddy, he cried, I've been through such times since I saw you last, you can't think, such trials, such sufferings, and also nobly born, then such escapes, such disguises, such subterfuges, and all so cleverly planned and carried out.

Been in prison, got out of it, of course, been thrown into a canal, swam a shore, stole a horse, sold him for a large sum of money, humbugged everybody, made him all do exactly what I wanted, who I am a smart toad and make no mistake.

What do you think my last exploit was? Just hold on, till I tell you, toad, said the water at gravely and firmly, you go off upstairs at once, and take off that old cotton rag that looks as if it might formally have belonged to some washerwoman, and clean yourself thoroughly, and put on some of my clothes,

and try and come down looking like a gentleman, if you can, for a more shabby, but dreckled, disreputable looking object in you, I never set eyes on in my whole life.

Now, stop swaggering and arguing, and be off, I'll have something to say to you later.

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