杨柳风 06（在线收听）

Chapter Six More about Toad

It was a beautiful day in early summer. The Mole and the Rat had been up since dawn. They had been very busy with the Rat’s boat. They were painting it and cleaning it. Now they were eating a late breakfast in the kitchen and discussing what they were going to do that day. Suddenly the doorbell rang.

“Oh, dear,” said the Rat. “Mole, I haven’t finished eating yet. Would you go and see who it is?”

After a minute Mole came running into the kitchen. He looked very surprised.

He said, “Mr. Badger is here!”

It was a very strange and wonderful thing that Badger would come to see them. Badger didn’t go to his friends’ houses very often. If they wanted to find him, they had to catch him walking around.

Badger walked into the room, looking very serious. The Rat was so surprised. He let his spoon fall on the table and sat there with an open mouth.

“The hour has arrived.” the Badger said loudly.

“What hour?” asked the Rat, looking at the clock.

“Whoes hour, you should say. It’s time for us to rescue Toad.” said the Badger. “It is summer now. We are all awake and ready for anything. It’s time for us to do something about Toad and his terrible cars. We must save Toad from himself.”

“I remember now. We’ll teach him to be a reasonable Toad.” cried the Mole happily.

The Badger sat down in a chair.

“This morning I heard some very disturbing news.” he said. “Toad has bought himself another large and extremely powerful car. I’m sure that at this minute he is busy dressing himself in those awful driving clothes. Normally he is a good-looking Toad, but those clothes make him look unnatural. He looks like a human when he is driving the car. We’ve got to do something before it’s too late. You two animals will come with me to Toad Hall right now.”

“Badger, you’re absolutely right!” cried the Rat. He stood up. “Now is the time. We’ll rescue the poor unhappy Toad. He’ll be the best Toad ever, by the time we’re finish with him.”

Immediately the three animals walked to Toad Hall. Badger led the way. When they reached Toad’s house, the first thing they saw was a shining new car sitting outside. It was painted bright red. This was Toad’s favorite color. Toad was wearing his driving clothes. He was just about to get into the car when he saw his friends.

“Hello, friends,” he cried. “You’re just in time to come with me on a nice……, well, a nice……”

His voice faded when he saw the serious faces of his friends.

“Take him inside.” said the Badger to Mole and Rat.

Toad struggled and protested.

When they were all inside the house, Badger said firmly to Toad, “Now, take those ridiculous clothes off, please.”

“I won’t!” said Toad loudly. “What is the meaning of this? I demand an explanation!”

“All right, then. Take the clothes off him, Mole and Rat.”

Mole and Rat had to hold Toad down and take his driving clothes off. Toad kicked and shouted all the while. When the clothes were finally off, they got Toad back on his feet again. Now he looked alike an ordinary Toad instead of a car driver. Now he didn’t seem so angry. He even laughed a little as if he understood the situation.

“Now then, Toad,” said Badger. “You knew this would happen. We are giving you lots of warnings about those cars. But you haven’t paid attention to us. You’ve continued to waste all the money your father had left you. You’re giving the rest of us animals a bad reputation in this area. The driving, the car accidents and the fights with the police must stop! I know that your independence is important, but we can’t let you hurt yourself anymore. Now, you are a good Toad in many ways, so I’ll try talking to you once more. Come with me into the living room. I have to tell you some very serious facts about yourself. We’ll see if you’re the same Toad when you come out.”

Badger, took Toad by the arm, went into the living room and closed the door.

“Oh, dear,” said Rat. “That’s no good. Talking to Toad won’t do anything. Toad would anything to get what he wants.”

Mole and Rat sat down in some comfortable chairs and waited. They heard Badger’s slow deep voice talking. Soon they heard Toad crying. Toad really was a kind animal with a good heart. Often he would agree with others for a little while.

After about forty-five minutes, the door opened. Badger and Toad came out. Toad certainly did look different. He looked tired and very upset.

“Sit down there, Toad.” said the Badger very gently. “My friends, I’m happy to tell you that Toad has realized his mistakes. He’s very sorry for all the trouble he has caused. He has promised to give up cars forever.”

“That’s very good news.” said Mole.

However, Rat wasn’t so sure. He stared at Toad closely. He knew Toad very well. Although Toad looked very sad, Rat thought he might be pretending.

“Was Toad serious? There is only one thing more to be done.” said Badger. “Toad, I would like you to tell our friends what you told me in the living room. First, are you sorry for what you’ve done? You see what a mistake it was to buy a car?”

There was a long, long silence. Toad looked around at each of his friends while they waited silently. At last Toad spoke.

“No,” he said with courage. “I’m not sorry. And it wasn’t a mistake at all. It was simply wonderful.”

“What?” cried the Badger. “You terrible little animal! Five minutes ago you told me that!”

“Oh, I would have said anything in that room.” said Toad. “When I’m alone with you, Badger, you can make me believe anything. But I’ve been thinking about it. I’ve discovered that I’m not sorry for anything I’ve done. So it would be useless to say that I am.”

“Then you wouldn’t promise never to drive a car again?” asked the Badger.

“That’s right.” said Toad. “But I do promise that I will get into the next car I see.”

“All right, then.” said Badger seriously. “I was afraid of this. Well, Toad, if we can’t persuade you by talking, then we’ll have to use force. You’ve often asked Mole, Rat and I to come and stay with you here at Toad Hall. Well, you are getting your wish. We are going to stay here and watch you until we have persuaded you. Mole and Rat, carry him upstairs and lock him in his room.”

So Mole and Rat carried the kicking and shouting Toad up to his room.

“It’s for your own good, Toad.” said Rat gently. “And come much fun you will have when you’ve changed your mind about cars.”

“We’ll take care of everything for you until you are better, Toad.” said Mole. “We’ll make sure your money is safe.”

“No more of those fights with the police, Toad.” said the Rat, as they pushed Toad into his room.

“And no more visits to the hospital.” said the Mole, as he locked the door.

They went down the stairs. They could hear Toad was shouting at them in his room. Then the three animals discussed the problem.

“It’s going to be a difficult situation.” said Badger. “We’ll have to stay here and watch him very carefully. He can’t be left alone for a minute. We’ll have to take turns watching him until he decides to be reasonable.

Each night Mole, Rat and Badger took turns sleeping in Toad’s room. They also took turns spending part of the day with him.

At first, Toad was very unpleasant to be around because he was so upset. He wouldn’t speak to any of his friends. He would sit in a chair and stare straight ahead. Sometimes he would even pretend to be driving a car.

But, after a while, Toad’s anger seemed to disappear. However, he became quiet and unhappy. Mole, Rat and Badger tried to think of things to interest him, but it did no good. They were all very worried.

One morning, it was Rat’s turn to spend time with Toad. Badger had spent the night with him. Now, Badger wanted to go for a long walk in the woods and visit his house.

“Toad’s still in bed.” Badger said to Rat. “He won’t talk very much. When I tried to talk to him, all he would say is ‘Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m sure I will feel better some day, dear Badger. It’s nothing.’ and things like that. I don’t know that he is talking about. Now, Rat, you’ll be careful. When Toad acts like this, he just might be trying to trick you. Toad is a very good actor. I know him very well. Well, time to go.”

The Badger left the house and Rat went in to see his friend. He found Toad lying in bed with his eye closed.

“Good morning, Toad.” he said cheerfully. “How are you today?”

Toad didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Then Rat heard his weak voice.

“Thank you very much, Rat. It’s so nice of you to ask how I am. But first how are you and our friend Mole?”

“Well, right,” said the Rat, “Mole and Badger are going out today. They’ll be gone till lunchtime. So you and I will spend the day together. I’ll do my best to keep you happy. Now, be a good Toad and get out of bed. Don’t lie in bed on a nice day like this!”

“Dear kind Rat,” whispered Toad. “You don’t understand my condition. I won’t be getting out of bed today, maybe not ever again. But don’t worry about me. I hate to make trouble for my friends. I don’t think I will be a problem for you much longer.”

“Well, I hope not.” said Rat cheerfully. “You’ve been lots of trouble so far. I’m glad to hear it’s going to stop. It’s a beautiful summer. All the other animals are outside and enjoy themselves. We want to help you, Toad, but you are making us miss all the fun.”

“I know,” said Toad sadly. “You are tired of me. I must not ask you to do anything more for me. I’m too much trouble. I know.”

“Well, you know that we would do anything for you, if only you’d be a reasonable animal.” said Rat.

“Then, dear Rat, could I ask you to do one small thing? It might be the last thing I ever ask you.” whispered Toad. “Would you go to the village and find me a doctor? It might already be too late.”

“Why? What you want a doctor for?” asked Rat.

He stepped closer to the bed and examined Toad. He was lying there very still.

“Haven’t you noticed my illness?” said Toad. “But no, noticing things is too much trouble. Maybe tomorrow you might say ‘Oh, if only I had noticed. If only I had done something sooner.’ Don’t worry! Forget that I asked you.”

But Rat was really beginning to be worried about Toad.

“Listen here, Toad. I’ll get you a doctor if you really think you need one. But you can’t be as sick as that. Let’s talk about something else.”

“Dear friend, I’m afraid that talking will not help me anymore.” said Toad. “I don’t think that doctors can help me either. But we must try. Oh, when you are in the village, could you also get a lawyer? I think I will have to write my will very quickly.”

“A lawyer? Oh, no! He must be really sick. Maybe he’ll dye.” said Rat to himself, as he ran out of the bedroom.

He didn’t forget to lock the door behind him, however.

When the Rat was outside he stopped to think for a moment.

“It’s best to be safe.” he thought. “Sometimes Toad thinks he is sick when he isn’t. But I’ve never heard him ask for a lawyer. If there is nothing the matter, the doctor will tell him so. But if he really is sick, I’d better hurry.”

So the Rat ran off to the village.

As soon as the Rat had left the bedroom, Toad had jumped out of bed. He watched Rat run off to the village. Toad laughed loudly. Then he dressed in his best clothes. He put lots of money in his pockets. Then he tied all the bed sheets together to make a kind of rope. He tied one end of the rope to the bedpost and then threw the rope out of the window.

Carefully, he climbed down the rope to the ground. He was outside and free. Quickly, he walked down the road in the opposite direction from the Rat. He was whistling happily.

Poor Rat had an unhappy time when Badger and Mole found out that Toad had escaped. The Badger did not understand why Rat had believed Toad’s story.

Even Mole, who was very loyal to Rat, said gently, “You’ve been a bit silly this time, Rat. Even I wouldn’t have believed him.”

“But he did it awfully well.” said the Rat sadly.

“Rat, what did I tell you? Never believe anything Toad says when he acts like that. It means he is out to trick you or he wants something.” said Badger. “But there is no good in talking about it. He’s escaped. He will be so proud of what he’s done. Who knows what he will do now! Fortunately for us, we are free now. We don’t have to waste any more of our summer watching him. But we should continue to sleep at Toad Hall for a while longer. The police might bring Toad back here any moment.”

The Badger said these wise words to his friends, but he did not know the future or how much time will pass before they saw Toad again.

Meanwhile, a very happy Toad walked along the road. He was very pleased with himself. He thought he was extremely smart for escaping.

“I was wonderful!” he said to himself. “Badger, Mole and Rat were too strong for me, but I was too smart for them. Poor Rat! I’m sure Badger will be angry at him. Rat has very good qualities but not much intelligence. I must try to guide him in the future.”

As he walked to the nearest town, Toad continued to talk to himself in this vain way.

Soon Toad reached the town. He saw a restaurant called “The Red Lion”. He was very hungry after his long walk. He entered and asked for the restaurant’s most delicious lunch. He had been eating for a while when he heard a familiar sound.

It was the sound of a car.

Toad looked out of the window and saw a beautiful shining car next to the restaurant. In a few moments the car’s owners came into the restaurant and sat down to eat.

Toad’s heart was beating very fast. He was so excited. He listened to the car’s owners’ talk for a while. They were talking about how fast their car was and how well it ran. Finally Toad couldn’t sit there any longer.

“I’ll just go and look at it.” he thought.

He left the restaurant very quietly. The car stood next to the restaurant. No one was around. Toad walked around the car. He looked at it carefully.

After a moment he said, “How wonder is this kind of car starts easily!”

The next second Toad was in the driver seat of the car!

He didn’t know how it had happened. He grabbed the wheel. He saw the car key and turned it.

The engine started.

Toad didn’t stop to think that he was stealing another person’s car. When he heard the sound of the engine, Toad forgot about everything else. He could only think how much he loved cars.

Toad turned the wheel and drove the car away from the restaurant. He drove faster and faster. He didn’t care what would happen. He didn’t care where he was going. He was the old Toad again, Toad the Great!

But his happiness didn’t last. The policeman caught him about twenty miles away.

“Well, this is not a very simple problem.” said the policeman. “This Toad is guilty of stealing another person’s car. He’s also guilty of driving too fast. Also he was rude to the country police. Now, Mr. clerk, would you please answer this question? How long will this Toad stay in goal for these crimes?”

The clerk thought for a minute.

“Well, sir, he must stay in goal for twenty years.”

“Excellent!” said the policeman and he looked at Toad.

Toad was sitting in a chair at the police station.

“Did you hear that, you bad little Toad? You’re going to goal for the next twenty years.”

Toad shouted and screamed, he even prayed, but it did not help. His hands were tied in chains. Then the policeman took Toad outside. Man, women and children saw him and laughed. The policeman took Toad away.

The goal was inside an old dark ugly castle. Toad was taking to this goal and thrown inside. The door slammed and the key turned in the lock. So Toad was a prisoner inside the strongest castle in all of England. He would not see the sun for twenty years.