Thornton W Burgess

The Adventures of Old Mr. Toad Thornton W Burgess

Book Excerpt: r. Indeed there were few as sweet. The only trouble was thesong was so very short. It lasted only for two or three seconds. And whenit ended, Old Mr. Toad looked quite his natural self again; just ascommonplace, almost ugly, as ever. Peter looked at Jimmy Skunk, Jimmylooked at Unc' Billy Possum, and Unc' Billy looked at Peter. And no one hada word to say. Then all three looked back at Old Mr. Toad. And even as they looked, his throat began to swell and swell and swell, until it was no wonder that Jimmy Skunk had thought that he was in dangerof blowing up. And then, when it stopped swelling, there came again thosebeautiful little notes, so sweet and tremulous that Peter actually held hisbreath to listen. There was no doubt that Old Mr. Toad was singing just ashe had said he was going to, and it was just as true that his song was oneof the sweetest if not the sweetest of all the chorus from and around theSmiling Pool. It was very hard to believe, but Peter and Jimmy and Unc'Billy both saRead Mor