The wind in the willows by Kenneth Grahame
Author:Kenneth Grahame [Kenneth Grahame]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Roman
ISBN: 9781402736964
Published: 2007-02-01T08:00:00+00:00
7
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
The Willow-Wren was twittering his thin little song, hidden himself in the dark selvedgebc of the river bank. Though it was past ten oâclock at night, the sky still clung to and retained some lingering skirts of light from the departed day; and the sullen heats of the torrid afternoon broke up and rolled away at the dispersing touch of the cool fingers of the short midsummer night. Mole lay stretched on the bank, still panting from the stress of the fierce day that had been cloudless from dawn to late sunset, and waited for his friend to return. He had been on the river with some companions, leaving the Water Rat free to keep an engagement of long standing with Otter; and he had come back to find the house dark and deserted, and no sign of Rat, who was doubtless keeping it up late with his old comrade. It was still too hot to think of staying indoors, so he lay on some cool dock-leaves, and thought over the past day and its doings, and how very good they all had been.
The Ratâs light footfall was presently heard approaching over the parched grass. âO, the blessed coolness!â he said, and sat down, gazing thoughtfully into the river, silent and preoccupied.
âYou stayed to supper, of course?â said the Mole presently.
âSimply had to,â said the Rat. âThey wouldnât hear of my going before. You know how kind they always are. And they made things as jolly for me as ever they could, right up to the moment I left. But I felt a brute all the time, as it was clear to me they were very unhappy, though they tried to hide it. Mole, Iâm afraid theyâre in trouble. Little Portly is missing again; and you know what a lot his father thinks of him, though he never says much about it.â
âWhat, that child?â said the Mole lightly. âWell, suppose he is; why worry about it? Heâs always straying off and getting lost, and turning up again; heâs so adventurous. But no harm ever happens to him. Everybody hereabouts knows him and likes him, just as they do old Otter, and you may be sure some animal or other will come across him and bring him back again all right. Why, weâve found him ourselves, miles from home, and quite self-possessed and cheerful!â
âYes; but this time itâs more serious,â said the Rat gravely. âHeâs been missing for some days now, and the Otters have hunted everywhere, high and low, without finding the slightest trace. And theyâve asked every animal, too, for miles around, and no one knows anything about him. Otterâs evidently more anxious than heâll admit. I got out of him that young Portly hasnât learnt to swim very well yet, and I can see heâs thinking of the weir. Thereâs a lot of water coming down still, considering the time of the year, and the place always had a fascination for the child.
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