Ветер в ивах
The River Bank
"
"Suchagoodfellow,too,"remarkedtheOtterreflectively;"butnostability—especiallyinaboat!"
Fromwheretheysattheycouldgetaglimpseofthemainstreamacrosstheislandthatseparatedthem;andjustthenawager-boatflashedintoview,therower—ashort,stoutfigure—splashingbadlyandrollingagooddeal,butworkinghishardest.TheRatstoodupandhailedhim,butToad—foritwashe—shookhisheadandsettledsternlytohiswork.
"He’llbeoutoftheboatinaminuteifherollslikethat,"saidtheRat,sittingdownagain.
"Ofcoursehewill,"chuckledtheOtter."DidIevertellyouthatgoodstoryaboutToadandthelock-keeper?Ithappenedthisway.Toad...."
AnerrantMay-flyswervedunsteadilyathwartthecurrentintheintoxicatedfashionaffectedbyyoungbloodsofMay-fliesseeinglife.Aswirlofwateranda"cloop!"andtheMay-flywasvisiblenomore.
NeitherwastheOtter.
TheMolelookeddown.Thevoicewasstillinhisears,buttheturfwhereonhehadsprawledwasclearlyvacant.NotanOttertobeseen,asfarasthedistanthorizon.
Butagaintherewasastreakofbubblesonthesurfaceoftheriver.
TheRathummedatune,andtheMolerecollectedthatanimal-etiquetteforbadeanysortofcommentonthesuddendisappearanceofone’sfriendsatanymoment,foranyreasonornoreasonwhatever.
