Ветер в ивах
“Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears”
"
"O,nonsense!Badger,"saidToad,ratherairily."You’vebeenlisteningtosomeoftheyarnstheyspininthepublic-housesabouthere.IknoweveryinchofToadHall,insideandout.Nothingofthesort,Idoassureyou!"
"Myyoungfriend,"saidtheBadger,withgreatseverity,"yourfather,whowasaworthyanimal—alotworthierthansomeothersIknow—wasaparticularfriendofmine,andtoldmeagreatdealhewouldn’thavedreamtoftellingyou.Hediscoveredthatpassage—hedidn’tmakeit,ofcourse;thatwasdonehundredsofyearsbeforeheevercametolivethere—andherepaireditandcleaneditout,becausehethoughtitmightcomeinusefulsomeday,incaseoftroubleordanger;andheshowedittome.‘Don’tletmysonknowaboutit,’hesaid.‘He’sagoodboy,butverylightandvolatileincharacter,andsimplycannotholdhistongue.Ifhe’severinarealfix,anditwouldbeofusetohim,youmaytellhimaboutthesecretpassage;butnotbefore.’"
TheotheranimalslookedhardatToadtoseehowhewouldtakeit.Toadwasinclinedtobesulkyatfirst;buthebrightenedupimmediately,likethegoodfellowhewas.
"Well,well,"hesaid;"perhapsIamabitofatalker.ApopularfellowsuchasIam—myfriendsgetroundme—wechaff,wesparkle,wetellwittystories—andsomehowmytonguegetswagging.Ihavethegiftofconversation.I’vebeentoldIoughttohaveasalon,whateverthatmaybe.Nevermind.
