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The Wild Wood
"Hepeeredabouthimandconsidered."Lookhere,"hewenton,"thisiswhatoccurstome.There’sasortofdelldownhereinfrontofus,wherethegroundseemsallhillyandhumpyandhummocky.We’llmakeourwaydownintothat,andtryandfindsomesortofshelter,acaveorholewithadryfloortoit,outofthesnowandthewind,andtherewe’llhaveagoodrestbeforewetryagain,forwe’rebothofusprettydeadbeat.Besides,thesnowmayleaveoff,orsomethingmayturnup."
Sooncemoretheygotontheirfeet,andstruggleddownintothedell,wheretheyhuntedaboutforacaveorsomecornerthatwasdryandaprotectionfromthekeenwindandthewhirlingsnow.TheywereinvestigatingoneofthehummockybitstheRathadspokenof,whensuddenlytheMoletrippedupandfellforwardonhisfacewithasqueal.
"Omyleg!"hecried."Omypoorshin!"andhesatuponthesnowandnursedhisleginbothhisfrontpaws.
"PooroldMole!"saidtheRatkindly."Youdon’tseemtobehavingmuchluckto-day,doyou?Let’shavealookattheleg.Yes,"hewenton,goingdownonhiskneestolook,"you’vecutyourshin,sureenough.WaittillIgetatmyhandkerchief,andI’lltieitupforyou."
"Imusthavetrippedoverahiddenbranchorastump,"saidtheMolemiserably."O,my!O,my!"
"It’saverycleancut,"saidtheRat,examiningitagainattentively."Thatwasneverdonebyabranchorastump.
