Ветер в ивах

           "

           Itdidnottakelongtopreparethebrewandthrustthetinheaterwellintotheredheartofthefire;andsooneveryfield-mousewassippingandcoughingandchoking(foralittlemulledalegoesalongway)andwipinghiseyesandlaughingandforgettinghehadeverbeencoldinallhislife.

           "Theyactplays,too,thesefellows,"theMoleexplainedtotheRat."Makethemupallbythemselves,andactthemafterwards.Andverywelltheydoit,too!Theygaveusacapitalonelastyear,aboutafield-mousewhowascapturedatseabyaBarbarycorsair,andmadetorowinagalley;andwhenheescapedandgothomeagain,hislady-lovehadgoneintoaconvent.Here,you!Youwereinit,Iremember.Getupandreciteabit."

           Thefield-mouseaddressedgotuponhislegs,giggledshyly,lookedroundtheroom,andremainedabsolutelytongue-tied.Hiscomradescheeredhimon,Molecoaxedandencouragedhim,andtheRatwentsofarastotakehimbytheshouldersandshakehim;butnothingcouldovercomehisstage-fright.TheywereallbusilyengagedonhimlikewatermenapplyingtheRoyalHumaneSociety’sregulationstoacaseoflongsubmersion,whenthelatchclicked,thedooropened,andthefield-mousewiththelanternreappeared,staggeringundertheweightofhisbasket.

           Therewasnomoretalkofplay-actingoncetheveryrealandsolidcontentsofthebaskethadbeentumbledoutonthetable.UnderthegeneralshipofRat,everybodywassettodosomethingortofetchsomething.