The Willows in Winter by William Horwood, Patrick Benson Page A

ordered, “and report to Mole’s Nephew what you find. Mr Badger and I
shall go to Toad Hall where —”
    “— where ,” said the
Badger very grimly indeed, “we shall requisition this — this thing of
Toad’s, and put it to proper use.
    There was no more need of words or orders, for
the weasels and stoats were very subdued by what they had seen and the thought
that wise Mr Badger and bold Mr Rat might soon be part of it. ‘Without a
backward glance, the two determined animals set off resolutely for Toad Hall.

 
     
    IV
    Up and Away

     
    Much as Toad revelled in speed, power and control, there was one thing
he liked even more: the opportunity to show off all three at once to his
friends. The more awe-struck, admiring, and amazed they were the better he
liked it, for though he never doubted that he was a clever Toad, he liked to
remind those who knew him how very clever he was.
    It had therefore added considerably to the
excitements and pleasures of his first flight that fateful morning that as he
roared along a few feet above the river, at an ever increasing speed, who
should he see below him, and watching with what he imagined was the requisite
awe, envy and admiration in their eyes, but the Badger, the Water Rat, Mole’s
Nephew, and an assorted company of weasels and stoats.
    As if this was not enough, his pride ballooned
even more when, moments after waving so regally to his earth-bound friends, he
saw the Otter and a large collection of rabbits on the other bank. The rabbits, who scattered in a satisfying way in all directions,
were of little account, but Otter’s face was the very picture of open-mouthed
amazement. This was most gratifying, and encouraged Toad to give him an extra
wave for good measure, before dismissing all else from his mind but the one
thing that really mattered, which was flying through the air as fast and loudly
as his flying machine would take him.
    Or, more accurately, as his pilot would take him, Mr Toad having found it necessary, for this first flight at
least, to allow someone else to take the controls. Yet, despite this, as the machine
roared up into the sky, leaving his friends so very far behind, Mr Toad could
allow himself to settle back and contemplate with pleasure the cunning and
stratagems that had so dramatically transformed his dull and trammelled life
into one that at last promised to be worthwhile once again.
    The recent years had not been pleasant ones for
Toad, ever since, in fact, his infatuation with a motor-car (reasonable), the
subsequent trial for theft (grossly unfair), the long sentence in gaol
(horrible), and his escape (brilliant), after which the Badger and the others
had allowed him to keep his stolen liberty only on certain strict conditions,
the essence of which came to this: that he must be forever more be a Good Toad.
    In the long and irksome years since then he had
lived quietly on his estate, and been kind and generous to those beneath him,
almost to a fault. Nothing had been too much trouble for this new and good
Toad, this reformed Toad, if it helped others and — well — and lulled all
those around him, and especially those he was lucky enough to call his trusted
friends, into the false belief that his old ways were done, and he was
genuinely reformed!
    There had been times when he had believed it
himself, for knowing Toad as they did, and being well aware of the silent
sacrifices and unspoken sufferings Toad must have endured to remain as sober
and good as he had for so long, his friends had been generous in their
continuing praise and flattery.
    But in the dark of the night, when an animal
might be permitted the odd dream or two, Toad had imagined all the exciting
things he might do if only he did not need always to be good. Yes, he had
dreamed, and he had longed, and he had yearned, for all those things he had
given up — but even more for all those things he had never had time to try, or
even known about to try, before — before he had