reach way over to where that ant was?" he asked.

Old Mr. Toad chuckled again. With every insect swallowed he felt better
natured. "You've guessed it, Peter," said he. "Handy tongue, isn't it?"

"I think it's a very queer tongue," retorted Peter, "and I don't understand
it at all. If it's so long as all that, where do you keep it when it isn't
in use? I should think you'd have to swallow it to get it out of the way,
or else leave it hanging out of your mouth."

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" laughed Old Mr. Toad. "My tongue never is in the way,
and it's the handiest tongue in the world. I'll show it to you."




XII


OLD MR. TOAD SHOWS HIS TONGUE

To show one's tongue, as you well know,
Is not considered nice to do;
But if it were like Mr. Toad's
I'd want to show it--wouldn't you?

I'm quite sure you would. You see, if it were like Old Mr. Toad's, it would
be such a wonderful tongue that I suspect you would want everybody to see
it. Old Mr. Toad thinks his tongue the most satisfactory tongue in the
world. In fact, he is quite sure that without it he couldn't get along at