"Who was the other?" asked Old Mr. Toad.

"Mr. Blacksnake," replied Jimmy. "He inquired for you."

Old Mr. Toad turned quite pale. "I--I think I'll be moving along," said he.




XVII


OLD MR. TOAD'S MISTAKE

If is a very little word to look at, but the biggest word you have ever
seen doesn't begin to have so much meaning as little "if." _If_ Jimmy Skunk
hadn't ambled down the Crooked Little Path just when he did; _if_ he hadn't
been looking for fat beetles; _if_ he hadn't seen that big piece of bark at
one side and decided to pull it over; _if_ it hadn't been for all these
"ifs," why Old Mr. Toad wouldn't have made the mistake he did, and you
wouldn't have had this story. But Jimmy Skunk _did_ amble down the Crooked
Little Path, he _did_ look for beetles, and he _did_ pull over that big
piece of bark. And when he had pulled it over, he found Old Mr. Toad there.

Old Mr. Toad had crept under that piece of bark because he wanted to take a
nap. But when Jimmy Skunk told him that he had seen Mr. Blacksnake that
very morning, and that Mr. Blacksnake had asked after Old Mr. Toad, the
very last bit of sleepiness left Old Mr. Toad. Yes, Sir, he was wide awake
right away. You see, he knew right away why Mr. Blacksnake had asked after
him. He knew that Mr. Blacksnake has a fondness for Toads. He turned quite