Mr. Toad kept on his way, and presently he met Peter Rabbit. Peter stopped
to gossip, as is his way. But Old Mr. Toad took no notice of him at all. He
kept right on with his head high, and all puffed out. Peter might have been
a stick or a stone for all the notice Old Mr. Toad took of him. Peter
looked puzzled. Then he hurried down to tell Danny Meadow Mouse about it.

"Oh," said Danny, "he's been to dine with Buster Bear, and now he has no
use for his old friends."

Pretty soon along came Johnny Chuck, and he was very much put out because
he had been treated by Old Mr. Toad just as Peter Rabbit had. Striped
Chipmunk told the same story. So did Unc' Billy Possum. It was the same
with all of Old Mr. Toad's old friends and neighbors, excepting Bobby Coon,
who, you know, is Buster Bear's little cousin. To him Old Mr. Toad was very
polite and talked a great deal about Buster Bear, and thought that Bobby
must be very proud to be related to Buster.

At first everybody thought it a great joke to see Old Mr. Toad so puffed up
with, pride, but after a little they grew tired of being snubbed by their
old friend and neighbor, and began to say unpleasant things about him. Then
they decided that what Old Mr. Toad needed was a lesson, so they put their
heads together and planned how they would teach Old Mr. Toad how foolish it
is for any one to be puffed up with pride.




XXI