Old Mr. Toad looked in the direction in which Buster Bear was looking. He
gave a little gasp and turned quite pale. All his puffiness disappeared. He
didn't look like the same Toad at all. The newcomer was Mr. Blacksnake.
"Oh!" cried Old Mr. Toad, and then, without even asking to be excused, he
turned his back on Buster Bear and started back the way he had come, with
long, frightened hops.

"Ha, ha, ha!" shouted Peter Rabbit, jumping out from behind a tree.

"Ho, ho, ho!" shouted Jimmy Skunk from behind another.

"Hee, hee, hee!" shouted Johnny Chuck from behind a third.

Then Old Mr. Toad knew that his old friends and neighbors had planned this
to teach him a lesson.




XXIII


OLD MR. TOAD IS VERY HUMBLE

When Old Mr. Toad saw Mr. Blacksnake and turned his back on Buster Bear and
the fine dinner to which Buster had invited him, he had but just one idea
in his head, and that was to get out of sight of Mr. Blacksnake as soon as
possible. He forgot to ask Buster Bear to excuse him. He forgot that he was
tired and hot. He forgot all the pride with which he had been so puffed up.
He forgot everything but the need of getting out of sight of Mr. Blacksnake