Pretty soon he met Jimmy Skunk. Jimmy went right on about his business and
actually stepped right over Old Mr. Toad as if he had been a stick or a
stone. Old Mr. Toad gulped again and went on. The next day he went down to
see Danny Meadow Mouse. He meant to tell Danny how ashamed he was for the
way he had treated Danny and his other friends. But Danny brushed right
past without even a glance at him. Old Mr. Toad gulped and started up to
see Johnny Chuck. The same thing happened again. So it did when he met
Striped Chipmunk.

At last Old Mr. Toad gave up and went home, where he sat under a big
mullein leaf the rest of the day, feeling very miserable and lonely. He
didn't have appetite enough to snap at a single fly. Late that afternoon he
heard a little noise and looked up to find all his old friends and
neighbors forming a circle around him. Suddenly they began to dance and
shout:

"Old Mr. Toad is a jolly good fellow!
His temper is sweet, disposition is mellow!
And now that his bubble of pride is quite busted
We know that he knows that his friends can be trusted."

Then Old Mr. Toad knew that all was well once more, and presently he began
to dance too, the funniest dance that ever was seen.

This is all for now about homely Old Mr. Toad, because I have just got to
tell you about another homely fellow,--Prickly Porky the Porcupine,--who
carries a thousand little spears. The next book will tell you all about
_his_ adventures.