Hi guys, here admin will tell you sixth chapter that contains "Toad's Escape". Oke, please read bellow.
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
Chapter 6: Toad's Escape
The jailor's daughter
was a kind young girl who was very fond of animals. She took pity on Toad, and
coaxed him to eat some hot buttered toast, asking him to tell her all about
Toad Hall. Soon the Toad revived a little, and began to puff himself up, and
boast about his home and his possessions. In spite of his conceit, the young
girl was sorry for him. She hated to see animals shut up. So she thought of a
plan to help him to escape. He was to dress in her aunt's clothes. Her aunt was
a washerwoman, who came to the castle once a week. She was short and stout
(like Toad!) She wore a long, cotton dress, a shawl, and an old blue bonnet,
and carried a basket full of washing. Toad did not like the idea of dressing up
as a poor old woman, but in the end he agreed to pay her some money and tie her
up, so that she would not get into trouble for helping him. The jailer's
daughter giggled as she tied the bonnet strings under Toad's chin. "You
look exactly like her!" she laughed (much to Toad's annoyance.)
"Goodbye, and good luck! Be careful what you say to the sentries!" There
were some anxious moments as Toad set off, especially as the sentries made rude
remarks. But Toad entered into the spirit of the thing, for he fancied himself
as an actor. Soon he came through the prison gate into the sunlight and was
free at last. He made for the railway station and was about to buy a ticket,
when he realized he had left his waistcoat, with all his money, in his cell.
What could he do now? Then he spotted the engine driver, cleaning down his
steam engine with a handful of cotton waste. "Oh, sir," he cried,
"I'm a poor washerwoman who's lost her purse. How am I going to get home and
what will my little children do without me?" The kind engine driver said,
"Tell you what, missus, I'll give you a ride on my footplate, and you can
wash some shirts for me when you get home."Toad accepted eagerly and
hopped up on the engine. They got up steam and set off. They were soon thudding
away down the track, with a trail of white smoke and a whooping whistle. Suddenly
the engine driver looked back. "There's another train following us down
the line!" he cried. "It's full of people -policemen with truncheons
- plain clothes men with bowler hats and umbrellas - prison warders with sticks
- all shouting STOP! STOP! STOP!" Toad fell on his knees among the coal
and begged for help. "I am not a washerwoman at all," he confessed.
"I am the well-known daring criminal, Mr. Toad. Please help me. "The
engine driver hated to see an animal hunted. "Never mind, I'll help
you," he said. "When we get through this tunnel, I'll slow down, and
you can jump off and hide in the wood." They piled on more coal to get up
speed, and the sparks flew as they roared through the tunnel. Then they slowed
down. Toad jumped off, and rolled down the bank into the wood. He laughed as he
saw the other train tear past, full of policemen and warders, waving their
weapons and shouting, "STOP!"
Then he found an old
tree, and lay down on a bed of leaves to wait for morning.
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