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Prose

The Wind in the Willows

9, 10
EVENT Age:

An extract from 

The Wind in the Willows 

by Kenneth Grahame


The Rat sculled gently homewards in a dreamy mood, murmuring to himself, and not paying much attention to Mole. But the Mole was very full of lunch, and self-satisfaction, and pride, and already quite at home in a boat (so he thought) and was getting a bit restless: and presently he said, “Ratty! Please! I want to row, now!” 


The Rat shook his head with a smile. “Not yet, my young friend,” he said: “Wait till you’ve had a few lessons. It’s not so easy as it looks.” 


The Mole was quiet for a minute or two. But he began to feel more and more jealous of Rat, sculling so strongly and so easily along, and his pride began to whisper that he could do it every bit as well. He jumped up and seized the sculls, so suddenly, that the Rat, who was gazing out over the water, was taken by surprise and fell backwards off his seat with his legs in the air, while the triumphant Mole took his place and grabbed the sculls with entire confidence. 


“Stop it, you silly ass!” cried the Rat, from the bottom of the boat. “You can't do it! You'll have us over!”

We’re the ones with the problems. Garnet and me.

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