"I deserve it," thought Old Mr. Toad. "Yes, Sir, I deserve every bit of it. The only thing that I have to be proud of is that I'm honest and work for my living. Yes, Sir, that's all." When darkness came at last, and he crawled out to go home, he was feeling very humble. Peter Rabbit happened along just then. Old Mr. Toad opened his mouth to speak, but Peter suddenly threw his head up very high and strutted past as if he didn't see Old Mr. Toad at all. Mr. Toad gulped and went on. 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. THE END End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Adventures of Old Mr. Toad by Thornton W. Burgess