Toad's Hour

   "The Badger strode heavily into the room, and stood looking at the two animals with an expression full of seriousness. The Rat let his egg-spoon fall on the table-cloth, and sat open-mouthed.
   `The hour has come!' said the Badger at last with great solemnity.
   `What hour?' asked the Rat uneasily, glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece.
   `Whose hour, you should rather say,' replied the Badger. `Why, Toad's hour! The hour of Toad! I said I would take him in hand as soon as the winter was well over, and I'm going to take him in hand to-day!'
   `Toad's hour, of course!' cried the Mole delightedly. `Hooray! I remember now! We'll teach him to be a sensible Toad!'"