The Toad, having finished his breakfast, picked up a stout stick and swung it vigorously, belabouring imaginary animals. 'I'll learn ’em to steal my house!' he cried. 'I'll learn ’em, I'll learn ’em!'
'Don't say "learn ’em," Toad,' said the Rat, greatly shocked. 'It's not good English.'
'What are you always nagging at Toad for?' inquired the Badger, rather peevishly. 'What's the matter with his English? It's the same what I use myself, and if it's good enough for me, it ought to be good enough for you!'
'I'm very sorry,' said the Rat humbly. 'Only I think it ought to be "teach ’em," not "learn ’em."'
'But we don't want to teach 'em,' replied the Badger. 'We want to learn ’em--learn ’em, learn ’em! And what's more, we're going to do it, too!'
'Oh, very well, have it your own way,' said the Rat. He was getting rather muddled about it himself, and presently he retired into a corner, where he could be heard muttering, 'Learn ’em, teach ’em, teach ’em, learn ’em!' till the Badger told him rather sharply to leave off.
Yah! That'll learn Mr Pudding, too.
For you, Lady K, here are photos of cute little baby gorillas. I know you like that sort of thing:
3 comments:
I loves me some pictures of some baby gorillas!!! LOL
By the way...Syd Barrett, founder of PINK FLOYD, had a FAVORITE chapter (7, I think) in Wind in the Willows, and wrote about it: "Piper at the Gates of Dawn." I am remiss in writing that in honor of Floyd Day this month.
Brad, you're TOP GRUFF'n'STUFF in my book, and said Christmas ornament shall stay PUT, and I plan on making some bananas foster this weekend in YOUR honor to accompany my Hawaiian chicken. I promise to share pictures.
Lady K, I think you're wise. Brad has been simply unbearable ever since you threatened to take down his Christmas ornament. Our house is a total mess of papers and books thrown hither and yon.
Then again, perhaps I can't blame everything on Brad.
At last! Through my cunning wheeze, secretly supported by the Seattle Storytellers Union, I have drawn the jungle beast out of its indolent slough of inactivity! The extract from "The Wind in The Willows" was fascinating but please understand that I am not a pedant for I recognise that in the grammatical hierarchy there will be lions (like me) at the very top of the food chain and there will be lesser creatures lower down that struggle to convey their thoughts and ideas with accurate effectiveness.
"Ultimately, what matters is meaning," said the panting gorilla hunter as he and his coolies bundled the huge bulk of the stunned silverback into the back of his khaki green Land Rover.
"Good job!" chortled Mr Toad.
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