Chapter 4 The Wild Wood

Mole wanted to meet Rat's friend, Badger. Badger lived in the Wild Wood. One day Mole said to Rat,“Let's ask Badger to dinner. Then I can meet him.”

“No, I don't think that's a good idea,” answered Rat. “Badger doesn't like dinner parties.”

“Can we go and visit him?” asked Mole.

“No, Mole, we can't. We have to wait. Badger will come and visit us in the end. You'll see.” So Mole didn't ask about Badger again.

The summer ended quickly. Rat and Mole were very busy on the river every day. Then winter came. Rat and Mole slept and slept.

They got up late and went to bed early. On these short days, Rat sometimes wrote little stories, but usually he only sat by the fire.

Mole began to think about Badger again. One afternoon in the middle of winter, Rat was asleep by the fire. So Mole went out for a walk.

“I think I'll visit Mr. Badger,” he thought.

The country was very different in winter. Everything looked dead. The trees weren't green now and the ground was brown. It was very cold so Mole walked quickly.He arrived at the Wild Wood.

Mole went into the wood, and everything got darker and darker. Mole began to see strange faces round him and to hear strange noises. He walked faster and faster. In the wood, day turned into night. Mole was very afraid. The wood got darker again and there were more strange noises. Mole couldn't find his way. He walked and walked. Then he stopped and found a hole under a big tree.

“I can't walk now,” he thought. “I'm too tired and cold and afraid. I'll wait here for a short time.”

Rat slept for a long time by his fire. When he woke up, he was hungry and thirsty.“It's tea time,” he thought.“Mole, shall we have some tea?” he shouted.

But there was no answer. Rat looked for Mole in every room of the house but he couldn't find him. Then he looked in the hall. Mole's coat and winter shoes weren't there.

“So Mole is outside,” thought Rat. “But why did he go for a walk in winter? Where did he go?” He stopped. “Oh, no! Perhaps he went to the Wild Wood!”

Rat opened his front door and looked out. Then he went to a cupboard and took out a small gun and a heavy stick.

“I'll follow Mole and find him. He doesn't know the Wild Wood and he'll be very afraid!” Rat thought.

It was dark when Rat left home. He walked very quickly to the Wild Wood. When he arrived there, he didn't stop for a minute. He went inside, and called, “Mole, Mole! Where are you? It's me—Rat!”

He walked for more than an hour, but he couldn't find Mole anywhere. Rat began to be afraid.

“Where is Mole?” he thought. “Perhaps I'll never see him again.”

Then suddenly, he heard Mole. “Ratty, is that really you?”

“Mole, where are you?” Rat cried.

“I'm here in this hole under the big tree,” Mole cried.

Rat found the hole and went inside.

“Oh, Rat,” cried Mole. “I'm very happy now! I was afraid.”

“I'm here now,” said Rat. “But why did you come here? You were very stupid. The Wild Wood is a bad place. But don't be afraid now. Let's go home.”

“Oh, Ratty,” said Mole. “I'm very very tired. Can I sleep first?”

“Of course,Mole,” said Rat kindly.

So Mole slept, and Rat sat and waited. After an hour, Mole woke up. But when they went out of the hole, everywhere looked different. Everything was white.

“It's snow,” said Rat. “The snow came when you were asleep. Let's go, Mole. We have to get home. But now it's difficult because everything looks different in the snow.”

The two animals walked and walked. But they couldn't find their way out of the Wild Wood. They walked for two hours and they were very tired.

Suddenly, Mole cried, “Oh, my leg! My leg!”

“What happened?”asked Rat.“Oh,there's a big cut on your leg. Sit down for a minute, Mole, and I'll look at it. But what did you cut it on?”

Mole sat down in the snow and Rat cleaned the cut. Then he saw something very hard in the ground.

“Look, Mole,” he said. “You clean your shoes on that. So that means ... there's a house near here.” And he started to look in the snow.

“What is Rat thinking about?” Mole thought, but he didn't say anything.

After about ten minutes, Rat cried, “What did I tell you, Mole? Come and see!” And Rat showed Mole a little door. On the door were the words MR BADGER.

“Ratty,” cried Mole. “Now I understand. You are clever! Is this really Badger's house?”

“Yes,” said Rat.“We'll be fine now.”He began to hit the door with his hands. He shouted, “Badger!”