Summary

Chapter 1

Mole is spring cleaning his home deep underground, when he suddenly becomes bored of his chores and takes off. He heads to the surface and finds himself in the middle of a beautiful sunny day. He passes by rabbits who attempt to stop him to pay a toll for a private road. Mole ultimately comes upon a river bank, where he sits down. There, he meets Water Rat. Rat offers Mole a ride in his boat, which Mole accepts, for he has never before been in a boat. Rat can hardly believe this. Mole asks about Rat’s life on the river, wondering if Rat gets lonely, but Rat says he does not, for the bank is very crowded with animals and birds.

As they converse, Mole looks over toward a patch of woods, which Rat explains is the Wild Woods. Rat...