Toad hurried down the road.
"The sun is shining!" he said.
"I'm happy and carefree!"
Toad danced a little dance.
"Poor Ratty," Toad laughed.
"Badger will be so mad at him!
Rat's a good friend.
But he isn't as clever as Toad!"
Badger and Mole came back to Toad Hall.
Rat was very upset.
"Rat, what's wrong?" asked Mole.
"Toad's gone!" cried Rat.
"I'm so stupid!"
"Toad said he needed a doctor," said Rat.
"He said he was dying."
"Oh Rat," said Badger.
"You fell for that old trick?"
Inside they found the bedroom empty.
"Never mind," said Badger.
"We'll see him again.
I just hope it's not in the hospital."
"Or in jail," said Mole.
Down the road, Toad was eating at The Red Lion.
"What a yummy lunch!" said Toad to himself.
Then Toad heard his favorite sound.
Vroom! A big car drove up.
The driver and his friends got out.
Toad watched them come into the restaurant.
"They left the car alone," Toad thought happily.
"No one will mind if I look at it."
He walked out to the car.
"Oh my! It's so beautiful," he gasped.
He looked around carefully.
No one was watching.