Mole carried Little Portly to the boat.
"Come along, Rat!" called Mole.
"Think of poor Otter.
He is waiting at the old bridge."
"Yeah! A ride on the river!" cried Portly.
Rat looked around at the small stream.
"Strange, it's not as colorful as it was," he said.
Mole rowed them out to the main river.
When they reached the old bridge, the sun rose.
"Here we are," said Mole.
He lifted Portly out of the boat.
"Off you go, Portly," said Rat.
Portly ran up a path to the bridge.
"Daddy! Daddy!" shouted Portly.
"My little Portly!" called Otter.
Otter wrapped his lost son in his arms.
"It's time to go home," said Rat.
Mole pushed the boat into the river.
"Do you hear the wind in the reeds?" asked Rat.
"It's like music far away," said Mole.
"Can you hear the words to the music?" asked Rat.
"No, I can't," said Mole.
"Then listen to me," said Rat.
"I'll say them to you."
So my magic won't turn
Your happiness to regret,
I'll help you when you need me,
But then you'll forget.
Mole listened.
For a moment he thought he heard the song.
"What do the words mean, Rat?" asked Mole.
But Rat was fast asleep.