The next morning, Mole ran into the kitchen.
Badger and Rat were making breakfast.
Toad was swinging his sword around.
"Where have you been?" asked Toad.
"I was talking with the ferrets," grinned Mole.
"I hope you were careful," said Rat, worried.
"The ferrets had their guns, of course," said Mole.
"But I was careful.
I found Toad's old washwoman dress.
So I put it on," said Mole.
"You did?" asked Badger.
"I put on the bonnet and shawl too!" laughed Mole.
"Then I went to Toad Hall."
"You were very brave, Mole," said Badger.
Mole told them the story:
"The ferrets act very important.
‘Who are you?' they shouted.
‘Good morning!' I said, very polite.
‘Do you need any washing done today?'
‘Go away, washwoman!' they said.
‘We don't wash when we're on duty!'
‘Do you ever wash at all?' I said to them."
Rat and Badger laughed.
Mole smiled at his friends.
"Wasn't that a great joke?" cried Mole.
"Well, the joke was okay," said Toad.
In fact, Toad was jealous.
"It's not hard to do a trick like that," he thought.
"I could do it easily.
I slept late this morning, that's all."