Jerry Muskrat swam back and forth , making little silver lines on the surface of the Smiling Pool and squeaking contentedly , for it was the hour which he loves best . Little Friend the Song Sparrow had tucked his head under his wing and gone to sleep among the alders along the Laughing Brook and Redwing the Blackbird had done the same thing among the bulrushes . All the feathered songsters who had made joyous the bright day had gone to bed . But this did not mean that the glad spring chorus was silent . Oh , my , no ! No indeed ! The Green Meadows were silent , and the Green Forest was silent , but as if to make up for this , the sweet singers of the Smiling Pool , the hylas and the frogs and Old Mr. Toad , were pouring out their gladness as if they had not been singing most of the departed day . You see it was the hour they love best of all , the hour which seems to them just made for singing , and they were doing their best to tell Old Mother Nature how they love her , and how glad they were that she had brought back sweet Mistress Spring to waken them from their long sleep . It was so peaceful and beautiful there that it did n't seem possible that danger of any kind could be lurking near . But Old Mr. Toad , swelling out that queer music bag in his throat and singing with all his might , never once forgot that wise saying of his , and so he was the first to see what looked like nothing so much as a little detached bit of the blackness of the Green Forest floating out towards the Smiling Pool . Instantly he stopped singing . Now that was a signal . When he stopped singing , his nearest neighbor stopped singing , then the next one and the next , and in a minute there was n't a sound from the Smiling Pool save the squeak of Jerry Muskrat hidden among the bulrushes . That great chorus stopped as abruptly as the electric lights go out when you press a button . Back and forth over the Smiling Pool , this way and that way , floated the shadow , but there was no sign of any living thing in the Smiling Pool . After awhile the shadow floated away over the Green Meadows without a sound . `` Hooty the Owl did n't get one of us that time , '' said Old Mr. Toad to his nearest neighbor with a chuckle of satisfaction . Then he swelled out his music bag and began to sing again . And at once , as abruptly as it had stopped , the great chorus began again as joyous as before , for nothing had happened to bring sadness as might have but for the watchfulness of Old Mr. Toad . VIII OLD MR. TOAD 'S BABIES The Smiling Pool 's a nursery Where all the sunny day A thousand funny babies Are taught while at their play .
Really the Smiling XXXXX is a sort of kindergarten , one of the most interesting kindergartens in the world .
Friend Pool chorus gladness head hour nothing sound way wing