--- title: The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, part 4: The Open Road (the wreck of the cart, and Toad's new craze) — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, part 4: The Open Road (the wreck of the cart, and Toad's new craze)», a lesson of the books course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: The frightened old horse rears and backs, and drags the cart into t --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Books](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/) / The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, p… # The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, part 4: The Open Road (the wreck of the cart, and Toad's new craze) Lesson 32 of the books course of Mova's primary school: 30 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/0/) — The frightened old horse rears and backs, and drags the cart into the deep ditch: crash! - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/1/) — The lovely canary-coloured cart lies on its side, smashed beyond repair, sardine tins everywhere and the bird in its cage sobbing to be let out. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/2/) — The Rat dances in the road shaking his fists at the vanished car: «You villains! ... you roadhogs! - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/4/) — He won't help. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/5/) — «The poetry of motion! - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/7/) — The Rat knows the signs: Toad has a new craze, and for days he'll be useless, like an animal walking in a happy dream. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/8/) — They walk five or six miles to the nearest town, Toad trailing after them, thanking the Rat for bringing him on the trip where he saw that «swan, that sunbeam, that thunderbolt». - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/9/) — They leave him with a porter at the station, catch a slow train home, hand Toad to his housekeeper and row back to their own cosy parlour. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/10/) — The next evening the Rat brings the news everyone along the river is talking about: Toad took an early train to Town and has ordered a large and very expensive motor-car. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/13/) — The Rat shouted: «You villains! ... - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/16/) — I'll take you through all the Courts!» (a roadhog = a selfish, dangerous driver; highwaymen = old-time robbers on the roads). - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/18/) — «Toad sat straight down in the middle of the dusty road ... his face wore a placid satisfied expression, and at intervals he faintly murmured "Poop-poop!"» (placid = calm). - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/19/) — The cart: «Panels and windows smashed, axles hopelessly bent, one wheel off, sardine-tins scattered over the wide world, and the bird in the bird-cage sobbing pitifully». - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/20/) — Toad: «Glorious, stirring sight! ... - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/21/) — The poetry of motion! - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/22/) — The real way to travel! - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/23/) — The only way to travel! - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/24/) — Here to-day—in next week to-morrow! ... - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/25/) — Toad: «What carts I shall fling carelessly into the ditch in the wake of my magnificent onset! - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/26/) — Horrid little carts—common carts—canary-coloured carts!» - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/27/) — The Rat: «He is now possessed. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/29/) — He'll continue like that for days now, like an animal walking in a happy dream, quite useless for all practical purposes.» - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/31/) — Supposing another Thing were to come along?» The Rat: «O, bother Toad ... - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/32/) — I've done with him!» — but Toad came pattering after them. - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/34/) — Toad: «Me complain of that beautiful, that heavenly vision ... that swan, that sunbeam, that thunderbolt! ... - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/35/) — I owe it all to you, my best of friends!» - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/36/) — At the station they left Toad «in the second-class waiting-room, giving a porter twopence to keep a strict eye on him», and left the horse at an inn stable. - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/37/) — They «instructed his housekeeper to feed him, undress him, and put him to bed», then sculled home to «their own cosy riverside parlour, to the Rat's great joy». - [38](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/38/) — The chapter ends: «Toad went up to Town by an early train this morning. - [39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/32-willows-ch2-part4-the-wreck-and-the-new-craze/39/) — And he has ordered a large and very expensive motor-car.» - ← previous: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, part 3: The Open Road (life on the road, and a motor-car)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/31-willows-ch2-part3-poop-poop/) - next →: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter III, part 1: The Wild Wood (winter, and the Mole sets out alone)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/33-willows-ch3-part1-winter-and-the-way-to-the-wood/) - ↑ back to [Books](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/)