--- title: The Wind in the Willows, chapter XII, part 1: The Return of Ulysses (dressing for battle, the dark passage and «Good Toad, modest Toad») — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «The Wind in the Willows, chapter XII, part 1: The Return of Ulysses (dressing for battle, the dark passage and «Good Toad, modest Toad»)», a lesson of the books course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: At dusk the Rat dresses everybody f --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/) [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 XII,… # The Wind in the Willows, chapter XII, part 1: The Return of Ulysses (dressing for battle, the dark passage and «Good Toad, modest Toad») Lesson 70 of the books course of Mova's primary school: 31 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/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/0/) — At dusk the Rat dresses everybody for the expedition: a belt, a sword, a cutlass, a pair of pistols, a policeman's truncheon, handcuffs, bandages, a flask and a sandwich-case each. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/1/) — Badger laughs that he'll do everything with his stick, but lets the Rat have his way. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/3/) — They slip into a hole in the river-bank. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/4/) — Of course Toad falls into the water with a splash and a squeal. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/5/) — In the cold, dark, narrow passage he lags behind, gets frightened, rushes forward and knocks Rat into Mole and Mole into Badger. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/6/) — Badger thinks they are being attacked from behind and nearly fires his pistol! - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/7/) — After that the Rat walks at the back holding Toad firmly by the shoulder. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/8/) — At last, right above their heads, they hear cheering, stamping and glasses clinking — the weasels' party. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/9/) — They come to a trap-door, push it up together and climb into the butler's pantry. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/10/) — Only a door is between them and the banqueting-hall. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/11/) — Through the door they hear the Chief Weasel making a speech about «our kind host, Mr. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/13/) — Toad grinds his teeth. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/15/) — Follow me!» He flings the door open wide. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/17/) — Each animal got «a belt... and then a sword... and then a cutlass on the other side to balance it. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/18/) — Then a pair of pistols, a policeman's truncheon, several sets of handcuffs, some bandages and sticking-plaster, and a flask and a sandwich-case.» (a truncheon = a policeman's short club) - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/20/) — It amuses you and it doesn't hurt me. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/21/) — I'm going to do all I've got to do with this here stick.» - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/22/) — The Rat: «You know I shouldn't like you to blame me afterwards and say I had forgotten anything!» - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/23/) — Badger carried «a dark lantern» (a lantern with a cover to hide the light) and set the order: «Mole first, 'cos I'm very pleased with him; Rat next; Toad last.» - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/26/) — The passage was «cold, and dark, and damp, and low, and narrow»; Toad began to shiver, «partly from dread of what might be before him, partly because he was wet through», lagged behind in the dark, then rushed forward so hard «that he upset the Rat into the Mole and the Mole into the Badger». - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/27/) — Badger thought they were attacked from behind and «drew a pistol, and was on the point of putting a bullet into Toad» — but stopped when he saw what had happened. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/28/) — The others promised to be «answerable for his good conduct» (to promise he would behave), and the Rat walked last, «with a firm grip on the shoulder of Toad». - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/29/) — Hearing the noise above, Badger said placidly (calmly): «They are going it, the Weasels!» (going it = having a wild time) - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/30/) — The passage ended under «the trap-door that led up into the butler's pantry»; all four put their shoulders to it and heaved it back. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/31/) — The Chief Weasel's speech: «I should like to say one word about our kind host, Mr. - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/32/) — We all know Toad!»—(great laughter)—«Good Toad, modest Toad, honest Toad!» (shrieks of merriment). - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/33/) — This is sarcasm: saying the opposite of what you mean, to mock someone. - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/34/) — The weasel's song begins «Toad he went a-pleasuring / Gaily down the street—» (a-pleasuring = going out for fun); Toad mutters «Only just let me get at him!» - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/35/) — Badger: «The hour is come! - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/36/) — Follow me!» — and flung the door open wide. - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/37/) — In chapter VI Badger had said almost the same: «The hour has come!... - ← previous: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter XI, part 5: «Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears» (Mole the washerwoman and the badgers that never were)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/69-willows-ch11-part5-clever-mole/) - next →: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter XII, part 2: The Return of Ulysses (four Heroes, five minutes and clean sheets)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/71-willows-ch12-part2-the-battle-of-toad-hall/) - ↑ back to [Books](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/)