--- title: The Wind in the Willows, chapter XII, part 3: The Return of Ulysses (the invitations, «SPEECH BY TOAD» and «not one little song») — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «The Wind in the Willows, chapter XII, part 3: The Return of Ulysses (the invitations, «SPEECH BY TOAD» and «not one little song»)», a lesson of the books course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: Next morning Toad oversleeps again and fin --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/) [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 3: The Return of Ulysses (the invitations, «SPEECH BY TOAD» and «not one little song») Lesson 72 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/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/0/) — Next morning Toad oversleeps again and finds only egg-shells, cold leathery toast and a coffee-pot three-quarters empty — in his own house! - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/1/) — Badger tells him there must be a Banquet to celebrate, and Toad must spend the morning writing the invitations. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/3/) — Why so willing? - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/5/) — In every invitation he boasts about how he flattened the Chief Weasel, and he adds a programme for the evening: SPEECH BY TOAD, ADDRESS BY TOAD, SONG BY TOAD, OTHER COMPOSITIONS BY TOAD. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/6/) — By noon they are done, and a timid, bedraggled weasel, one of last night's prisoners, is sent off to deliver them. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/7/) — At lunch Toad is so puffed up that the others suspect something. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/8/) — Afterwards the Rat and Badger take him by both arms into the smoking-room. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/9/) — The Rat says it kindly but firmly: there will be no speeches and no songs. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/10/) — «We're not arguing with you; we're just telling you.» «Mayn't I sing them just one little song?» «No, not one little song.» Toad's songs are conceit and boasting — «And gas,» adds Badger. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/11/) — Toad thinks a long time and then says sadly: «You have conquered, my friends... - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/13/) — But, O dear, O dear, this is a hard world!» He leaves, pressing his handkerchief to his face. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/14/) — «I feel like a brute,» says the Rat. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/15/) — But Badger explains: Toad has to live here and be respected, not be a laughing-stock for the weasels. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/16/) — And the Rat reveals he caught the invitations in time — Mole is now writing plain, simple ones in the blue boudoir (a small, pretty sitting-room). - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/17/) — Toad «came down to breakfast disgracefully late» and found «a certain quantity of egg-shells, some fragments of cold and leathery toast, a coffee-pot three-fourths empty». - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/20/) — It's expected of you—in fact, it's the rule.» Badger himself will order the Banquet; Toad must write the invitations. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/21/) — Toad tries «Me stop indoors and write a lot of rotten letters on a jolly morning like this...» then turns: «I sacrifice this fair morning on the altar of duty and friendship!» - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/22/) — «The Badger looked at him very suspiciously, but Toad's frank, open countenance made it difficult to suggest any unworthy motive» (countenance = face; motive = reason for doing something). - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/23/) — The letter-paper had «'Toad Hall' at the top in blue and gold». - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/24/) — Toad's programme: «SPEECH. . . . - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/27/) — BY TOAD. (Composed by himself.)», and «OTHER COMPOSITIONS. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/28/) — BY TOAD will be sung in the course of the evening by the. . . - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/32/) — The Rat: «there are going to be no speeches and no songs. - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/33/) — Try and grasp the fact that on this occasion we're not arguing with you; we're just telling you.» - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/34/) — «Mayn't I sing them just one little song?» he pleaded piteously. - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/35/) — «No, not one little song,» replied the Rat firmly, though his heart bled. - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/37/) — Toad: «It was, to be sure, but a small thing that I asked—merely leave to blossom and expand for yet one more evening... - [38](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/38/) — But, O dear, O dear, this is a hard world!» - [39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/39/) — Badger: «This good fellow has got to live here, and hold his own, and be respected. - [40](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/72-willows-ch12-part3-no-speeches-and-no-songs/40/) — Would you have him a common laughing-stock, mocked and jeered at by stoats and weasels?» The Rat had read the invitations: «simply disgraceful», and «confiscated the lot» (took them all away). - ← previous: [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/) - next →: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter XII, part 4: The Return of Ulysses (Toad's last little song, an altered Toad, and the end of the book)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/73-willows-ch12-part4-an-altered-toad/) - ↑ back to [Books](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/)