The Mole had been working hard all morning. It was spring and he was cleaning his house after the winter. He lived under the ground but he knew spring had come.

Suddenly he wanted to stop. He had done enough cleaning for one day! So he climbed up his tunnel up! up! to the ground. Mole breathed the fresh spring air. How good it smelled! Then he jumped out of his hole and started walking. Where was he going? He didn't know. He just liked being outside. Everywhere animals were spring cleaning. He enjoyed watching them work. He was happy that he had finished cleaning.

He walked for a long time. Then suddenly he saw something new. He had never seen anything like it it was a river. He noticed a dark hole in the bank on the other side of the river.

Then he noticed twobrown eyes inside the hole. The eyes moved and a head came out: it was the Water Rat. "HelloRat!" said Rat.

"Hello Rat!" said Mole.

"Would you like tı come over here?" Rat asked next. "Yes but can I?" said Mole. He didn't know about the river and he had never seen a boat. "Of course you can!" laughed Rat. "Wait a minute. I'll come for you in my boat." And he got into a little blue and white boat which was outside his hole.