He was so busy that he did n't even know that old Mother Nature had arrived . `` Late in the afternoon , Mr. Toad stopped to rest . He had just cleared his cabbage patch of the slugs which threatened to eat up his crop and he was very tired . Presently he happened to look up the road , and who should he see but old Mother Nature herself coming to visit his garden and to find out why Mr. Toad had not been to pay her his respects . `` Suddenly Mr. Toad remembered that he had on his working clothes , which were very old , very dirty and very ragged . For just a minute he did n't know what to do . Then he dived under a cabbage leaf and began to pull off his old suit . But the old suit stuck ! He was in such a hurry and so excited that he could n't find the buttons . Finally he got his trousers off . Then he reached over and got hold of the back of his coat and tugged and hauled until finally he pulled his old coat off right over his head just as if it were a shirt . `` Mr. Toad gave a great sigh of relief as he stepped out in his new suit , for you remember that he had been wearing that new suit underneath the old one all the time . `` Mr. Toad was very well pleased with himself until he thought how terribly untidy that ragged old suit looked lying on the ground . What should he do with it ? He could n't hide it in the garden , for old Mother Nature 's eyes are so sharp that she would be sure to see it . What should he do ? `` Then Mr. Toad had a happy thought . Every one made fun of his big mouth . But what was a big mouth for if not to use ? He would swallow his old suit !
In a flash Mr. XXXXX dived under the cabbage leaf and crammed his old suit into his mouth .
Mother Toad afternoon garden ground head hold minute respects right