said Old Mr. Toad with a very grand air , and pretending to be much surprised . `` Sorry I ca n't stop , but I 've been dining with , my friend , Buster Bear , and now I must get home . '' When he mentioned the name of Buster Bear , he puffed himself out a little more . Danny grinned as he watched him hop on down the Lone Little Path . `` Ca n't talk with common folks any more , '' he muttered . `` I 've heard that pride is very apt to turn people 's heads , but I never expected to see Old Mr. Toad proud . '' -LSB- Illustration : `` Ca n't talk with common folks any more , '' he muttered . -RSB- Mr. Toad kept on his way , and presently he met Peter Rabbit . Peter stopped to gossip , as is his way . But Old Mr. Toad took no notice of him at all . He kept right on with his head high , and all puffed out . Peter might have been a stick or a stone for all the notice Old Mr. Toad took of him . Peter looked puzzled . Then he hurried down to tell Danny Meadow Mouse about it . `` Oh , '' said Danny , `` he 's been to dine with Buster Bear , and now he has no use for his old friends . '' Pretty soon along came Johnny Chuck , and he was very much put out because he had been treated by Old Mr. Toad just as Peter Rabbit had . Striped Chipmunk told the same story . So did Unc ' Billy Possum . It was the same with all of Old Mr. Toad 's old friends and neighbors , excepting Bobby Coon , who , you know , is Buster Bear 's little cousin . To him Old Mr. Toad was very polite and talked a great deal about Buster Bear , and thought that Bobby must be very proud to be related to Buster .
At first everybody thought it a great joke XXXXX see Old Mr. Toad so puffed up with , pride , but after a little they grew tired of being snubbed by their old friend and neighbor , and began to say unpleasant things about him .
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