"i will tell you about the tree frog," said the mole. "he is one of these fellows who are always just so good-natured and polite. i can't endure them. i say it's putting on airs to act that way. i was telling him what i thought of the garter snake, and what should he do but draw himself up and say: 'excuse me, but the garter snake is a particular friend of mine, and i do not care to hear him spoken of in that way.' i guess i taught him one good lesson, though. i told him he was just the kind of person i should expect the garter snake to like, and that i wished them much joy together, but that i didn't want anything to do with them.