And when it ended , Old Mr. Toad looked quite his natural self again ; just as commonplace , almost ugly , as ever . Peter looked at Jimmy Skunk , Jimmy looked at Unc ' Billy Possum , and Unc ' Billy looked at Peter . And no one had a word to say . Then all three looked back at Old Mr. Toad . And even as they looked , his throat began to swell and swell and swell , until it was no wonder that Jimmy Skunk had thought that he was in danger of blowing up . And then , when it stopped swelling , there came again those beautiful little notes , so sweet and tremulous that Peter actually held his breath to listen . There was no doubt that Old Mr. Toad was singing just as he had said he was going to , and it was just as true that his song was one of the sweetest if not the sweetest of all the chorus from and around the Smiling Pool . It was very hard to believe , but Peter and Jimmy and Unc ' Billy both saw and heard , and that was enough . Their respect for Old Mr. Toad grew tremendously as they listened . `` How does he do it ? '' whispered Peter . `` With that bag under his chin , of course , '' replied Jimmy Skunk . `` Do n't you see it 's only when that is swelled out that he sings ? It 's a regular music bag . And I did n't know he had any such bag there at all . '' `` I wish , '' said Peter Rabbit , feeling of his throat , `` that I had a music bag like that in my throat . '' And then he joined in the laugh of Jimmy and Unc ' Billy , but still with something of a look of wistfulness in his eyes . VI PETER DISCOVERS SOMETHING MORE There are stranger things in the world to-day Than ever you dreamed could be . There 's beauty in some of the commonest things If only you 've eyes to see . Ever since Peter Rabbit was a little chap and had first ran away from home , he had known Old Mr. Toad , and never once had Peter suspected that he could sing .
Also he had thought Old Mr. XXXXX almost ugly-looking , and he knew that most of his neighbors thought the same way .
Billy Jimmy Peter Possum Rabbit Skunk Toad Unc first wistfulness