But this did not mean that the glad spring chorus was silent . Oh , my , no ! No indeed ! The Green Meadows were silent , and the Green Forest was silent , but as if to make up for this , the sweet singers of the Smiling Pool , the hylas and the frogs and Old Mr. Toad , were pouring out their gladness as if they had not been singing most of the departed day . You see it was the hour they love best of all , the hour which seems to them just made for singing , and they were doing their best to tell Old Mother Nature how they love her , and how glad they were that she had brought back sweet Mistress Spring to waken them from their long sleep . It was so peaceful and beautiful there that it did n't seem possible that danger of any kind could be lurking near . But Old Mr. Toad , swelling out that queer music bag in his throat and singing with all his might , never once forgot that wise saying of his , and so he was the first to see what looked like nothing so much as a little detached bit of the blackness of the Green Forest floating out towards the Smiling Pool . Instantly he stopped singing . Now that was a signal . When he stopped singing , his nearest neighbor stopped singing , then the next one and the next , and in a minute there was n't a sound from the Smiling Pool save the squeak of Jerry Muskrat hidden among the bulrushes . That great chorus stopped as abruptly as the electric lights go out when you press a button . Back and forth over the Smiling Pool , this way and that way , floated the shadow , but there was no sign of any living thing in the Smiling Pool . After awhile the shadow floated away over the Green Meadows without a sound . `` Hooty the Owl did n't get one of us that time , '' said Old Mr. Toad to his nearest neighbor with a chuckle of satisfaction . Then he swelled out his music bag and began to sing again . And at once , as abruptly as it had stopped , the great chorus began again as joyous as before , for nothing had happened to bring sadness as might have but for the watchfulness of Old Mr. Toad . VIII OLD MR. TOAD 'S BABIES The Smiling Pool 's a nursery Where all the sunny day A thousand funny babies Are taught while at their play . Really the Smiling Pool is a sort of kindergarten , one of the most interesting kindergartens in the world . Little Joe Otter 's children learn to swim there . So do Jerry Muskrat 's babies and those of Billy Mink , the Trout and Minnow babies , and a lot more .
And there you will find the children and grandchildren of Grandfather Frog and Old Mr. XXXXX .
Hooty Meadows Muskrat Otter Toad bulrushes day first hylas minute