"You've turned over a new leaf, have you?" he asked Grandfather Mole.
"Yes!" said Grandfather Mole. "And not only one! I've turned over a new one every day since I last saw you."
Mr. Blackbird replied that he was glad to know it.
"At least," Grandfather Mole continued, "I've turned over the newest[p. 59] leaves I could. Of course you can't turn over a leaf unless it's big enough to turn over. When a leaf is so young that it wraps itself around the main stalk it's useless to try to turn it over. And it's a great waste of time waiting for it to grow.... But it's easy to turn over a big one." Suiting his action to his words, Grandfather Mole stepped up to a loose-growing head of lettuce, and thrusting his long nose under a drooping leaf he lifted it up and pushed it over.
As soon as he moved aside a little the leaf promptly righted itself. Grandfather Mole felt it brush his back as it swept into place again.
"Of course," he remarked, "you can't expect a leaf to stay turned over, unless you want to stand and hold it in place. And that would be a great waste of time—especially for one as hungry as I am."[p. 60] And poking his drill-like snout into the earth, he drew forth a huge angleworm, which quickly disappeared down his throat.
Mr. Blackbird choked; and not over anything he was eating, either. He choked because he was angry.