Questions on The Wind in the Willows (Part I)

I. The River Bank

1.   Why was Mole working hard at the beginning of chapter 1? 

2.   What had Mole never seen before?

3.   Whom does the Mole meet?

4.   What’s the charm of “simply messing about in boat”?

5.   What was the Mole impressed with? 

6.   Where does Badger live? 

7.   Why does the Rat ask the Mole not to mention the Wide World again?

8.   Whom do they meet while having a lunch?  

9.   “It’s all the same, whatever he takes up; he gets tired of it, and starts on something fresh.” “Such a good fellow, too, but no stability” Whom are they talking about, here? 

10.What did Rat say when Mole asked if he could paddle the boat?