The Wind in the Willows

Cover of the first edition
Author	Kenneth Grahame
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre(s)	Children's literature
Publisher	Methuen
Publication date	1908
Media type	Print (Hardcover)
Pages	302 pp
ISBN	NA

The Wind in the Willows is a classic of children's literature written in 1908 by Kenneth Grahame. The Wind in the Willows is a classic of childrens literature written in 1908 by Kenneth Grahame. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Kenneth Grahame Kenneth Grahame (March 8, 1859 – July 6, 1932) was a Scottish novelist. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Childrens books redirects here. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Methuen Publishing Ltd is a British publishing house, and publishes in the areas of theatre and drama. ... Hardcover books A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth, heavy paper, or sometimes leather). ... ISBN redirects here. ... Childrens books redirects here. ... See also: 1907 in literature, other events of 1908, 1909 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Kenneth Grahame Kenneth Grahame (March 8, 1859 – July 6, 1932) was a Scottish novelist. ...

The story is alternately slow moving and fast paced, focusing on four heavily anthropomorphised animal characters in a pastoral version of England. The novel is notable for its mixture of mysticism, adventure, morality, and camaraderie. Anthropomorphism, also referred to as personification or prosopopeia, is the attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, forces of nature, and others. ... For other uses, see Pastoral (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

The book made Grahame's fortune, enabling him to retire from his hated (though respectable and well paid) bank job and move to the country. Grahame spent his time by the River Thames doing much as the animal characters in his book do; namely (in one of the most famous phrases from the book) 'simply messing about in boats'. The book was saved from obscurity by the then famous playwright, A. A. Milne, who loved the book and adapted it for stage in Toad of Toad Hall. This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ... Alan Alexander Milne (IPA pronunciation: ) (January 18, 1882 – January 31, 1956), also known as A. A. Milne, was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various childrens poems. ... Toad of Toad Hall is one of the play versions of The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. ...

It can also be viewed as a commentary on class dynamics in British society. In general the 'river bankers' represented the upper classes and the 'wild wooders' represented the lower classes. More specifically the character of Toad represented the upper class; Rat and Badger represented the middle classes, with Badger leaning closer to upper class; and the character Mole represented the lower class, due to his earthy nature. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ...

Synopsis

At the start of the book, it is spring, the weather is fine, and good-natured Mole goes outside to take the air. He ends up at the river, which he has never seen before. Here he meets Rat, who spends all his days in and around the river. Rat takes Mole for a ride in his rowing boat. They get along well and the two of them spend many more days on the river, with Rat teaching Mole the ways of the river.

Some time later, one summer day, Rat and Mole find themselves near Toad Hall and pay a visit to Toad. Toad is rich, jovial and friendly, but conceited, and tends to become obsessed about things, only to dismiss them later. Having given up boating, Toad's current craze is his horse-drawn caravan. In fact, he is about to go on a trip, and persuades Rat and Mole to join him. A few days later, a passing car scares their horse, causing the caravan to crash. This marks the end of Toad's craze for caravan travel, to be replaced with an obsession for cars.

Mole wants to meet Badger, who lives in the Wild Wood, but Rat knows that Badger does not appreciate visits. On a winter's day, Mole goes to the Wild Wood, to explore and hoping to meet Badger. Mole gets lost in the woods. Rat goes looking for Mole, and finds him, but it starts to snow and even Rat no longer knows the way home. By chance they arrive at Badger's home.

Badger welcomes Rat and Mole to his large home, and gives them food and dry clothes. Badger learns from Rat and Mole that Toad has crashed six cars and has been hospitalized three times, and has had to spend a fortune on fines. They decide they should do something to protect Toad from himself, since they are, after all, his friends.

Some months later, Badger visits Mole and Rat to do something about Toad's self-destructive obsession. The three of them go to visit Toad, and Badger tries talking him out of his behaviour, to no avail. They decide to put Toad under house arrest, with themselves as the guards, until Toad changes his mind. Feigning illness, Toad manages to escape, and steals a car. He is caught and sent to prison on a twenty year sentence.

Rat visits his old friend Otter and finds out that Otter's son is missing. Rat and Mole set out to find Otter's son. They receive help from the god Pan who leads them to the location of the missing child. Pan removes their memories of this meeting "lest the awful remembrance should remain and grow, and overshadow mirth and pleasure". Pan (Greek , genitive ) is the Greek god of shepherds and flocks, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music: paein means to pasture. ...

In prison, Toad gains the sympathy of the jailor's daughter, who helps him to escape. This involves disguising Toad as a washerwoman. Having escaped, Toad is without any possessions and pursued by the police, but he shakes off his pursuers with the help of the driver of a steam train.

Still disguised as a washerwoman, Toad comes across a horse-drawn boat. After lying about being a capable washerwoman to the owner of the boat, who offers him a lift in exchange for his laundry services, he gets into a fight with her, steals her horse and sells it to a traveller. He stops a passing car, which happens to be one he stole earlier. However, the owners don't recognize him in disguise, and give him a lift. Toad asks if he can drive, which of course quickly leads to an accident. He flees and by chance arrives at Rat's house.

Toad hears from Rat that Toad Hall has been taken over by weasels, stoats and ferrets, despite attempts to protect and recover it by Mole and Badger. Although upset at the loss of his house, Toad realizes what good friends he has, and how badly he has behaved. Badger, Rat, Mole and Toad enter Toad Hall via a secret entrance and drive away the intruders.

Toad makes up for his earlier wrongdoings by seeking out those he wronged and compensating them. The four friends live out their lives happily ever after.

Characters

Main characters

• Mole - a mild mannered, home-loving animal, and the first character to which the reader is introduced. Originally overawed by the hustle and bustle of riverside life, he eventually adapts.
• Ratty (the European Water Vole) - relaxed and friendly, he loves the river and takes Mole under his wing.
• Mr. Toad - the wealthiest character and owner of Toad Hall. Although good-natured, Toad is impulsive, self-satisfied and conceited. He is prone to obsessions and crazes, such as punting, houseboating, and horse-drawn caravans, each of which in turn he becomes bored with and drops. Eventually he discovers motor-cars, and after a series of accidents is imprisoned for theft, dangerous driving and impertinence to the rural police. Several chapters of the book chronicle his escape, disguised as a washer-woman. His friends eventually reform him and win back Toad Hall, which has been usurped by the weasels, stoats and ferrets in his absence.
• Mr. Badger - A gruff but kindly and solitary figure who 'simply hates society'. He can be seen as a wise hermit, a good leader and gentleman, embodying common sense.He is a brave Badger and helps clear the weasels from Chode Hall.

For other uses, see Mole. ... Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) This article deals with the European Water Vole. ... Mr. ... Genera  Arctonyx  Melogale  Meles  Mellivora  Taxidea For other uses, see Badger (disambiguation). ...

Other Characters

• Otter - a friend of Ratty
• Portly - son of Otter
• The Magistrate
• The Court Clerk
• The Gaoler
• The Gaoler's Daughter - Helps Toad escape from prison
• The Engine Driver
• The Barge Woman
• The Gypsy
• The Chief Weasel - he and a band of weasels, stoats, and ferrets plot to take over Toad Hall
• The god Pan - makes a single and anomalous appearance in Chapter 7, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
• The Wayfarer; a vagabond water vole (water rat), who also makes a single appearance
• Inhabitants of the 'Wild Wood':
  • Weasels, stoats and foxes and so on: described by Ratty to Mole as: 'They're all right in a way - I'm very good friends with them - pass the time of day when we meet, and all that - but they break out sometimes, there's no denying it, and then - well, you can't really trust them, and that's the fact.'
  • The squirrels - in Ratty's opinion are all right.
  • The rabbits - Ratty thinks some of them are all right, but 'rabbits are a mixed lot' and they are portrayed in the book as being quite dim-witted.

This article is about the carnivorous mammals. ... Languages Romani, languages of native region Religions Christianity, Islam Related ethnic groups South Asians (Desi) The Roma (singular Rom; sometimes Rroma, Rrom) or Romanies are an ethnic group living in many communities all over the world. ... For other uses, see Weasel (disambiguation). ... Pan (Greek , genitive ) is the Greek god of shepherds and flocks, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music: paein means to pasture. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The stoat (Mustela erminea) is a small mammal of the family Mustelidae. ... This article is about the animal. ... This article is about the animal. ... For other uses, see Rabbit (disambiguation). ...

Illustrated and Comic editions

The book was originally published without illustrations. Over the years, many illustrated versions have appeared. The most popular are probably E. H. Shepard's, originally published in 1931. They are believed to be authorized, as Grahame was pleased with the initial sketches, but he did not live to see the completed work.^[1] Ratty and Mole messing about in boats in E.H. Shepards illustration to The Wind in the Willows Ernest Howard Shepard (December 10, 1879 – March 24, 1976) was an English artist and book illustrator. ...

The Folio Society edition published in 2006 features 85 illustrations, 35 in colour, by Charles van Sandwyk. The Luttrell Psalter (2006) Alices Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass (1962) The Wind in the Willows (2006) The Folio Society, founded in 1947, is based on the fringes of Bloomsbury, London. ... Charles van Sandwyk (Born in 1966) is a painter and author from Vancouver, Canada. ...

Michel Plessix created a Wind in the Willows comic book series, which helped to introduce the stories to France. They have been published into English by Cinebook Ltd. Cineworld Ltd is a British publishing company that publishes childrens comic books. ...

Film, TV, or theatrical adaptations

William Horwood created several sequels to The Wind in the Willows: William Horwood is an English novelist who has written sequels to The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and has also been responsible for the novels Skallagrigg, The Stonor Eagles, and the most famous of his works, the Duncton series of books, allegorical tales about a community of moles. ...

• The Willows in Winter
• Toad Triumphant
• The Willows and Beyond
• The Willows at Christmas

There have been a number of stage adaptations, including:

• Toad of Toad Hall by A. A. Milne, produced in 1929.
• Wind in the Willows a Tony-nominated Broadway musical starring Nathan Lane, 1985.
• The Wind in the Willows by Alan Bennett (who also appeared as Mole) in 1991.
• Mr. Toad's Mad Adventures by Vera Morris.
• Wind in the Willows (UK National Tour) by Ian Billings
• Paul Elsam's 1998 stage production of Alan Bennett's version, Yorkshire Coast College.

There are several film and television versions of The Wind in the Willows, notably including: Toad of Toad Hall is one of the play versions of The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. ... Alan Alexander Milne (IPA pronunciation: ) (January 18, 1882 – January 31, 1956), also known as A. A. Milne, was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various childrens poems. ... Published by Faber/Profile Books in 2005 Alan Bennett (born May 9, 1934) is an English author and actor noted for his work, his boyish appearance and his sonorous Yorkshire accent. ...

• a 1949 animated version by Walt Disney, one-half of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
• a 1983 animated film version with stop-motion puppets, The Wind in the Willows by Cosgrove Hall. The film was followed by an ongoing television series, The Wind in the Willows (1984-1990) done in the same style - possibly the most faithful adaptation. There were a host of famous names in the cast, including David Jason, Sir Michael Hordern, Peter Sallis and Ian Carmichael.
• a 1985 animated musical film version for television, produced by Rankin/Bass productions. This version was very faithful to the book and featured a number of original songs, including the title, "Wind in the Willows," performed by folk singer Judy Collins. Voice actors included Roddy McDowell as Ratty and Charles Nelson Reilly as Toad.
• a 1996 animated version with a cast led by Michael Palin and Alan Bennett as Ratty and Mole and Rik Mayall as Toad; followed by an adaptation of The Willows in Winter produced by the now defunct TVC (Television Cartoons) in London.
• a 1996 live-action version of The Wind in the Willows, written and directed by Terry Jones, also known in the U.S. as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
• a 2006 live-action television adaptation with Lee Ingleby as Mole, Mark Gatiss as Ratty, Matt Lucas as Toad, Bob Hoskins as Badger, and also featuring Imelda Staunton, Anna Maxwell Martin and Mary Walsh. This version debuted in Canada on CBC Television on December 18, 2006, in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on January 1, 2007, and in the U.S. on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre on April 8, 2007.

Kenneth Williams also did a version of the book for radio. For the company founded by Disney, see The Walt Disney Company. ... The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. ... The Wind in the Willows is a 1983 75 minute film by the studio Cosgrove Hall. ... Cosgrove Hall Films is an animation studio based in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester that is a major producer of childrens television programmes. ... The Wind in the Willows is a 52-episode TV series that aired between 1984 and 1990, based on characters from Kenneth Grahames classic story The Wind in the Willows and following the 1983 film The Wind in the Willows. ... Sir David John White, OBE known by his stage name David Jason (born 2 February 1940) is a highly regarded English actor, admired equally for his dramatic work as for his comedy roles. ... Sir Michael Hordern (October 3, 1911-May 2, 1995) was a British actor, knighted in 1983 for his services to the theatre. ... Sallis (right) along with Brian Wilde (centre) and Bill Owen in Last of the Summer Wine Peter Sallis (b. ... Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter Wimsey Ian Carmichael OBE (born 18 June 1920) is a British film, stage and television actor. ... Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. ... Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939 in Seattle, Washington) is an American folk and standards singer and songwriter, known for the stunning purity of her soprano; for her eclectic tastes in the material she records (which has included folk, showtunes, pop, and rock and roll); and for her social... Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (September 17, 1928–October 3, 1998) was a British actor. ... Charles Nelson Reilly (January 13, 1931–May 25, 2007) was an American actor, director and drama teacher known for his comedic roles in movies, childrens television, animated cartoons, and as a panelist on the game show Match Game. ... Michael Edward Palin, CBE (born 5 May 1943) is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries. ... Published by Faber/Profile Books in 2005 Alan Bennett (born May 9, 1934) is an English author and actor noted for his work, his boyish appearance and his sonorous Yorkshire accent. ... Richard Michael Rik Mayall (born 7 March 1958) is an English comedian and actor. ... The Wind in the Willows, released on video in the U.S. as Mr. ... Terence Graham Parry Jones (born in Colwyn Bay, Wales, on February 1, 1942) is a British comedian, screenwriter and actor, film director, childrens author, popular historian, political commentator and TV documentary host. ... Lee Ingleby (born January 28, 1976 in Burnley, England) is a British actor. ... Mark Gatiss (born October 17, 1966) is an English actor and writer. ... Matthew Richard Lucas (born March 5, 1974) is an English comedy actor. ... Robert William Bob Hoskins Jr. ... Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton OBE (born on January 9, 1956) is an Academy Award-nominated English actress. ... Anna Maxwell Martin is an English actress who has won acclaim for her performances as Lyra in His Dark Materials at the Royal National Theatre and as Esther Summerson in the BBC adaptation of Bleak House. ... Mary Walsh as Marg Princess Warrior alongside politician Stephen Harper. ... CBC Television is a Canadian English language television network. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC One (or BBC1 as it was formerly styled) is the oldest United Kingdom, and indeed, the world. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Public Broadcasting Services Limited (PBS) is Maltas public broadcasting company, responsible for the TVM television channel and the Radio Malta and Radju Parlament(106. ... Masterpiece Theatre is a long-running anthology television series produced by WGBH which premiered on PBS on January 10, 1971. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Jan Needle's Wild Wood was published in 1981 with illustrations by William Rushton (ISBN 0-233-97346-X). It is a re-telling of the story of The Wind in the Willows from the point of view of the working-class inhabitants of the Wild Wood. For them, money is short and employment hard to find. They have a very different perspective on the wealthy, easy, careless lifestyle of Toad and his friends. Some of the smallest incidents in the original story are given a new significance in this one - the narrator of Wild Wood loses his much-needed job as Toad's chauffeur when Badger, Mole and Rat decide to stop Toad's driving. The climax of the book comes when Toad goes to prison: the stoats and weasels take over Toad Hall and turn it into a socialist collective called Brotherhood Hall. This re-writing could be seen as a commentary on the dramatic changes to British society with the coming to power of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1979.^{[citation needed]} Jan Needle (Full name James Albert Needle) is an English author born in 1943. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and only woman to hold either post. ...

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• Mapledurham House in Berkshire is one role model for Toad Hall
• The first album by psychedelic rock group Pink Floyd, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967), was named after Chapter 7 of The Wind in the Willows. However, the songs on the album are not directly related to the contents of the book.
• The same chapter was the basis for the name of "Piper at the Gates of Dawn", a song by Irish singer-song writer Van Morrison from his 1997 album The Healing Game.
• Mr. Toad was voted #38 among the 100 Best Characters in Fiction Since 1900 by Book magazine in their March/April 2002 issue.
• The village of Lerryn, Cornwall lays claim to being the setting for the book^[2]
• Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is the name of a ride at Disneyland, inspired by Toad's motorcar adventure.
• "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" is the name of an instrumental piece by the American soul band Tower Of Power. The song appears on their 1991 album Monster on a Leash.
• There is a theory that the idea for the story arose when its author saw a water vole beside the River Pang in Berkshire, southern England. A 29 hectare extension to the nature reserve at Moor Copse, near Tidmarsh Berkshire, was acquired in January 2007 by the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust ^[3]
• An extract from "The Wind in the Willows" has been included in the 2006/2007 Journeys Stimulus Booklet studied by all school students in their final year of secondary schooling in New South Wales, Australia as part of the compulsory English (Standard) and English (Advanced) course.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Mapledurham House is a stately home in the English county of Oxfordshire. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. ... The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is Pink Floyds debut album and the only one made under Syd Barretts leadership, although he made some contributions to the follow-up, A Saucerful of Secrets. ... George Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) (born August 31, 1945) is a Grammy Award-winning Irish singer, songwriter, author, poet and multi-instrumentalist, who has been a professional musician since the late 1950s. ... The Healing Game is an album by Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1997. ... Lerryn is a village in Caradon Cornwall, an older spelling was lerrin. ... For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ... Mr. ... For the episode of the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon TV series, see Tower of Power (TMNT 1987 episode). ... The River Pang in Pangbourne The River Pang is a small clear chalk river in the west of the English county of Berkshire, and a tributary of the River Thames. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Tidmarsh is a village in Berkshire, near to Pangbourne, Theale and Tilehurst. ... The Journeys Stimulus Booklet is studied in through the compulsory HSC English Course in New South Wales, Australia. ... NSW redirects here. ... English is a compulsory subject for the award of the Higher School Certificate at the end of secondary schooling in New South Wales, Australia. ...

See also

• River Thames
• Kenneth Grahame

This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ... Kenneth Grahame Kenneth Grahame (March 8, 1859 – July 6, 1932) was a Scottish novelist. ...

References

1. ^ This information was obtained from the E.H. Shepard illustrated edition, published by Charles Scribner's Sons in the USA. Please see the introduction of that edition for full details on how the illustrations were created.
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ ( Natural World, Spring 2007): "Ratty's Paradise joins eight new reserves" p10.

Charles Scribners Sons is a publisher that was founded in 1846 at the Brick Church Chapel on New Yorks Park Row. ...

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The Wind in the Willows

Sources Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ...

• The Wind in the Willows, available from Internet Archive, illustrated by Paul Bransom (1913).
• The Wind in the Willows, available at Project Gutenberg., plain text.
• Librivox audio recordings can be found here, here and here.

Other Internet Archive headquarters is in the Presidio, a former US military base in San Francisco. ... Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive and distribute cultural works. ... Librivox is a digital library of free public domain audio books, read by volunteers. ...

• The Wind in the Willows at the River and Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames