The Wind in the Willows facts for kids

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The Wind in the Willows
Cover of the first edition
Author	Kenneth Grahame
Original title	Willows whistle
Illustrator	Ernest H. Shepard (1931) Arthur Rackham (1940)
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre	Children's novel
Publisher	Methuen
Publication date	15 June 1908
Text	The Wind in the Willows at Wikisource

The Wind in the Willows is a famous children's book written by Scottish author Kenneth Grahame. It was first published in 1908. The story is about four animal friends who act like people: Mole, Rat (a European water vole), Toad, and Badger. They live in a beautiful countryside setting in Edwardian England.

The book is special because it mixes together exciting adventures, deep thoughts about life, and strong friendships. It also beautifully describes the nature around the Thames Valley river.

In 1908, Kenneth Grahame stopped working as a secretary at the Bank of England. He moved back to Berkshire, where he had lived as a child. He spent his time by the River Thames, just like the characters in his book. He enjoyed "simply messing about in boats." He took the bedtime stories he used to tell his son, Alastair, and turned them into this wonderful book.

The book became very popular. By 1929, it was in its 31st printing when playwright A. A. Milne (who wrote Winnie-the-Pooh) turned part of it into a play called Toad of Toad Hall. Later, in 1949, Disney made the first movie version, which was part of a larger film called The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.

In 2003, The Wind in the Willows was voted number 16 in the BBC's "The Big Read" survey, which asked people about their favorite books. More than 100 years after it was first published, the story was made into a new musical in 2016 by Julian Fellowes.

About the Author

Kenneth Grahame was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on March 8, 1859. When he was five, his mother passed away. His father then sent Kenneth and his three siblings to live with their grandmother in Cookham Dean, Berkshire.

They lived in a large, old house called The Mount, which had big grounds near the River Thames. Their uncle, David Ingles, who was a church leader, taught them about the river and boating.

Later, the children moved to Fern Hill Cottage in Cranbourne, Berkshire. In 1868, Kenneth went to St Edward's School, Oxford. During his school years, he could explore the old city of Oxford, with its interesting shops, historic buildings, and the peaceful parts of the River Thames nearby.

Grahame married Elspeth Thomson in 1899. The next year, they had their only child, a boy named Alastair. Alastair was born early and had some health challenges throughout his life. When Alastair was about four, Grahame would tell him bedtime stories. Some of these stories were about a toad.

When Grahame went on boating holidays without his family, he would write more stories about Toad, Mole, Ratty, and Badger in letters to Alastair. In 1908, Grahame retired from his job at the Bank of England. He moved with his family to an old farmhouse in Blewbury. There, he used the bedtime stories he had told Alastair to write The Wind in the Willows.

Story Summary

Mole Meets Rat

As spring arrives and the weather turns warm, the kind-hearted Mole gets tired of cleaning his underground home. He leaves his house and comes out into the fresh air. He finds himself at a river, which he has never seen before.

Here, he meets Rat, who is a water vole. Rat loves spending his days in, on, or near the river. Rat invites Mole for a ride in his rowing boat. They quickly become good friends and spend many days boating together. Ratty teaches Mole all about life on the river, and the two friends decide to live together in Ratty's riverside home.

Toad's New Obsession

One summer day, Rat and Mole visit the grand Toad Hall and its owner, Toad. Toad is rich, cheerful, and friendly, but he can also be a bit silly and proud. He often gets obsessed with new hobbies, only to drop them quickly.

Toad has recently given up boating. His newest craze is his horse-drawn caravan. He convinces a hesitant Rat and an eager Mole to join him on a trip. Toad soon gets bored with camping life and sleeps in the next day to avoid chores. Later that day, a passing car scares the horse, and the caravan tips over into a ditch. Rat is angry at the car driver, while Mole calms the horse. But Toad's love for caravans is instantly replaced by a new obsession: motorcars!

The Wild Wood and Badger

Mole wants to meet the respected but hard-to-find Badger, who lives deep in the Wild Wood. Rat knows that Badger doesn't like visitors and tells Mole to be patient. He says Badger will visit them when he's ready.

However, on a snowy winter's day, while Rat is napping, Mole decides to explore the Wild Wood by himself. He hopes to meet Badger. Mole gets lost in the woods and sees many "evil faces" among the less friendly animals there. He becomes scared and hides, trying to stay warm among the roots of a tree.

Rat wakes up and finds Mole gone. He guesses where Mole went and takes two pistols and a strong stick. Rat goes to find Mole, discovering him as snow begins to fall heavily. While trying to find their way home, Rat and Mole accidentally stumble upon Badger's home. Mole bumps his leg on Badger's doorstep. Badger, who was getting ready for bed, warmly welcomes Rat and Mole into his big, cozy underground home. He gives them hot food, dry clothes, and comforting words, saying, "It takes all sorts to make a world."

Toad's Troubles with Cars

Badger learns from his friends that Toad has crashed seven cars. He has been in the hospital three times and spent a lot of money on fines. Even though it's winter and they can't do anything right away, they decide to make a plan to protect Toad from himself. They are his friends and care about him.

When spring arrives, Badger visits Mole and Rat to deal with Toad's dangerous obsession. The three friends go to Toad Hall, and Badger tries to talk sense into Toad, but it doesn't work. They put Toad under house arrest, guarding him themselves, until he changes his mind.

Toad pretends to be sick and tricks the Water Rat, who is on guard duty. Toad escapes! Badger and Mole are annoyed with Rat for being so easily fooled. But they are also relieved that they no longer have to spend their summer guarding Toad. Badger and Mole continue to live at Toad Hall, hoping Toad will return.

Meanwhile, Toad orders lunch at an inn. He then sees a motorcar pull into the courtyard. He takes the car and drives it wildly. The police catch him, and he is sent to prison for 20 years.

Toad Escapes from Prison

In prison, Toad gains the sympathy of the jailer's daughter. She helps him escape by disguising him as a washerwoman. Toad is free again, but he has no money or belongings, only the clothes he is wearing. He manages to get on a train engine with a kind driver. A special train full of policemen, detectives, and prison guards chases them.

Toad jumps from the train. Still dressed as a washerwoman, he finds a horse-drawn barge. The woman who owns the barge offers him a ride if he will work as a washerwoman. After doing a terrible job washing clothes, Toad gets into a fight with the barge-woman. She throws him into the canal. To get revenge, Toad steals the barge horse and sells it to a gypsy.

Toad then stops a passing car. It turns out to be the very car he stole earlier! The car owners don't recognize Toad in his disguise and let him drive. Once behind the wheel, he becomes wild again and drives very fast. He tells the passengers who he really is, and they try to stop him. This causes the car to land in a pond, and Toad runs away again. The police chase him, and he accidentally falls into a river. The river carries him by chance right to Rat's house.

Taking Back Toad Hall

Toad learns from Rat that weasels and stoats from the Wild Wood have taken over Toad Hall. They have forced Mole and Badger out. Even though he is sad about losing his house, Toad realizes what good friends he has and how badly he has behaved.

Badger then arrives and announces that he knows a secret tunnel into Toad Hall. Through this tunnel, they can attack the enemies. Armed and ready, Badger, Rat, Mole, and Toad enter through the tunnel. They surprise the Wild-Wooders, who are having a party. After chasing away the intruders, Toad holds a big feast to celebrate his return. For a change, he acts quietly and humbly. He makes up for his past mistakes by finding and paying back those he wronged. The four friends then live happily ever after.

Main Characters

Mole: His friends call him "Moly." Mole is a kind, humble, loyal, and polite animal who loves his home. He is the first character we meet. At the start, he is tired of cleaning his house and goes out to explore. He is a bit overwhelmed by the busy riverbank at first, but he soon gets used to it. He is also clever, as shown when he tricks the Wild Wooders before they attack Toad Hall.
Rat: His friends call him "Ratty," though he is actually a water vole. Rat is cultured, relaxed, and friendly. He enjoys a peaceful life by the river. When he's not on the river, he writes simple poems. Ratty loves the river and guides Mole. He can be stubborn about doing things outside his river life, but he will do what's needed. This is shown when he risks his safety to help Mole in the Wild Wood and to free Toad Hall from the weasels.
Mr. Toad: His friends call him "Toady." Toad is a rich heir who inherited his wealth from his father. He is good-hearted and hopeful, but also proud, self-centered, and acts on impulse. He often gets obsessed with new fads, like punting, houseboats, and horse-drawn caravans. He quickly gets bored with each of these. His final obsession is motorcars. His love for cars becomes almost an addiction. It leads him to the hospital several times, causes him to pay many fines for reckless driving, and eventually lands him in prison for theft, dangerous driving, and rudeness to the police. Two chapters in the book tell the exciting story of his escape from prison and his adventures before he meets up with Rat again.
Mr. Badger: Badger is a bit gruff but very kind. He is like a wise, quiet old friend. He was a friend of Toad's father. He is very strict with the irresponsible Toad, but he hopes that Toad's good qualities will win out. He lives in a huge underground home called a sett. Part of his home includes the remains of an old Roman settlement. Badger is brave and a skilled fighter. He helps clear the Wild-Wooders from Toad Hall using his large stick.

Supporting Characters

Otter and Portly: Otter is a friend of Ratty. He is tough and can take care of himself. Portly is his young son.
The weasels, ferrets, and stoats: These are the main bad guys in the story. They plan to take over Toad Hall. Their leader is called "Chief Weasel."
Pan: A kind and wise god of the wild. He appears only once in Chapter 7, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn." He helps Portly and looks after him until Ratty and Mole arrive.
The Gaoler's Daughter: The only important human character. She is a "good, kind, clever girl" who helps Toad escape from prison.
The Wayfarer: A traveling rat who lives by the sea. He also appears only once. Ratty briefly thinks about joining him on his travels, but Mole convinces him not to.
Squirrels and rabbits: These animals are generally good, though rabbits are described as "a mixed lot."
Inhabitants of the Wild Wood: These include weasels, stoats, and foxes. Ratty describes them as: "All-right in a way but well, you can't really trust them."

Book Editions

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, a picture from a 1913 edition by Paul Bransom

The first version of the book had plain text with a picture at the beginning by Graham Robertson. But many versions with illustrations, comics, and notes have been published over the years. Some famous artists who have illustrated the book include Paul Bransom (1913), Ernest H. Shepard (1931), and Arthur Rackham (1940).

The most well-known illustrations are probably by E. H. Shepard. They were first published in 1931. Kenneth Grahame liked Shepard's first drawings, but he passed away before seeing the finished work.
The Wind in the Willows was the last book illustrated by Arthur Rackham. A special edition with his 16 color pictures was released in the US in 1940. It wasn't published with Rackham's illustrations in the UK until 1950.
In 2006, The Folio Society published an edition with 85 illustrations by Charles van Sandwyk, 35 of them in color. A fancier version came out two years later to celebrate the book's 100th birthday.
Michel Plessix created a Wind in the Willows watercolor comic album series. These comics helped introduce the stories to France and have been translated into English.
Inga Moore's edition is a shorter version of the story with her own illustrations. Each picture has a line from the text as its caption.

Adaptations

The story of The Wind in the Willows has been adapted into many different forms, including plays, movies, and TV shows.

Stage Plays and Musicals

Toad of Toad Hall by A. A. Milne, first performed in 1929.
Wind in the Willows, a Broadway musical from 1985.
The Wind in the Willows by Alan Bennett in 1991.
The Wind in the Willows, a musical by George Stiles, Anthony Drewe, and Julian Fellowes. It opened in 2016 and played in London's West End.

Movies

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, a 1949 animated film by Walt Disney Productions.
The Wind in the Willows, a 1996 live-action film written and directed by Terry Jones. It starred Steve Coogan as Mole, Eric Idle as Rat, and Terry Jones as Mr. Toad.

Television Shows

Toad of Toad Hall, the first live-action TV film of the novel, made by BBC Television in 1946.
The Wind in the Willows, a 1969 TV series that used still pictures by artist John Worsley.
The Wind in the Willows, a 1983 animated TV film using stop-motion puppets, made by Cosgrove Hall Films.
The Wind in the Willows, a TV series from 1984–1990 that followed the 1983 film. It used the same sets and characters for new stories and some parts of the book.
The Wind in the Willows, a 1995 animated TV film narrated by Vanessa Redgrave. It featured Michael Palin as Ratty, Alan Bennett as Mole, Rik Mayall as Toad, and Michael Gambon as Badger.
The Wind in the Willows, another live-action TV film in 2006. It starred Lee Ingleby as Mole, Mark Gatiss as Ratty, Matt Lucas as Toad, and Bob Hoskins as Badger.

Radio Shows

The BBC has broadcast many radio versions of the story. These include:

An eight-episode series in 1955 on BBC Home Service.
A 90-minute play called Toad of Toad Hall in 1973 on BBC Radio 4.
A six-episode series in 1994 on BBC Radio 5.
A two-hour play adapted by Alan Bennett in 1994 on BBC Radio 4.

There have also been shorter readings of the book on radio by famous voices like Alan Bennett and Bernard Cribbins.

Sequels and Other Versions

Many authors have written their own sequels or different versions of The Wind in the Willows:

In 1983, Dixon Scott published A Fresh Wind in the Willows.
William Horwood wrote several sequels: The Willows in Winter, Toad Triumphant, The Willows and Beyond, and The Willows at Christmas (1999).
Jacqueline Kelly's sequel Return to the Willows was published in 2012.
Jan Needle's Wild Wood (1981) tells the story from the point of view of the working-class animals in the Wild Wood. It shows how they see the rich and carefree lives of Toad and his friends differently.
Kij Johnson published The River Bank in 2017, which explores the story with a focus on gender roles.

Images for kids

Cover of the first edition
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, frontispiece to a 1913 edition by Paul Bransom