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A short summary of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of The Wind in the Willows.
The Wind in the Willows Summary. Next. Chapter One. Literary devices: Genre. Mood. Setting. Style. Tone. View all. Mole has been spring-cleaning his small underground home all morning. Suddenly, seemingly for no reason, Mole throws down his broom and whitewash and scrabbles his way to the surface.
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The Wind in the Willows, book of linked animal tales by British writer Kenneth Grahame that began as a series of bedtime stories for his son and was published in 1908. The beautifully written work, with its evocative descriptions of the countryside interspersed with exciting adventures, became a classic of English children’s literature.
The tales relate the adventures of several animal friends and neighbours in the English countryside—primarily Mole, Rat, Toad, and Badger. Although the animals converse, philosophize, and behave like humans, each creature also retains its distinctive animal habits. The story begins when Mole decides to go to the riverbank one morning rather than do his spring cleaning. There he comes across his friend Rat, a water rat, and they spend the spring and summer together. One day they visit the irrepressible, generous, and boastful Mr. Toad, owner of Toad Hall, who possesses large amounts of money but not much brain. Toad is given to fads, and Mole and Rat join him in an excursion in his present enthusiasm, a horse-drawn caravan (a cart with beds and cooking equipment), until a speeding automobile frightens the horse and wrecks the caravan. Toad is mesmerized by the car. Mole and Rat later go to the Wild Wood to visit the kindly and responsible Badger, to whom they report that Toad has bought and smashed several automobiles.
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The three friends attempt an intervention, to prevent Toad from buying and wrecking more motorcars. Despite their efforts to contain him, Toad escapes, and, when he encounters an unattended car, he steals it. Inevitably, he is caught and sent to prison. However, the jailer’s daughter takes pity on him and helps him escape. After many further adventures, Toad is at last rescued by Rat. He learns that in his absence, Toad Hall has been taken over by weasels and stoats, but Badger knows that Toad Hall has a secret tunnel entrance, and the interlopers are evicted in a climactic battle, followed by a celebratory banquet.
Shortly after retiring as secretary of the Bank of England, Grahame published The Wind in the Willows. Although initially met with mixed reviews, the book quickly became popular. Its fans included U.S. Pres. Theodore Roosevelt and English writer A.A. Milne, the latter of whom extracted Toad’s adventures for the play Toad of Toad Hall (1929), the fi...
The Wind in the Willows is a classic children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It details the story of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad , after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets into trouble.
- Kenneth Grahame
- Children's novel
- 1908
- 8 October 1908
The Wind in the Willows study guide contains a biography of Kenneth Grahame, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes.
First published in 1908, The Wind in the Willows by Scottish writer Kenneth Grahame is a story for young readers that recounts the adventures of three animals: Mole, Rat, and Badger. In the woodlands where they live, the trio must deal with various problems—which include frequently rescuing their friend Mr. Toad , who loves thrills and often ...
