The Wind in the Willows

I knew lessabout this story than any other I have done. I saw the movie a very long time ago, and what I remembered was this: a crazy toad went to jail because of a car, and I didn't like the movie. That was all I knew of Kenneth Grahame's timeless tale, and fortunately, my feelings towards the movie did not carry over to the book.

     A Brief Synopsis

The story focuses around four characters and their life beside an English river. One day the Mole, tired with his underground life, decides to explore the world above. Here he meets the Water Rat, and they become such great friends that the Rat invited the Mole to live with him. Eventually we are introduced to Toad, an eccentric wealthy animal obsessed with motorcars and the Badger, a quiet, gruff, wise old animal who lives a solitary life in the Wild Wood.

While other adventures pop up in the book, the main story is that of Toad. The Badger comes to the home of the Rat and the Mole and informs them that they must do something about Toad. He has wrecked his sixth motorcar and has had trouble with the police, not to metion time in the hospital. The freinds go to Toad Hall and stage an intervention, confining Toad to bed until he sees the errors of his lifestyle. With a bit of cunning, Toad manages to escape and, overcome by desire, "borrows" a motorcar from a pub and takes it for a joyride. This gets him arrested, and we do not hear from him for several weeks.

It seems that, during his stay, the jailer's daughter (a human) becomes fond of him and devises a plan for escape. Toad dresses up as a washerwoman and, after a great deal of troublesome adventures, makes his way to the Rat's home. It is there he learns that his beloved Toad Hall has been taken by the weasels, who shoot at anyone they see approaching. Fortunately, the Badger has a plan. Toad's father once told the Badger of a secret tunnel beneath Toad Hall. Their plan is that, while the weasels are celebrating the birthday of the Cheif Weasel, the four of them will sneak in and retake the Halll.

The plan works marvelously, and soon the four friends are settling down to supper. Toad, it seems, is finally on the road to recovery. While he still bursts out in selfish, egotistical rants, he is able to catch himself, recognize his error, apologize, and conduct himself in an orderly manner. The friends are greatly relieved, and this is where our story ends.

     My Thoughts

Unfortunatley, I was unable to include all the lovely tales of the Rat and the Mole and their lovely life by the rive

r. There is simply too much to tell and not enough time to tell it. However, I will tell you more about these lovely animals. Grahame's four characters are brilliantly created. Each animal has a specific, distinct, and unique personnality, and each character grows throughout the novel. The Mole is the epitome of curiousity, naivitey, and good intentions. He is absolutely taken in by the new sights and sounds of this new world above, and wants to explore it all. The Rat is my favourite character. He is the kindest, most selfless, good-natured creature you could ever meet. He is always putting the needs of others before himself, and is very supportive in a way that is not patronizing. The Badger, as I said, is the noble, wise, slightly frightening patriarch of the area. Everyone knows that he is not one for society and all that goes with it. But even he will grow by the end of the tale. Finally, Toad is the archetype selfish thrill-seeker. He does what

he wants when he wants it and will be stopped by no one.

Each of these characters transform by the end of the book, and for that I am in awe of Grahame. The Mole becomes wiser, the Badger becomes more open, and Toad becomes humble. These are remarkable character arcs, and they're what makes this book a masterpiece.

You may have noticed that I've been referring to the animals as "the" Rat and "the" Mole, all except for Toad. This is how the book was written, and I find it to be an interesting way of setting apart Toad as a creature more related to man than to the animals. One thing I didn't quite love about Grahame's style was the amount of description. There was a great deal of it, and although it was a beautiful setting, I feel like there was a tad too much. This comes from a reader that doesn't generally enjoy much description, so I'm sure the opinion would change from reader to reader. I did love the setting though. I loved the Rat's absolute adoration for his river. It reminded me of Mary's love for her garden.

This was a lovely book. The peaceful yet interesting aura of the river life was very calming. I felt really content while reading this story. I did find it a bit too descriptive, but that is no reason to enjoy the charming world of the Rat, the Mole, the Badger, and the wild Mr. Toad.