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The Wind in the Willows is one of the most famous pieces of classic children’s literature. It was written by British novelist Kenneth Grahame in 1908. It focuses on the life of Mole, Rat, Toad, and Badger, who act like humans but occasionally behave like animals.
See the fact file below for more information on The Wind in the Willows or alternatively, you can download our 24-page The Wind in the Willows worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
THE LIFE OF KENNETH GRAHAME
- Kenneth Grahame was born on March 8, 1859, in Edinburgh, Scotland. His parents died when he was very young, and he lived with his grandmother in England.
- He was educated at St. Edward’s School in Oxford but was not able to attend university due to financial difficulties
- However, his family helped him start his career at the Bank of England. He was its secretary when he retired in 1908.
- He married Elspeth Thomson, the daughter of Robert William Thomson, in 1899, and they had one child.
- Grahame was already publishing light stories for London periodicals in his twenties. In 1895, he published The Golden Age, and in 1898, he published The Dream Days.
- Ten years later, he published his most successful book, The Wind in the Willows. He never attempted to write a sequel despite the demands. It remains his most famous book, and it was widely enjoyed by children and adults alike.
THE CHARACTERS
- Mole – an underground animal by nature who was having new experiences beyond his burrow. He had the most profound growth in the book. He was fiercely loyal, sensible, and good-hearted. His relationship with Rat started as a mentor-mentee and flourished into a deep friendship, and they treated each other equally.
- Rat – served as a plot device for Mole to grow up and have more adventures in life, although he had brief doubt about how he lived his life himself toward the end of the book. He was accommodating, friendly, and had a solid sense of responsibility. He took Mole under his wing and was responsible for him ever since.
- Toad – was the youngest and the most immature and reckless among the characters in the book. Toad was the opposite of Mole, as he refused to learn from his mistakes. He was rich and proud, but despite this, the other animals always worry about him and help him in his troubles.
- Badger – was the wisest and oldest among the group of animals. He was described as very shy but hospitable and caring for his friends. He was the most persistent in helping Toad.
- Otter – despite being part of the main group of friends, he only appears in a few chapters to give his opinion here and there.
- Sea Rat – served as the eye-opener for Rat about what was beyond the Wild Wood. He made him doubt his own life but later realized that he could be happy even without having adventures like Sea Rat has.
- Portly – was Otter’s son who went missing. Otter sent Mole and Rat to find him, leading them to Pan.
- Pan – was a demigod of music and nature, based on Greek mythology, who took care of Portly and summoned Rat and Mole through music.
- The jailer’s daughter – helped Toad escaped from prison by having him pretend to be her aunt, a washerwoman.
- The jail’s washerwoman – was an old woman who agreed to be impersonated by Toad for him to escape from jail.
THE PLOT
- The novel started during the springtime, as Mole decided to wander outside his burrow home after a grueling spring-cleaning.
- He was mesmerized by the beauty of the river when he was interrupted by a water rat. The latter told him about his fascination with boats and the river. He asked Mole to accompany him to ride in it, as the latter had never ridden one before. He stated that they could have a picnic.
- Otter joined them and talked about Toad and his fast-changing interests in different kinds of boats. Badger appeared behind the hedge but retreated when he saw Mole.
- On their way home, the boat they were using turned over in the river because Mole insisted on rowing it without Rat’s permission. Rat saved Mole from drowning. He also promised that he would teach Mole how to paddle and swim.
- Mole asked Rat to take him to Toad’s house. Toad, who quickly gets tired of his hobbies, persuaded the two animals to travel with him in a caravan.
- While traveling, a motor car violently passed them and wrecked their cart irreparably. The next day, they found out that Toad ordered a large and expensive motor car.
- Mole asked Rat to meet the Badger. However, Badger was very timid and did not appreciate visits. He decided to go by himself in the Wild Wood and take a chance to meet Badger but got frightened in the middle of the Wild Wood. After a few days, Mole saw a painted door with the word “Mr. Badger”.
- Rat, Mole, and Badger set out to Toad’s Hall to sort out Toad’s trouble. They alternately watch over Toad, preventing him from buying a motor car.
- While on Rat’s watch, his charge managed to bring Rat out of the house, leaving Toad free. Later, Toad got imprisoned after he stole a motor car and recklessly drove it.
- When Otter’s son, Portly, went missing, Mole suggested that they find the kid themselves. While traversing the river, they heard some music and saw Pan, a nature god, hovering over the baby otter and protecting it.
- The two worshiped the god until he disappeared. They took the young Otter home. Mole and Rat felt that something life-changing happened to them, but the god erased their memories.
- The jailer’s daughter helped Toad escape jail by pretending to be the girl’s washerwoman aunt.
- The engine driver allowed him to ride with him, but Toad left his money in his cell, so the driver forced him to jump out of the train later.
- At the end of the summer, Rat met an older sea rat and was fascinated with his stories and sea adventures.
- The sailor-rat offered for Rat to come with him. He started packing and crying when he got home. Mole found him this way and consoled him.
- Mole gave him a piece of paper to do his favorite hobby, write a poem. Rat refused it at first, but after a while, Mole saw him scribbling dreamily.
- Toad made some mischief in his attempt to go back home. Still dressed as a washerwoman, he cut the horse from the barge and rode it down the road. He tricked a peddler into trading his horse in exchange for food.
- He crashed the same motor car he had stolen when the driver took pity on him and let him drive it. He ran away when he saw police officers and fell into the river, but Rat saved him.
- Toad wanted to return to Toad’s Hall immediately but found out that the weasels and stoats had occupied it.
- Toad also wanted to brag about his adventure, but Badger chastised him for being proud of all his shameful actions.
- They planned to break into Toad’s Hall during a birthday party using a secret passageway Toad’s father had told Badger about.
- The next day, Mole came back to warn the Wild Wood guard outside of Toad’s Hall that many animals were going to defend Toad’s honor during the chief’s party.
- Rat, Otter, and Badger were impressed by Mole’s ingenuity, but Toad was jealous of the attention Mole got.
- Toad’s group had successfully retaken Toad’s Hall. Badger insisted that Toad celebrate his return by throwing a party.
- Toad sees this as a perfect opportunity to brag about his adventures.
- The other animals intervened and forced Toad to abandon his plan, and he got angry and humiliated.
- In his room, he recited his stories over and over and went back to the party, acting more respectable. They were surprised by his gentlemanly behavior.
THEMES PRESENT IN THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
- FRIENDSHIP
- The friendship between Mole and Rat had developed from mentor-mentee to someone equal partners. At the start, it looks like Rat was guiding Mole into new experiences in life and being a role model to the younger animal. Eventually, as Mole gains experience and meets new animals, he was ready to give back. Mole consoled Rat when he was having a breakdown and initiated a plan without consulting his friends that turned out to be a brilliant idea. Mole had grown up as Rat hoped he would.
- It is also because of friendship that Badger, Mole, and Rat worry about Toad. They want Toad to be a better person, and they go out of their way to help him. They were successful in the end.
- HOME
- The concept of home varied for each character. Rat considered the riverbank his home, because he loved it the most, while Mole gave it up once he found the riverbank to be less pleasant than it was for Rat. However, we found out that he missed it one December when he visited it.
- Badger and Toad were both proud of their homes, although they differ in size and social status. Toad always longed for Toad’s Hall, whether in prison, in the woods, or with his friends. Badger almost doesn’t want to leave his home. He only does so when there is an absolute necessity, like helping his friends.
- VANITY
- Vanity played a big part in Toad’s mischiefs. He was willing to forgo any ethical and moral values to feed his vanity. He shunned consequences when he stole the car, uncaring about who he hurt or where he crashed it. He also loved to talk about himself.
- He allowed having a party in his house not to celebrate with his friends but to have an opportunity to brag about his adventures, no matter how immoral his actions were. Thankfully, he managed to do things differently at the end of the book.
- In this book, vanity proved to be a dangerous thing. It can turn one’s life upside down. However, in the book, the author made sure Toad lived happily ever after once he toned down his vanity.
- GETTING OLD
- The book had young characters that were meant to be mentored and older characters meant to supply wisdom. However, in one chapter, Rat, one of the older and supposedly wiser characters, found himself questioning his life.
- Seeing the other mice deal with their preparation for the end of the summer and the sparrows leaving made Rat wonder why things needed to be that way. After meeting the sea rat and being enthralled with his sea adventures, Rat suddenly found his life bland compared to the seafarer’s, which made him break down. Luckily, Rat had Mole to help him realize the things he had right then and how to focus on that.
- Book critics attributed this to the midlife crisis people have once they reach a certain age. Grahame showed how people can navigate this phase in life. For Rat, it was having Mole and the things he had always been happy to do.
The Wind in the Willows Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about The Wind in the Willows across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use The Wind in the Willows worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about The Wind in the Willows which is one of the most famous pieces of classic children’s literature. It was written by British novelist Kenneth Grahame in 1908. It focuses on the life of Mole, Rat, Toad, and Badger, who act like humans but occasionally behave like animals.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- The Wind in the Willows Facts
- Grahame’s Biography
- Mole and Toad
- Who Said It?
- A Fable for All Ages
- Unforgettable Events
- The Book Inquiry
- The Adventures of Mr. Toad
- Symbols Along the Wind
- Our Little Group
- My Home
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