''The Wind in the Willows'' is a 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
Mr. Toad, of Toad Hall, is one of the main characters in the 1908 novel ''The Wind in the Willows'' by Kenneth Grahame, and also the title character of the 1929 A. A. Milne play ''Toad of Toad Hall'' based on the book.
Inspiration
The inspiration ...
, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets into trouble. It also details short stories about them that are disconnected from the main narrative. The novel was based on bedtime stories Grahame told his son Alastair. It has been adapted numerous times for both stage and screen.
''The Wind in the Willows'' received negative reviews upon its initial release, but has since become a classic of
British literature. It was listed at No. 16 in the
BBC's survey
The Big Read, and has been adapted multiple times in different mediums.
Background
Kenneth Grahame married Elspeth Thomson, the daughter of
Robert William Thomson in 1899, when he was 40. The next year they had their only child, a boy named Alastair (nicknamed "Mouse"). He was born premature, blind in one eye, and was plagued by health problems throughout his life. When Alastair was about four years old, Grahame would tell him bedtime stories, some of which were about a toad, and on his frequent boating holidays without his family he would write further tales of Toad, Mole, Ratty and Badger in letters to Alastair.
In 1908, Grahame took early retirement from his position as secretary of the
Bank of England. He moved with his wife and son to an old farmhouse in
Blewbury,
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Be ...
. There, he used the bedtime stories he had told Alastair as a basis for the manuscript of ''The Wind in the Willows''.
Plot summary
With the arrival of spring and fine weather outside, the good-natured Mole loses patience with spring cleaning. He has fled his underground home and ends up at the river, which he has never seen before. Here he meets Rat, a
water vole, who takes Mole for a ride in his rowing boat. They get along well and spend many more days boating, with “Ratty” teaching Mole the ways of the river, with the two friends living together in Ratty's riverside home.
One summer day, Rat and Mole disembark near the grand
Toad Hall and pay a visit to Toad. Toad is rich, jovial, friendly and kindhearted, but arrogant and rash; he regularly becomes obsessed with current fads, only to abandon them abruptly. His current craze is his horse-drawn
caravan. When a passing
car scares his horse and causes the caravan to overturn into a ditch, Toad's craze for caravan travel is immediately replaced by an obsession with motorcars.
On a snowy winter's day, Mole goes to the Wild Wood, hoping to meet the elusive but virtuous and wise Badger. He gets lost in the woods, succumbs to fright, and hides among the sheltering roots of a tree. Rat finds him as snow begins to fall in earnest. Attempting to find their way home, Mole barks his shin on the boot scraper on Badger's
doorscraper. Badger welcomes Rat and Mole to his large and cozy underground home, providing them with hot food, dry clothes, and reassuring conversation. Badger learns from his visitors that Toad has crashed seven cars, has been in the hospital three times, and has spent a fortune on fines. They resolve that when the time is right they will make a plan to protect Toad from himself.
With the arrival of spring, the three of them put Toad under
house arrest
In justice and law, house arrest (also called home confinement, home detention, or, in modern times, electronic monitoring) is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to their residence. Travel is usually restricted, if ...
with themselves as the guards, but Toad pretends to be sick and tricks Ratty to leave so he can escape. Badger and Mole continue to live in Toad Hall in the hope that Toad may return. Toad orders lunch at The Red Lion Inn, and then sees a motorcar pull into the courtyard. Taking the car, he drives it recklessly, is caught by the police, and sent to prison for 20 years.
In prison, Toad gains the sympathy of the gaoler's daughter, who helps him to escape disguised as a washerwoman. After a long series of misadventures, he returns to the hole of the Water Rat. Rat hauls Toad inside and informs him that Toad Hall has been taken over by
weasel
Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender ...
s,
stoat
The stoat (''Mustela erminea''), also known as the Eurasian ermine, Beringian ermine and ermine, is a mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern portions of North America. Because of its wide circumpolar distribution, it is listed as Least C ...
s, and
ferrets from the Wild Wood, who have driven out Mole and Badger. Armed to the teeth, Badger, Rat, Mole and Toad enter through the tunnel and pounce upon the unsuspecting Wild-Wooders who are holding a celebratory party. Having driven away the intruders, Toad holds a banquet to mark his return, during which he behaves both quietly and humbly. He makes up for his earlier excesses by seeking out and compensating those he has wronged, and the four friends live happily ever after.
In addition to the main narrative, the book contains several independent short stories featuring Rat and Mole such as an encounter with the wild god
Pan while searching for Otter's son Portly, and Ratty's meeting with a Sea Rat. These appear for the most part between the chapters chronicling Toad's adventures, and are often omitted from abridgements and dramatisations.
Main characters
*Mole: known as "Moley" to his friends. An independent, timid, genial, thoughtful, home-loving animal, and the first character introduced in the story. Discontent with spring cleaning in his secluded home, he ventures into the outside world. Initially intimidated by the hectic lifestyle of the riverbank, he eventually adapts with the support of his new friend Rat. He has a spontaneous intelligence moment with his
trickery against the Wild Wooders before the battle to retake Toad Hall.
*Rat: known as "Ratty" to his friends (though actually a
water vole), he is astute, charming and affable. He enjoys a life of leisure; when not spending time on the river, he composes
doggerel. Ratty loves the river and befriends Mole. He can be very unsettled about subjects and endeavours outside his preferred routine, but is persistently loyal and does the right thing when needed, such as when he risks his life to save Mole in the Wild Wood, and helps rid Toad Hall of the unruly weasels. Ratty is the free and easy sort, as well as a
dreamer, and he has a poetic thought process, finding deeper meaning, beauty, and intensity in situations others may see through more practical eyes.
*
Mr. Toad
Mr. Toad, of Toad Hall, is one of the main characters in the 1908 novel ''The Wind in the Willows'' by Kenneth Grahame, and also the title character of the 1929 A. A. Milne play ''Toad of Toad Hall'' based on the book.
Inspiration
The inspiration ...
: known as "Toady" to his friends, the wealthy scion of Toad Hall who inherited his wealth from his late father. Although gregarious and well-meaning, as a fixated control freak, he is inclined to boast lavishly and make outrageous outbursts when held back by another character, regardless of their intentions with him. He is prone to obsessions (such as
punting,
houseboat
A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a home. Most houseboats are not motorized as they are usually moored or kept stationary at a fixed point, and often tethered to land to provide utilities. H ...
s, and horse-drawn caravans), but gets dissatisfied with each of these activities and drops them fairly quickly, finally settling on motorcars. His motoring craze degenerates into a sort of addiction that lands him in the hospital a few times, subjects him to expensive fines for his unlawfully erratic driving, and eventually gets him imprisoned for theft, dangerous-driving, and severe impertinence to the police. Two chapters of the book chronicle his daring escape from prison.
*Mr. Badger: a firm but considerate animal, Badger embodies the "wise hermit" figure. A friend of Toad's deceased father, he is strict with the immature Toad, yet hopes that his good qualities will prevail through his shortcomings. He lives in a vast underground
sett, part of which incorporates the remains of a buried
Roman settlement. A fearless and powerful fighter, Badger helps clear the Wild-Wooders from Toad Hall with his large stick.
Supporting characters
* Otter and Portly: a good friend of Ratty with a stereotypical "
Cockney
Cockney is an accent and dialect of English, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by working-class and lower middle-class Londoners. The term "Cockney" has traditionally been used to describe a person from the East End, or ...
costermonger" character, Otter is confident, respected and head-strong. Portly is his young son.
* The weasels, ferrets, and stoats: the story's main antagonists. They plot to take over Toad Hall. Although they are unnamed, the leader is referred to as "Chief Weasel".
*
Pan: a gentle and wise god of the wild who makes a single, anomalous appearance in Chapter 7, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn", when he helps Portly and looks after him until Ratty and Mole find him.
* The Gaoler's Daughter: the only major human character, she embodies the youth perspective toward the situation faced by Toad whilst he is incarcerated in prison; a "good, kind, clever girl", she helps Toad escape.
* The Wayfarer: a vagabond seafaring rat, who also makes a single appearance in Chapter 9, "Wayfarers All". Ratty briefly contemplates accompanying him on his adventures, before Mole convinces him otherwise.
* Squirrels and rabbits, who are generally good-natured (although rabbits are described as "a mixed lot").
* Inhabitants of the Wild Wood: weasels, stoats and foxes who are described by Ratty as "All-right in a way but well, you can't really trust them".
* The Barge Woman: An unnamed woman who owns a barge. She offers Toad a ride. Upon realising that he is actually a toad, she throws him off the barge. Toad then steals her barge horse.
Editions
The original publication of the book was plain text, with a frontispiece illustrated by Graham Robertson, but many illustrated, comic, and annotated versions have been published over the years. Notable illustrators include
Paul Bransom
Paul Bransom (July 1885 – July 19, 1979) was an American painter, cartoonist, and illustrator of animals.
Biography
Born in Washington, D.C., as a child Bransom started sketching animals he saw in his backyard and at the National Zoo. He bega ...
(1913), Nancy Barnhart (1922), Wyndham Payne (1927),
Ernest H. Shepard (1931),
Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham (19 September 1867 – 6 September 1939) was an English book illustrator. He is recognised as one of the leading figures during the Golden Age of British book illustration. His work is noted for its robust pen and ink drawings, ...
(1940),
Richard Cuffari
Richard Cuffari (March 2, 1925 – 1978)
de Grummond Collection, McCain Library and Arc ...
(1966),
Tasha Tudor (1966),
Michael Hague Michael Hague (born September 8, 1948) is an American illustrator, primarily of children's fantasy books.
Biography
Among the books he has illustrated classics such as ''The Wind in the Willows'', '' The Wizard of Oz'', ''The Hobbit'' and the stor ...
(1980),
Scott McKowen (2005), and
Robert Ingpen (2007).
* The most popular illustrations are probably by
E. H. Shepard
Ernest Howard Shepard OBE MC (10 December 1879 – 24 March 1976) was an English artist and book illustrator. He is known especially for illustrations of the anthropomorphic animal and soft toy characters in ''The Wind in the Willows'' and ''W ...
, originally published in 1931, and believed to be authorised as Grahame was pleased with the initial sketches, though he did not live to see the completed work.
* ''The Wind in the Willows'' was the last work illustrated by
Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham (19 September 1867 – 6 September 1939) was an English book illustrator. He is recognised as one of the leading figures during the Golden Age of British book illustration. His work is noted for its robust pen and ink drawings, ...
. The book with his illustrations was issued posthumously in a limited edition by the
Folio Society with 16 colour plates in 1940 in the US. It was not issued with the Rackham illustrations in the UK until 1950.
* The Folio Society 2006 edition featured 85 illustrations, 35 in colour, by
Charles van Sandwyk. A fancier centenary edition was produced two years later.
* Michel Plessix created a ''Wind in the Willows'' watercolour
comic album
a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
series, which helped to introduce the stories to France. They have been translated into English by
Cinebook Ltd.
* Patrick Benson re-illustrated the story in 1994 and HarperCollins published it in 1994 together with the
William Horwood sequels ''The Willows in Winter, Toad Triumphant'' and ''The Willows and Beyond''. It was published in the US in 1995 by St. Martin's Press.
*
Inga Moore
Inga Moore (born 1945) is an Anglo-Australian author and illustrator of books for children.
Life
Born in Sussex, England, at the age of eight Moore emigrated with her family to Australia, where she went to school in Adelaide. She has said tha ...
's edition, abridged and illustrated by her, is arranged so that a featured line of the text also serves as a caption to a picture.
* Barnes & Noble Classics featured an introduction by Gardner McFall in 2007. New York,
* Egmont Press produced a 100th Anniversary paperback edition, with Shepard's illustrations, in 2008.
* Belknap Press, a division of
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the reti ...
, published
Seth Lerer
Seth Lerer (born 1955) is an American scholar who specializes in historical analyses of the English language, in addition to critical analyses of the works of several authors, particularly Geoffrey Chaucer. He is a Distinguished Professor of Liter ...
's annotated edition in 2009.
*
W. W. Norton
W. W. Norton & Company is an American publishing company based in New York City. Established in 1923, it has been owned wholly by its employees since the early 1960s. The company is known for its Norton Anthologies (particularly ''The Norton Ant ...
published Annie Gauger's and
Brian Jacques's annotated edition in 2009.
*
Jamie Hendry Productions published a special edition of the novel in 2015 and donated it to schools in Plymouth and Salford to celebrate the World Premiere of the musical version of ''The Wind in the Willows'' by Julian Fellowes, George Stiles, and Anthony Drewe.
*
IDW Publishing published an illustrated edition of the novel in 2016. The hardcover novel features illustrations from Eisner Award-winning artist
David Petersen, who is best known for creating and drawing the comic series ''
Mouse Guard
A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...
''.
Reception
A number of publishers rejected the manuscript. It was published in the UK by
Methuen and Co., and later in the US by
Scribner Scribner may refer to:
Media
* Charles Scribner's Sons, also known as Scribner or Scribner's, New York City publisher
* ''Scribner's Magazine'', pictorial published from 1887–1939 by Charles Scribner's Sons, then merged with the ''Commentator ...
. The critics, who were hoping for a third volume in the style of Grahame's earlier works, ''
The Golden Age
Golden Age refers to a mythological period of primeval human existence perceived as an ideal state when human beings were pure and free from suffering.
Golden Age may also refer to:
* Golden age (metaphor), the classical term used as a metaphor ...
'' and ''
Dream Days
''Dream Days'' is a collection of children's fiction and reminiscences of childhood written by Kenneth Grahame. A sequel to the 1895 collection '' The Golden Age'' (some of its selections feature the same family of five children), ''Dream Days'' ...
'', generally gave negative reviews.
The public loved it, however, and within a few years it sold in such numbers that many reprints were required. In 1909, then US President
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
wrote to Grahame to tell that he had "read it and reread it, and have come to accept the characters as old friends".
In ''The Enchanted Places'',
Christopher Robin Milne wrote of ''The Wind in the Willows'':
Adaptations
Stage
* ''
Toad of Toad Hall'' by
A. A. Milne, produced in 1929 when the novel was in its 31st printing.
* ''Wind in the Willows'', a 1985 Tony-nominated Broadway musical with book by Jane Iredale, lyrics by
Roger McGough and music by
William P. Perry, starring
Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. In a career spanning over 40 years he has been seen on stage and screen in roles both comedic and dramatic. Lane has received numerous awards including three Tony Awards, ...
*''The Wind in the Willows'' by
Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. Over his distinguished entertainment career he has received numerous awards and honours including two BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and two ...
, which premiered in December 1990 at the
National Theatre in London.
*''Mr. Toad's Mad Adventures'' by Vera Morris
*''Wind in the Willows'' (UK National Tour) by Ian Billings
* ''The Wind in the Willows'', two stage adaptations – a full musical adaptation and a small-scale, shorter, stage play version – by
David Gooderson
* ''The Wind in the Willows'', a musical theatre adaption by Scot Copeland and Paul Carrol Binkley.
* ''
The Wind in the Willows'' by
George Stiles,
Anthony Drewe and
Julian Fellowes
Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, (born 17 August 1949) is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, and a Conservative peer of the House of Lords.
He is primarily known as the author of ...
which opened at Theatre Royal Plymouth in October 2016 before playing at The Lowry, Salford and then later playing at the London Palladium in the West End.
*''The Wind in the Willows'' (musical play) adapted by Michael Whitmore for Quantum Theatre, music by Gideon Escott, Lyrics by Jessica Selous touring 2019
* ''The Wind in the Willows'', opera for children in two acts by
Elena Kats-Chernin (music) and Jens Luckwaldt (libretto, with English translation by Benjamin Gordon), commissioned by
Staatstheater Kassel, world premiere 2 July 2021.
*''The Wind in the Willows'' (a musical in two acts) adapted by Andrew Gordon for Olympia Family Theater, music by Bruce Whitney, lyrics by Daven Tillinghast, Andrew Gordon, and Bruce Whitney, premiered 2012.
Theatrical films
* ''
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
''The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad'' is a 1949 American animated anthology film produced by Walt Disney Productions, released by RKO Radio Pictures and directed by Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney and James Algar with Ben Sharpsteen as production ...
'', a 1949 animated adaptation produced by
Walt Disney Productions for
RKO Radio Pictures
RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orph ...
, narrated by
Basil Rathbone. One half of the animated feature was based on the unrelated short story, ''
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow''.
* ''
The Wind in the Willows'', a 1996 live-action film written and directed by
Terry Jones starring
Steve Coogan
Stephen John Coogan (; born 14 October 1965) is an English actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is most known for creating original characters such as Alan Partridge, a socially inept and politically incorrect media personality, whic ...
as Mole,
Eric Idle
Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle was a member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broadway ...
as Rat, and Jones as Mr. Toad.
Television
* ''
Toad of Toad Hall'', the first live action telecast of the novel. Adapted by
Michael Barry for
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced t ...
and transmitted live in 1946. The film featured (in alphabetical order) Julia Braddock as Marigold,
Kenneth More as Mr.
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united ...
, Jack Newmark as Mole,
Andrew Osborn as
Water Rat,
Jon Pertwee as the Judge, Alan Reid as Mr. Toad, John Thomas and
Victor Woolf as Alfred the Horse,
Madoline Thomas as Mother, and an uncredited Pat Pleasanse as various rats, weasels, and mice.
* ''The Wind in the Willows'', a 1969 TV series adaptation of the story produced by
Anglia Television, told by still illustrations by artist
John Worsley. The story was adapted, produced and narrated by Paul Honeyman and directed by John Salway.
* ''
The Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad Show'', a 1970–1971 TV series produced by
Rankin/Bass Productions and animated overseas by
Mushi Production in Tokyo, Japan, based on both ''
The Reluctant Dragon'' and ''The Wind in the Willows''.
* ''
The Wind in the Willows'', a 1983 animated TV film version with
stop-motion animated puppets, produced by
Cosgrove Hall Films.
* ''
The Wind in the Willows'', a 1984–1990 TV series following the 1983 film, using the same sets and characters in mostly original stories but also including some chapters from the book that were omitted in the film, notably "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn". The cast included
David Jason
Sir David John White (born 2 February 1940), known professionally by his stage name David Jason, is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in the BBC sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses'', Detective Inspector ...
,
Sir Michael Hordern,
Peter Sallis,
Richard Pearson and
Ian Carmichael
Ian Gillett Carmichael, OBE (18 June 1920 – 5 February 2010) was an English actor who worked prolifically on stage, screen and radio in a career spanning 70 years. He found prominence in the films of the Boulting brothers, including ...
. This series then had another TV movie made entitled ''
A Tale of Two Toads'' and then a spin off series entitled ''
Oh, Mr. Toad''.
* ''
The Wind in the Willows'', a 1985/1987 animated musical TV film version for television, produced by
Rankin/Bass Productions with animation by
Wang Film Productions
Wang Film Productions Co., Ltd. (also known as Hong Guang Animation (宏廣) and Cuckoos' Nest Studio) is one of the oldest and most prolific Taiwanese-American animation studios since 1978. The company, based in Xindian, Taipei and Los Angeles, ...
(also known as Cuckoo's Nest Studios) in Taiwan. 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
Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ...
. Voice actors included
Eddie Bracken as Mole,
Jose Ferrer as Badger,
Roddy McDowell as Ratty, and
Charles Nelson Reilly as Toad.
* ''
Wind in the Willows'', a 1988 animated made-for-TV film by Burbank Films Australia and adapted by Leonard Lee.
* ''The Adventures of Mole'', a 1995 animated made-for-TV film with a cast including
Hugh Laurie as Toad,
Richard Briers and
Peter Davison as Ratty and Mole respectively and
Paul Eddington as Badger. Was followed by ''The Adventures of Toad''.
* ''
The Wind in the Willows'', a 1995 animated TV film adaptation narrated by
Vanessa Redgrave (in the live action scenes) with a cast led by
Michael Palin
Sir Michael Edward Palin (; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, television presenter, and public speaker. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. Since 1980, he has made a number of travel documentaries.
Palin ...
and
Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. Over his distinguished entertainment career he has received numerous awards and honours including two BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and two ...
as Ratty and Mole,
Rik Mayall as Toad and
Michael Gambon as Badger; followed by an adaptation of ''The Willows in Winter'' produced by the now defunct TVC (Television Cartoons) in London.
* ''The Wind in the Willows'', a 1999 Czech animated made-for-TV series.
* ''
The Wind in the Willows'', another live-action TV film in 2006 with
Lee Ingleby as Mole,
Mark Gatiss
Mark Gatiss (; born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer and novelist. His work includes writing for and acting in the television series '' Doctor Who'', '' Sherlock'', and '' Dracula''. Together with ...
as Ratty,
Matt Lucas as Toad,
Bob Hoskins
Robert William Hoskins (26 October 1942 – 29 April 2014) was an English actor. His work included lead roles in films and television series such as '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Long Good Friday'' (1980), ''Mona Lisa'' (1986), '' Who ...
as Badger, and also featuring
Imelda Staunton
Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre produ ...
,
Anna Maxwell Martin,
Mary Walsh and
Michael Murphy.
Unproduced
* In 2003,
Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and actor. He directed the Academy Award–winning fantasy films '' Pan's Labyrinth'' (2006) and '' The Shape of Water'' (2017), winning the Academy Awards for ...
was working on an adaptation for Disney. It was to mix live action with CG animation, and the director explained why he had to leave the helm. "It was a beautiful book, and then I went to meet with the executives and they said, 'Could you give Toad a skateboard and make him say, "radical dude" things?' and that's when I said, 'It's been a pleasure ...
Web series
* In 2014,
Classic Alice took the titular character on a 6 episode reimagining of ''The Wind in the Willows''. Reid Cox played Toad, and
Kate Hackett and Tony Noto served as loose Badger/Ratty/Mole characters.
Radio
The BBC has broadcast a number of radio productions of the story. Dramatisations include:
* Eight episodes from 4 to 14 April 1955,
BBC Home Service. With
Richard Goolden, Frank Duncan,
Olaf Pooley and Mary O'Farrell.
* Episodes from 27 September to 15 November 1965,
BBC Home Service, with
Leonard Maguire, David Steuart, and Douglas Murchie.
* Single 90 minute play, dramatised by A.A. Milne under the name ''Toad of Toad Hall'', on 21 April 1973,
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...
, with Derek Smith,
Bernard Cribbins, Richard Goolden, and
Cyril Luckham.
* Six episodes from 28 April to 9 June 1983, BBC Schools Radio, Living Language series. With
Paul Darrow as Badger.
* Six episodes, dramatised by John Scotney, from 13 February to 20 March 1994,
BBC Radio 5, with
Martin Jarvis,
Timothy Bateson,
Willie Rushton,
George Baker, and
Dinsdale Landen.
* Single two-hour play, dramatised by
Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. Over his distinguished entertainment career he has received numerous awards and honours including two BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and two ...
, on 27 August 1994,
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...
.
Abridged readings include:
* Ten-part reading by
Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. Over his distinguished entertainment career he has received numerous awards and honours including two BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and two ...
from 31 July to 11 August 1989,
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...
.
* Twelve-part reading by
Bernard Cribbins from 22 December 1983 to 6 January 1984, BBC channel unknown.
* Three-hour reading by
June Whitfield,
Nigel Anthony,
James Saxon, and
Nigel Lambert;
Puffin
Puffins are any of three species of small alcids ( auks) in the bird genus ''Fratercula''. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in c ...
audiobook, 1996.
Other presentation formats:
*
Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was an English actor of Welsh heritage. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 '' ...
did a version of the book for radio.
* In 2002
Paul Oakenfold produced a Trance Soundtrack for the story, aired on the
Galaxy FM
Galaxy was a radio network owned by Global Radio and broadcast across the British Isles on FM in regional areas of England and Scotland, through the digital platform with Sky and DAB and online respectively. Stations included stations: Galaxy Bi ...
show ''Urban Soundtracks''. These mixes blended classic stories with a mixture of dance and contemporary music.
* In 2013 Andrew Gordon produced a full-cast audio adaptation of his stage play, available on Audible and on CD.
Sequels and alternative versions
*
Jan Needle
James Albert Needle (born 1943), known as Jan Needle, is an English author. He was born and grew up in Portsmouth on the south coast of England, coming from a family with strong naval and military connections. He has written over thirty novels, a ...
's ''Wild Wood'' was published in 1981 with illustrations by William Rushton (). 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.
* In 1983 Dixon Scott published ''A Fresh Wind in the Willows''.
*
William Horwood created several sequels to ''The Wind in the Willows'': ''The Willows in Winter'', ''Toad Triumphant'', ''The Willows and Beyond'', and ''
The Willows at Christmas
''The Willows at Christmas'' is a children's novel by English writer William Horwood, first published in 1999. It is the fourth book of the ''Tales of the Willows'' series, a collection of four sequels to Kenneth Grahame's 1908 novel ''The W ...
'' (1999). These books include some of the same incidents as Scott's sequel, including a climax in which Toad steals a Bleriot monoplane.
*
Jacqueline Kelly
Jacqueline Kelly is a New Zealand-born American writer of children's books.
Personal life
Kelly was born in New Zealand and moved with her family to Canada when she was young, then to Texas. She earned degrees in law and medicine and continues t ...
's sequel ''Return to the Willows'' was published in 2012.
*
Kij Johnson published ''The River Bank'' in 2017. If ''Wild Wood'' reimagined Grahame's work through a shift of class, Johnson's work may be said to do the same thing through
shift
Shift may refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Gaming
* ''Shift'' (series), a 2008 online video game series by Armor Games
* '' Need for Speed: Shift'', a 2009 racing video game
** '' Shift 2: Unleashed'', its 2011 sequel
Literature
* ''Sh ...
of gender.
*
Daniel Mallory Ortberg included the story "Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Mr. Toad," which blends ''Wind in the Willows'' with the
Donald Barthelme short story "Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Colby," in his 2018 collection ''The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror''. In Ortberg's retelling, Toad's friends are abusive and use the guise of "rescuing" their friend to justify violence and manipulation.
* Frederick Thurber's ''In the Wake of the Willows'' was published in 2019. It is the New World version of the original, recounting the adventures of the same set of characters, and their children, who lived on a coastal estuary in southern New England.
* Dina Gregory released an all-female adaptation on Audible in 2020. The story sticks very closely to the original, but with Lady Toad, Mistress Badger, Miss Water Rat and Mrs Mole.
Awards
* Mr. Toad was voted Number 38 among the 100 Best Characters in Fiction Since 1900 by ''Book'' magazine in their March/April 2002 issue.
Inspiration
Mapledurham House in Oxfordshire was an inspiration for Toad Hall, although
Hardwick House and
Fawley Court also make this claim.
The village of
Lerryn
Lerryn ( kw, Leryon, archaically Lerrin) is a village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated on the River Lerryn (a tributary of the River Fowey) approximately three miles (5 km) southeast of Lostwithiel.
Lerryn straddles two pa ...
in Cornwall claims to be the setting for the book.
Simon Winchester suggested that the character of Ratty was based on
Frederick Furnivall, a keen oarsman and acquaintance of Grahame. However, Grahame himself said that this character was inspired by his good friend, the writer Sir
Arthur Quiller-Couch
Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch (; 21 November 186312 May 1944) was a British writer who published using the pseudonym Q. Although a prolific novelist, he is remembered mainly for the monumental publication '' The Oxford Book of English Verse ...
. Grahame wrote this in a signed copy he gave to Quiller-Couch's daughter, Foy Felicia.
''The Scotsman'' and ''Oban Times'' suggested was inspired by the
Crinan Canal, because Grahame spent some of his childhood in
Ardrishaig.
There is a proposal 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
Moor Copse is a nature reserve west of Reading in Berkshire. It is managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. Parts of it are in Sulham and Tidmarsh Woods and Meadows, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interes ...
, near
Tidmarsh Berkshire, was acquired in January 2007 by the
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.
Peter Ackroyd
Peter Ackroyd (born 5 October 1949) is an English biographer, novelist and critic with a specialist interest in the history and culture of London. For his novels about English history and culture and his biographies of, among others, William ...
in his book, ''Thames: sacred river'', asserts that "Quarry Wood, bordering on the river
hames Hames is a part of a horse harness.
Surnames
Hames may refer to:
* Bob Hames (1920–1998), American jazz guitarist
* Chaim (Harvey) Hames (born 1966), professor of history and Rector at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
* Duncan Hames (born 19 ...
at
Cookham Dean, is the original of
he'Wild Wood' . . . ."
In popular culture
Music
* The first album by the psychedelic rock group
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...
, ''
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'' (1967), was named by the founding member
Syd Barrett
Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, songwriter, and musician who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Barrett was their original frontman and primary songwriter, becoming known for his ...
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.
* Chapter 7 was the basis for the name and lyrics of "Piper at the Gates of Dawn", a song by the Irish singer-songwriter
Van Morrison
Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
As a teenager in ...
from his 1997 album ''
The Healing Game''.
* The song "
The Wicker Man" by the British progressive metal band
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
also includes the phrase.
* The British extreme metal band
Cradle of Filth released a special edition of its album ''
Thornography
''Thornography'' is the seventh studio album by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. It was released on 17 October 2006, by record label Roadrunner. It was produced by former Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano, engineered by Dan Turner an ...
'' called ''Harder, Darker, Faster: Thornography Deluxe''; on the song "Snake-Eyed and the Venomous", a pun is made in the lyrics "... all vipers at the gates of dawn" referring to Chapter 7 of the book.
* The song "Power Flower" on
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, sou ...
's 1979 album ''
Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants"
''Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants"'' is an album by Stevie Wonder, originally released on the Tamla Motown label on October 30, 1979. It is the soundtrack to the documentary ''The Secret Life of Plants'', directed by W ...
'', co-written with
Michael Sembello, mentions "the piper at the gates of dawning".
* In 1991,
Tower of Power included an instrumental entitled "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" on the album ''
Monster on a Leash
''Monster on a Leash'' is an album by the American band Tower of Power, released in 1991. It peaked at No. 19 on ''Billboards Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.
Production
Huey Lewis cowrote "How Could This Happen to Me" and "Keep Your Monster on a ...
''.
* ''Wind in the Willows'' is a fantasy for flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon, narrated by John Frith (2007).
* The Dutch composer
Johan de Meij
Johannes Abraham "Johan" de Meij (; born November 23, 1953 in Voorburg) is a Dutch conductor, trombonist, and composer, best known for his '' Symphony No. 1'' for wind ensemble, nicknamed ''The Lord of the Rings'' symphony.
Biography
Johan de ...
wrote a music piece for
concert band
A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion famil ...
in four movements, named after and based on ''The Wind in the Willows''.
* The Edinburgh-based record label
Song, by Toad Records
Song, by Toad is an independent record label and music blog based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 2008 by Matthew Young, and has released a number of critically acclaimed albums by acts including Meursault, Rob St John and Sparrow and ...
takes its name from a passage in ''The Wind in the Willows''.
* English composer
John Rutter wrote a setting of ''The Wind in the Willows'' for narrator,
SATB
SATB is an initialism that describes the scoring of compositions for choirs, and also choirs (or consorts) of instruments. The initials are for the voice types: S for soprano, A for alto, T for tenor and B for bass.
Choral music
Four-part ...
chorus and chamber orchestra.
* The American post-hardcore band
La Dispute adapted the first chapter of the book into the song "Seven" on their EP ''
Here, Hear II.
''Here, Hear II.'' is a 7" EP by La Dispute and the second instalment in the ''Here, Hear'' series, it was released on November 11, 2008 along with their debut full length, ''Somewhere At the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair'' through ...
''
Adventure rides
*
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is the name of a ride at
Disneyland
Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envisi ...
in
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...
, and a former attraction at Disney's
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park, previously known as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017), is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by The ...
in
Orlando, Florida, inspired by Toad's motorcar adventure. It is the only ride with an alternative Latin title, given as the inscription on Toad's Hall: ''Toadi Acceleratio Semper Absurda'' ("Toad's Ever-Absurd Acceleration"). After the removal of the ride from the Magic Kingdom, a statue of Toad was added to the cemetery outside the
Haunted Mansion attraction in the same park.
Other
* In 2016, the historian
Adrian Greenwood was tortured and murdered in his home by a thief intent on finding a rare 1908 first edition print of which he was in possession. The book was later recovered as part of the criminal investigation. The crime was the subject of a Channel 4 documentary entitled ''Catching a Killer: The Wind in the Willows Murder''.
* In ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
'' 1998 episode "
Lisa Gets an 'A' (season 10, episode 7; AABF03), Lisa neglects to complete her ''Wind in the Willows'' reading homework and subsequently has to cheat on a pop-quiz.
* In ''
Rugrats
''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers; most prominently—Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins Phil and Lil, an ...
'' 1992 episode "
The Santa Experience
'' Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain. The show focuses on a group of toddlers, most prominently Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, twins Phil and Lil, Susie, then later Dil ...
(season 2, episode 14; Chaz mentions that he had the lead role in a ''Wind in the Willows'' play in school when they were kids. Drew remarks that Chaz just played a tree.
*In ''
Downton Abbey
''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States on ...
'', series 2, episode 2, the Dowager Countess learns that her granddaughter, Lady Edith Crowley, has volunteered to drive a tractor for a local farmer during the war, to which the Dowager Countess says, "You're a lady. Not Toad of Toad Hall!"
See also
*
References
Further reading
* tells how the stories evolved from bedtime stories (and letters, in his absence) for his son Alastair, then known as "Mouse".
*
External links
*
*
Online editions
*
* illustrated by
Paul Bransom
Paul Bransom (July 1885 – July 19, 1979) was an American painter, cartoonist, and illustrator of animals.
Biography
Born in Washington, D.C., as a child Bransom started sketching animals he saw in his backyard and at the National Zoo. He bega ...
(1913)
*
* Adapted in 10 parts. Site also contains teaching resources and episode transcripts.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wind in the Willows, The
1908 British novels
1908 children's books
20th-century British children's literature
British children's novels
British novels adapted into films
Pan (god)
Culture associated with the River Thames
Fictional badgers
Books about frogs
Fictional mice and rats
Fictional moles
Fictional otters
Books about rabbits and hares
Fictional squirrels
Fictional weasels
Novels about friendship
Novels set in Berkshire
Novels set in England
Novels set in Oxfordshire
Books illustrated by E. H. Shepard
Books illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Methuen Publishing books
Works by Kenneth Grahame