The Wind in the Willows is a book of animal tales by British writer Kenneth Grahame. It was published in 1908. It was part of authors writings of a series of bedtime stories for his son. The beautifully written work, with its evocative descriptions of the countryside, became a classic of English childrens literature. It is a story that adults have enjoyed as much as children. Tales in the book relate the adventures of several animal friends primarily Mole, Rat, Toad, and Badger in the English countryside. Although they converse and behave like humans, each animal also retains its distinctive habits.
The Window in the Willows begins when Mole decides to go to the riverbank one morning where he comes across his friend Rat, a water rat, and they spend the spring and summer together. One day they visit the boastful Mr. Toad, owner of Toad Hall, who possesses large amounts of money but not much brain. Later, Mole and Rat go to the Wild Wood to visit the kindly and responsible Badger.
About the Author
The Reluctant Dragon, one of the stories in Dream Days, was made into a Walt Disney feature film. When Grahame’s small son Alastair went on a vacation, he asked his father to continue his bedtime stories by mail. These installments, mailed daily, became the first chapters for one of the best known of all children’s books, The Wind in the Willows.
