The Wind in the Willows. Kenneth Grahame

Kenneth Grahame

      The Wind in the Willows

      THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS

      ‘Do you know,’ the Mole said, ‘I’ve never been in a boat before in all my life.’

      ‘What?’ cried the Rat. ‘My dear fellow, you haven’t lived! Believe me, there is nothing – really nothing – nicer than just messing about in boats.’

      And so the Mole learns a new way of life with his friend the Water Rat. Long, golden summer days on the river, while the wind whispers its secrets through the willow trees. Life is full of excitement and adventure, and new friends: the Otter and the Badger, and of course, Mr Toad – the famous, the clever, the brave, the wonderful Mr Toad …

      Well, that’s what Toad thinks, but his friends are not so sure. And when he goes crazy about motor-cars, he becomes a very silly, and a very dangerous Toad …

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ISBN 978 0 19 479137 3

Word count (main text): 11,540 words

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e-Book ISBN 978 0 19 478656 0

e-Book first published 2012

      1

      The river

      The Mole worked very hard all morning, cleaning his little home. He brushed, and he washed; he cleaned the floors and the walls, he stood on chairs to wash the tops of cupboards, he got under the beds, he took up the carpets. He cleaned and he cleaned, until his arms and his back ached with tiredness.

      It was springtime, and the smell and the sound of spring were everywhere, even in the Mole’s dark little house under the ground. And with the spring comes the promise of change, of sunshine, of new green leaves. So it was not surprising that the Mole suddenly put down his brushes and said, ‘Oh bother!’ and then, ‘I’m tired of cleaning!’ Something up above the ground was calling to him, and he ran out of his house and began to dig his way upwards to the sun.

      He dug and he pushed, and he pushed and he dug. ‘Up we go! Up we go!’ he said to himself, until at last his nose came out into the sunlight, and he found himself in the warm grass of a field.

      ‘This is fine!’ said the Mole. ‘This is better than cleaning!’ The sunshine was warm on his back and the air was filled with the songs of birds. He gave a little jump for happiness, shook himself, and then began to cross the field towards some trees. Here and there he went, through the fields and the woods, looking and smelling and listening. Everywhere animals and birds were busy, talking and laughing, looking for food, making new homes for the spring. The Mole enjoyed it all.