The Wind in the Willows
It's a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908.
One day while spring cleaning, mole feels a sudden dissatisfaction and leaves his underground home. He soon discovers a small river community out in the country, and makes a new friend in Rat. After a long afternoon boating down the river ,rat invites mole to live with him. During that adventure , mole also learns about Badge and Toad and develops a curiosity to meet them both. Because badger prefers to meet alone rat takes mole to meet toad a rich animal with a very short attention span. He lives in a grand house called Toad Hall.
Toad is extremely wealthy yet selfish and immature. He is obsessed with the automobile and its speed. Many time badger ask mole and rat to help toad about his dangerous automobile habits.
At toad hall, Badger tries to speak maturely to toad, but toad remains childish and refuses to listen, Thus, they place him on house arrest, guarding him one at a time But, Toad is very cunning and manipulative and he is able to escape by fooling rat.
He runs to a nearby café, where he sees an automobile and unable to help himself, he steals the car and wrecks it. Consequently he is arrested and sentenced to twenty years in jail.
Meanwhile, the Jailors daughter takes pity on the forlorn toad in prison and she helps him to escape.
He switches clothes with the Jail's washerwomen and uses it to flee. Toad soon learns from his friends that the weasels and stoats have taken over Toad hall.
Under Badger's leadership, the four main characters develop a plan to sneak into Toad Hall through a secret passageway and surprise the weasels during a party. The plan become a great success and they chase the weasels away.
The four friends plan a great party and after that live their days at toad hall with peace and happiness.
The story through its amusing animal characters not only entertains the young reader but also subtly teaches the values of respect ,honesty ,trust, friendship , hospitality and humility.
