Orakel Children's Books
The Wind in the Willows
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, prepared as a public-domain Orakel edition with 12 chapter-aware companion links.
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I.: THE RIVER BANK
I.: THE RIVER BANK from The Wind in the Willows. The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home. First with brooms, then with dusters; then on ladders and steps and chairs, with a brush and a pail of whitewash; till he had dust in his throat and eyes, and splashes of whitewash all over his black fur, and an aching back and weary arms. Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even
Open2II.: THE OPEN ROAD
II.: THE OPEN ROAD from The Wind in the Willows. “Ratty,” said the Mole suddenly, one bright summer morning, “if you please, I want to ask you a
Open3III.: THE WILD WOOD
III.: THE WILD WOOD from The Wind in the Willows. The Mole had long wanted to make the acquaintance of the Badger. He seemed, by all accounts, to be such an important personage and, though rarely visible, to make his unseen influence felt by everybody about the place. But whenever the Mole mentioned his wish to the Water Rat he always found himself put off. “It’s all right,” the Rat would say. “Badger’ll turn up some day or other—he’s always turning up—and then
Open4IV.: MR. BADGER
IV.: MR. BADGER from The Wind in the Willows. THEY waited patiently for what seemed a very long time, stamping in the snow to keep their feet warm. At last they heard the sound of slow shuffling footsteps approaching the door from the inside. It seemed, as the Mole remarked to the Rat, like some one walking in carpet slippers that were too large for him and down at heel; which was intelligent of Mole, because that was exactly what it
Open5V.: DULCE DOMUM
V.: DULCE DOMUM from The Wind in the Willows. The sheep ran huddling together against the hurdles, blowing out thin nostrils and stamping with delicate fore-feet, their heads thrown back and a light steam rising from the crowded sheep-pen into the frosty air, as the two animals hastened by in high spirits, with much chatter and laughter. They were returning across country after a long day’s outing with Otter, hunting and exploring on the wide uplands where
Open6VI.: MR. TOAD
VI.: MR. TOAD from The Wind in the Willows. It was a bright morning in the early part of summer; the river had resumed its wonted banks and its accustomed pace, and a hot sun seemed to be pulling everything green and bushy and spiky up out of the earth towards him, as if by strings. The Mole and the Water Rat had been up since dawn, very busy on matters connected with boats and the opening of the boating season; painting and varnishing, mending paddles,
Open7VII.: THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN
VII.: THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN from The Wind in the Willows. The Willow-Wren was twittering his thin little song, hidden himself in the dark selvedge of the river bank. Though it was past ten o’clock at night, the sky still clung to and retained some lingering skirts of light from the departed day; and the sullen heats of the torrid afternoon broke up and rolled away at the dispersing touch of the cool fingers of the short midsummer night. Mole lay stretched on the bank,
Open8VIII.: TOAD’S ADVENTURES
VIII.: TOAD’S ADVENTURES from The Wind in the Willows. When Toad found himself immured in a dank and noisome dungeon, and knew that all the grim darkness of a medieval fortress lay between him and the outer world of sunshine and well-metalled high roads where he had lately been so happy, disporting himself as if he had bought up every road in England, he flung himself at full length on the floor, and shed bitter tears, and abandoned himself to dark despair. “This is the
Open9IX.: WAYFARERS ALL
IX.: WAYFARERS ALL from The Wind in the Willows. The Water Rat was restless, and he did not exactly know why. To all appearance the summer’s pomp was still at fullest height, and although in the tilled acres green had given way to gold, though rowans were reddening, and the woods were dashed here and there with a tawny fierceness, yet light and warmth and colour were still present in undiminished measure, clean of any chilly premonitions of the passing year. But
Open10X.: THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF TOAD
X.: THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF TOAD from The Wind in the Willows. The front door of the hollow tree faced eastwards, so Toad was called at an early hour; partly by the bright sunlight streaming in on him, partly by the exceeding coldness of his toes, which made him dream that he was at home in bed in his own handsome room with the Tudor window, on a cold winter’s night, and his bedclothes had got up, grumbling and protesting they couldn’t stand the cold any longer, and had run
Open11XI.: “LIKE SUMMER TEMPESTS CAME HIS TEARS”
XI.: “LIKE SUMMER TEMPESTS CAME HIS TEARS” from The Wind in the Willows. The Rat put out a neat little brown paw, gripped Toad firmly by the scruff of the neck, and gave a great hoist and a pull; and the water-logged Toad came up slowly but surely over the edge of the hole, till at last he stood safe and sound in the hall, streaked with mud and weed to be sure, and with the water streaming off him, but happy and high-spirited as of old, now that he found himself once more in the house of
Open12XII.: THE RETURN OF ULYSSES
XII.: THE RETURN OF ULYSSES from The Wind in the Willows. When it began to grow dark, the Rat, with an air of excitement and mystery, summoned them back into the parlour, stood each of them up alongside of his little heap, and proceeded to dress them up for the coming expedition. He was very earnest and thoroughgoing about it, and the affair took quite a long time. First, there was a belt to go round each animal, and then a sword to be stuck into each belt, and then a
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