Wind in the Willows
The Wind in the Willows is one of Britain's favourite children's stories.
Beautifully told, with high action sequences and quiet moments, this story is for children of all ages (including adults). This adventure weaves making friendships, with acknowledging and accepting differences, and learning the valuable lessons of tolerance and understanding.
Situated in Edwardian England Mole, Rat, Toad and Badger join together to bring you exciting human adventures of risk, challenges, fear, addiction, suffering, and punishment, and the realisation that there is no place like home.
The are 12 delightful Chapters each carrying their own story and escapades.
Each chapter has been divided into two story reading sessions of roughly 12 minutes each - bringing you almost 5 hours of story time!
The full and complete version of Kenneth Graham's story as published in 1913 is included in print. So you can read along at the same time as listening.
What is more, we have a list of vocabulary and expressions that are found in the passages - so you are able to learn and understand English terms and sayings.
A complete set of learning tools for you to improve your knowledge and pronunciation of the English language, while you become acquainted with one of the most renown children's stories of all time.
6 hours 19mins
Hi, I’m Bev Medine,
The Wind in the Willows, along with the Beatrix Potter stories, are the backdrop for my childhood.
As a child I as enchanted by the little characters that lived along the River Bank and in the Wild Woods, and their adventures.
The illustrations were the inspiration for my own artistic work. There are many lessons that run through the text, but kindness stands out. I love the relationship between Ratty and Mole. fills me with warm Fuzzies!
"What lies over there?"
asked the Mole, waving a paw towards a background of woodland that darkly framed the water-meadows on one side of the river.
"That? O, that's just the Wild Wood," said the Rat shortly. "We don't go there very much, we river-bankers."
"Aren't they—aren't they very nice people in there?" said the Mole a trifle nervously.
"W-e-ll," replied the Rat, "let me see. The squirrels are all right. And the rabbits—some of 'em, but rabbits are a mixed lot. And then there's Badger, of course. He lives right in the heart of it; wouldn't live anywhere else, either, if you paid him to do it. Dear old Badger! Nobody interferes with him. They'd better not," he added significantly.
"Why, who should interfere with him?" asked the Mole.
"Well, of course—there—are others," explained the Rat in a hesitating sort of way. "Weasels—and stoats—and foxes—and so on. They're all right in a way—I'm very good friends with them—pass the time of day when we meet, and all that—but they break out sometimes, there's no denying it, and then—well, you can't really trust them, and that's the fact."
Chapter 1 - The River Bank
It was a beautiful spring day and Mole dropped his cleaning stuff and headed out into the sunshine. He rambled happily until he saw the most wondrous of sights - a river
Chapter 2 - The Open Road
Mole asks Ratty to take him to meet the infamous Toad at Toad Hall, where Toad persuades them all to join him on his occupation for a life time - a life on the road with a gypsy caravan.
Chapter 3 - The Wild Wood
Mole goes to find Badger and gets horribly lost in the dark, wild wood where wild things are brushing past, running, hunting, chasing, closing in. He hears "Get out of this you fool"...
Beverley
Reading from The Wind in the Willows
Course Curriculum
- About the Author
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 1 - The River Bank - Part 1 (14:24)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 1 - The River Bank - Part 2 (13:51)
- Wind in the Willow Chapter 2 - The Open Road - Part 1 (11:12)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 2 - The Open Road - Part 2 (16:17)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 3 - The Wild Woods - Part 1 (14:51)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 3 - The Wild Woods - Part 2 (13:37)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 4 Mr Badger - Part 1 (13:41)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 4 Mr Badger - Part 2 (15:02)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 5- Dulce Domum - Part 1 (16:25)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 5 - Dulce Domum - Part 2 (17:37)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 6 - Mr Toad - Part 1 (13:48)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 6 - Mr Toad - Part 2 (15:37)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 7 - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn - Part 1 (13:13)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 7 - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn - Part 2 (13:41)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 8 - Toad's Adventure - Part 1 (15:19)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 8 - Toad's Adventure - Part 2 (15:31)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 9 - Wayfarers All - Part 1 (17:03)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 9 - Wayfarers All - Part 2 (23:14)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 10 - The Further Adventures of Toad - Part 1 (17:52)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 10 - The Further Adventures of Toad - Part 2 (19:10)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 11 - "Like Summer Tempest Came His Tears" - Part 1 (17:16)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 11 - "Like Summer Tempest Came His Tears" - Part 2 (20:13)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 12 - The Return of Ulysses - Part 1 (13:55)
- Wind in the Willows Chapter 12 - The Return of Ulysses - Part 2 (16:27)
Wind in the Willow
Placed 38th on Robert McCrum's list for the Guardian of The 100 Greatest Books of All Time
"The book provides something that few novels of its time can claim: all-around entertainment for all ages."
"The Wind in the Willows is surprisingly dark and thrilling in places - particular in the later chapters."
"The story confirms the power of close friends and the courage to make a difference in the lives of others."
"The truth joy of The Wind in the Willows is the image of English life. A very Geogian, upper-middle-class take on the world in which the country side is covered in an incessant summertime and in which days can be spent idling by the riverside and watching the world go by."
"There is something ineffably comforting about Graham's little story- familiar and also very powerful. The animal characters are completely humanised, but their personalities and characteristics are still linked to their animal characteristics."