6 h 45 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 166 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 166 pagesAbout this book
Beyond a small underground home, a river waits—and with it, friendship, freedom, and trouble on four wheels.
Mole has had enough of spring cleaning. He leaves his burrow for the sunlight and meets Rat, a generous river dweller who loves boats and poetry. In Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, a quiet English river opens into a world of picnics, boat trips, and warm companionship. For shy Mole, every bend brings something new to discover.
Then there is Toad: rich, boastful, and swept away by every new craze, especially motorcars. His reckless impulses trouble the calm of river life, while gruff Badger offers wisdom and firm help. From spring sunshine to winter snow, these friends face mischief, a frightening wood, and the pull of home. Beneath the humour lies a gentle question: what makes a good life?
What you’ll discover
- Friendship along the river Watch Mole find courage through Rat’s generosity and the steady warmth of companionship.
- Toad in full flight Laugh at boastful Toad’s motorcar obsession and the trouble his sudden enthusiasms bring.
- A countryside of seasons Wander from sunlit riverbanks to winter snow through landscapes described with loving care.
- Shelter beyond the woods Meet solitary Badger, whose gruff manner comes with wisdom and help for his friends.
- The comfort of belonging Explore the pull between adventure and the places and people that feel like home.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers who like gentle humour, vivid landscapes and warm friendships, and anyone who wants a story to read aloud to a child. It may feel slow if you want fast plots, and some of its manners belong to 1908.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Mole leaves his house for the sunlight
- Rat teaches Mole to love the river
- Toad's crazes lead everyone down the road
- The Wild Wood is not a safe place
- Badger's door opens to the lost
- Home calls Mole even from far away
- Toad's mania for cars lands him in trouble
- Wonder and restlessness stir along the river
- How Grahame tells it, and what lasts
Who’s who
- MoleA shy, kind animal who leaves his underground home for the first time and slowly finds courage, friends and a new place.
- RatThe calm, generous Water Rat who loves boats and poetry, and who guides Mole into river life.
- ToadThe rich, vain owner of Toad Hall, who throws himself into every new craze, especially motor cars.
- BadgerA gruff, wise, solitary animal who lives in the Wild Wood and takes charge when his friends need firm help.
- OtterA cheerful river neighbour and friend of Rat, who is devoted to his young son, Portly.
- The Sea RatA travelling sailor who visits the river with tales of southern ports and stirs great restlessness in Rat.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 6 h 45 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in, 166 pages: 8,95 USD when you start free, 14,95 USD on its own.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in, 166 pages: 15,95 USD when you start free, 21,95 USD on its own.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works · 60-day guarantee
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, for the whole household.
- We remind you first. We email you 7 days before your first payment. Then your first year is 50% off: 0,14 USD a day, then 0,27 USD a day, never raised. Or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
60-day money-back guarantee. If the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear The Wind in the Willows in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Read it side by side
The Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame· 1908
Four animal friends face adventures along an English river.
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- The whole household
Starts right away, on any device
Read free60-day money-back guaranteeRenews every yearCancel anytimeHow it works
Language: Italiano
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 9
Mole leaves his house for the sunlight
The story opens on a spring morning. Mole has been spring cleaning his small underground home all morning. He is hot, tired and covered in whitewash, and he suddenly hates the work. He throws down his brush, says something sharp about the whole business, and scrambles up a tunnel toward the air above.
When he bursts out into a meadow, the world strikes him as new. He has lived underground for so long that he has never really seen it. The warm sun, the smell of earth and the green of the grass fill him with joy. He runs across the field, jumps over hedges and feels like a creature let out of a cage.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
The author
Kenneth Grahame
1859–1932 · Scottish children's novelist
Kenneth Grahame was a British writer born in Edinburgh in 1859. He grew up partly in Berkshire and later worked at the Bank of England in London. He wrote The Golden Age (1895), Dream Days (1898), and The Wind in the Willows (1908). He died in Pangbourne, Berkshire, in 1932.
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, for the whole household. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - The whole householdUp to 5 readers
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
More like this
Free
Free
Free
FreeOur mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Questions about The Wind in the Willows
Can I read it free?
Yes. The beginning, from the first page to the end of chapter 1, and the first 5 minutes of the audiobook are free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 90 days, with the eBook to keep. After that, your first year is 50% off. You also get 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy just the printed book?
Yes. The paperback costs 14,95 USD on its own. Start free and you pay the cost of printing: 8,95 USD for this paperback, and any other book at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print.
Can my family read too?
Yes. The whole household reads and listens: up to 5 readers, each with their own shelf and their own place in every book.
What if it is not for me?
Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. If you have paid and the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
What is The Wind in the Willows about?
It follows four animal friends, Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad, through a year along an English river. It covers boating, picnics, a dangerous wood, Toad's reckless adventures and the comfort of home.
Who are the main characters in The Wind in the Willows?
The main characters are Mole, a shy newcomer, Rat, a kindly river dweller, Badger, a wise and grumpy recluse, and Toad, a rich and boastful friend. Otter and the Sea Rat also appear.
Is The Wind in the Willows a children's book?
It was written for a child and is often read to children, but adults enjoy it too. Its language is rich and its themes of home, friendship and change appeal to readers of every age.
Popular in children's classics
See all
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
