'There's real life for you, embodied in that little cart. The open road, the dusty highway, the heath, the common, the hedgerows, the rolling downs! Camps, villages, towns, cities! Here today, up and off to somewhere else tomorrow! Travel, change, interest, excitement!'

‘I think it must be the field-mice,’ replied the Mole, with a touch of pride in his manner. ‘They go round carol-singing regularly at this time of the year. They’re quite an institution in these parts.’

The sunshine struck hot on his fur, soft breezes caressed his heated brow, and after the seclusion of the cellarage he had lived in so long the carol of happy birds fell on his dulled hearing almost like a shout.

At last, over the rim of the waiting earth the moon lifted with slow majesty till it swung clear of the horizon and rode off, free of moorings; and once more they began to see surfaces—meadows wide-spread, and quiet gardens, and the river itself from bank to bank

"This is the end of everything" he said, "at least it is the end of the career of Toad, which is the same thing; the popular and handsome Toad, the rich and hospitable Toad, the Toad so free and careless and debonair! How can I hope to be ever set at large again"

The Rat's light footfall was presently heard approaching over the parched grass. "O, the blessed coolness!" he said, and sat down, gazing thoughtfully into the river, silent and pre-occupied.

A Water Vole in a local chalk stream who is lovable, charming Ratty in The Wind in the Willows. There are only 132,000 Water Voles left in the UK and they need your help to protect them from the government who are attacking Nature. Please write to your MP! action.rspb.org.uk/page/114089/ac…

Winter illustrations by Chris Dunn for The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Spending a lot of time studying EH Shepard's illustrations for both Winnie the Pooh and The Wind in The Willows.

As he hurried along, eagerly anticipating the moment when he would be at home again among the things he knew and liked, the Mole saw clearly that he was an animal of tilled field and hedgerow, linked to the ploughed furrow, the frequented pasture, the lane of evening lingerings

...they gathered round the glowing embers of the great wood fire, and thought how jolly it was to be sitting up so late, and so independent, and so full

I have created an online community to discuss & share The Wind in The Willows. Here's a link for those who want to join for a Spring readalong. x.com/i/communities/…

It was a bright morning in the early part of summer; the river had resumed its wonted banks and its accustomed place, 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 (pic: today, by @davyghost)

Chris Dunns’ magical illustrations for The Wind in the Willows (1922), being the adventures of Ratty, Mole, Badger & Mr Toad. #BookologyThursday #BookChatWeekly #illustrations #woodland #art

The line of the horizon was clear and hard against the sky, and in one particular quarter it showed black against a silvery climbing phosphorescence that grew and grew. At last, over the rim of the waiting earth the moon lifted with slow majesty till it swung clear of the horizon

The wonderful wintry world of Wind in the Willows, illustrated by Chris Dunn. @ChrisDunnIllos #BookWormSat #BookChatWeekly #FolkloreSunday

HBD Mr Kenneth - born OTD 1859