' Believe me my young friend there is nothing
- absolutely nothing
- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats' So says Rat to Mole as he introduces him to the delights of the river & his friends Toad the spirit of rebellion & Badger the spirit of England But it is a world where the motor-car is about to wreck the gipsy caravan the revolutionaries in the Wild Wood are threatening the social fabric the god Pan is abroad & the warm seductive whispers of the south are drifting into the English lanes An international children's classic The Wind in the Willows grew from the author's letters to his young son yet it is concerned almost exclusively with adult themes fear of radical changes in political social & economic power Mole's acceptance into the conservative world of the River Bank & Toad's wild attempts to escape from it are narrated in virtuoso language ranging from lively parody to elaborate fin-de-siecle mysticism A profoundly English fiction with a world following it is a book for adults adopted by children a timeless masterpiece & a vital portrait of an age ABOUT THE SERIES For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study & much more