41 words to know before reading The Wind in the Willows

1. A small burrowing mammal with dark fur and small eyes.
2. A spy who infiltrates an organization over a long period.

I The River Bank The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home. First with brooms,

1. Oars used for rowing a boat, typically one per person.
2. The act of rowing with sculls.

a real boat. “This has been a wonderful day!” said he, as the Rat shoved off and took to the sculls again. “Do you know, I’ve never been in a boat before in all my life.” “What?” cried the Rat,

1. The foot of an animal with claws or nails, such as a cat or dog.
2. To touch or scrape something with a paw.

with the sparkle, the ripple, the scents and the sounds and the sunlight, he trailed a paw in the water and dreamed long waking dreams. The Water Rat, like the good little fellow he was,

1. A burrowing mammal with short legs and distinctive markings.
2. To persistently annoy or pester someone.

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

1. A semiaquatic mammal with a streamlined body, webbed feet, and dense fur, known for playful behavior.
2. A term for a person who enjoys swimming or water activities.

affair,” explained the Rat. “By the way—my friend Mr. Mole.” “Proud, I’m sure,” said the Otter, and the two animals were friends forthwith. “Such a rumpus everywhere!” continued the Otter.

1. A tailless amphibian with dry, warty skin, typically living on land.
2. A person regarded as unpleasant or contemptible (informal).

badly and rolling a good deal, but working his hardest. The Rat stood up and hailed him, but Toad—for it was he—shook his head and settled sternly to his work. “He’ll be out of the boat in a

1. Engaging in an activity superficially or casually.
2. Splashing or playing in water lightly.

Cool and full and dim. Everyone for what he likes! We like to be Heads down, tails up, Dabbling free! High in the blue above Swifts whirl and call— We are down a-dabbling Up tails all! “I

1. Used to emphasize a statement or response.
2. Truly or certainly (often expressing agreement).

My heart quite fails me when I think how I might have lost that beautiful luncheon-basket. Indeed, I have been a complete ass, and I know it. Will you overlook it this once and forgive me, and

1. A small, brightly colored songbird, often kept as a pet.
2. A warning or indicator of danger, originally from canaries used in mines to detect toxic gases.

into the ditch in the wake of my magnificent onset! Horrid little carts—common carts—canary-coloured carts!” “What are we to do with him?” asked the Mole of the Water Rat. “Nothing at all,”

1. A small field or enclosure for horses or other livestock.
2. In motorsports, the area where race cars are kept and worked on before a race.

told off by Toad for the dustiest job in this dusty expedition. He frankly preferred the paddock, and took a deal of catching. Meantime Toad packed the lockers still tighter with necessaries,

1. A type of deciduous tree with smooth gray bark and edible nuts.
2. The wood of the beech tree, often used in furniture.

himself by the sound, he made his way through the gathering darkness to the foot of an old beech tree, with a hole in it, and from out of the hole came a feeble voice, saying “Ratty! Is that

1. A mythical herb with magical properties, mentioned in Greek mythology.
2. A type of plant, such as Allium moly, also known as golden garlic.

working over the whole ground, and all the time calling out cheerfully, “Moly, Moly, Moly! Where are you? It’s me—it’s old Rat!” He had patiently hunted through the wood for an hour or

1. A short, thick stick used as a weapon.
2. To beat or strike with a cudgel.

but vanished immediately at sight of the valorous animal, his pistols, and the great ugly cudgel in his grasp; and the whistling and pattering, which he had heard quite plainly on his first

1. A tool with a sharp edge for removing material from a surface.
2. Software that extracts data from websites.

Seen the same sort of thing before, lots of times. Familiar object, I call it. A door-scraper! Well, what of it? Why dance jigs around a door-scraper?” “But don’t you see what it means,

1. The evening meal, typically lighter than dinner.
2. A social gathering where a light evening meal is served.

boat from the boathouse, sculled down the river home, and at a very late hour sat down to supper in their own cosy riverside parlour, to the Rat’s great joy and contentment. The following

1. Used as a reflexive pronoun to refer to a group previously mentioned.
2. Used for emphasis to refer to a group previously mentioned.

a gurgle and leaving them with a laugh, to fling itself on fresh playmates that shook themselves free, and were caught and held again. All was a-shake and a-shiver—glints and gleams and

1. Small spiny mammals with a coat of sharp quills for protection.
2. Nocturnal insectivores that roll into a ball when threatened.

very late next morning, and found a bright fire burning in the kitchen, and two young hedgehogs sitting on a bench at the table, eating oatmeal porridge out of wooden bowls. The hedgehogs

1. Lacking strength or clarity; barely perceptible.
2. A sudden loss of consciousness.

thinking all the time of something very different, when far behind them they heard a faint warning hum, like the drone of a distant bee. Glancing back, they saw a small cloud of dust, with

1. A man or boy; informal term for a male friend.
2. The jaw or cheek of a person or animal.

discussed the events of the long day. At last the Rat, with a tremendous yawn, said, “Mole, old chap, I’m ready to drop. Sleepy is simply not the word. That your own bunk over on that side? Very

1. A portable light source with a protective case, often with a handle.
2. A decorative or architectural structure with openings to emit light.

and had started a heated argument on the subject of eels, the Badger lighted a lantern and bade the Mole follow him. Crossing the hall, they passed down one of the principal tunnels,

1. Past tense of 'stride': walked with long, decisive steps.
2. Moved confidently or purposefully.

up in his own house in the middle of the Wood, which was a serious undertaking. The Badger strode heavily into the room, and stood looking at the two animals with an expression full of

1. The reflexive form of "you," referring to the person being addressed.
2. Used to emphasize the subject "you."

my way, you know. And it’s not such a very bad house, is it? You know, you rather like it yourself. Now, look here. Let’s be sensible. You are the very animals I wanted. You’ve got to help me.

1. A type of tree with slender branches and narrow leaves, often found near water.
2. The wood from this tree, used for making baskets, furniture, or cricket bats.

VII The Piper at the Gates of Dawn The Willow-Wren was twittering his thin little song, hidden himself in the dark selvedge of the river bank.

1. Having a stout or somewhat overweight body; corpulent.
2. Stately or dignified in appearance or manner.

about him. Otter’s evidently more anxious than he’ll admit. I got out of him that young Portly hasn’t learnt to swim very well yet, and I can see he’s thinking of the weir. There’s a lot of

1. A low dam built across a river to raise water levels or regulate flow.
2. A fence or enclosure set in water to catch fish.

the surface of the quiet water, while ahead of them the silvery shoulder and foamy tumble of a weir, arm-in-arm with a restless dripping mill-wheel, that held up in its turn a grey-gabled

1. Spoke softly or indistinctly in a low voice.
2. Made a low, continuous sound, like a stream or wind.

“Are you coming to help us, Toad?” he demanded sternly. “Glorious, stirring sight!” murmured Toad, never offering to move. “The poetry of motion! The real way to travel! The only way to

1. Harsh, stern, or forbidding in appearance or manner.
2. Causing gloom or depression; bleak.

squat figure in its familiar cotton print seemed a passport for every barred door and grim gateway; even when he hesitated, uncertain as to the right turning to take, he found himself

1. Officers responsible for enforcing laws and maintaining public order.
2. Members of a police force who patrol and investigate crimes.

is crowded with the queerest lot of people! Men like ancient warders, waving halberds; policemen in their helmets, waving truncheons; and shabbily dressed men in pot-hats, obvious and

1. A person who is in charge of a jail or prison; a jailer.
2. (Historical) An official responsible for the custody of prisoners.

weeks, refusing his meals or intermediate light refreshments, though the grim and ancient gaoler, knowing that Toad’s pockets were well lined, frequently pointed out that many comforts, and

1. A type of hat tied under the chin, typically worn by women and children.
2. The hinged metal cover over the engine of a motor vehicle (British English).

on tomorrow? I’m well-known in these parts.” The clerk stared at him and the rusty black bonnet a moment, and then laughed. “I should think you were pretty well known in these parts,” he said,

1. Happy and cheerful in mood or appearance.
2. (British informal) Very; extremely (e.g., "jolly good").

“The River,” corrected the Rat. “And you really live by the river? What a jolly life!” “By it and with it and on it and in it,” said the Rat. “It’s brother and sister to me, and

1. A small arthropod with six legs and typically one or two pairs of wings.
2. Any similar invertebrate, often considered a pest.

length of the nights! The shivering, sunless days! The air so clammy and chill, and not an insect in an acre of it! No, it was no good; my courage broke down, and one cold, stormy night I took

1. A place on the coast where ships can dock for shelter or loading/unloading.
2. To give refuge or shelter to someone or something.

the Adventurer league by league, over stormy bays, through crowded roadsteads, across harbour bars on a racing tide, up winding rivers that hid their busy little towns round a sudden turn;

1. A large flat-bottomed boat used for transporting goods on rivers and canals.
2. To move forcefully or clumsily, often in a disruptive manner.

like to think of it, ma’am!” “Where might your married daughter be living, ma’am?” asked the barge-woman. “She lives near to the river, ma’am,” replied Toad. “Close to a fine house called Toad

1. Excessively proud of oneself; vain.
2. Having an exaggerated sense of one's abilities or worth.

He’s got clear away for the time, that’s certain; and the worst of it is, he’ll be so conceited with what he’ll think is his cleverness that he may commit any folly. One comfort is, we’re free

1. A member of the Romani people, traditionally nomadic.
2. A person who leads a wandering or unconventional lifestyle.

dotted with patches of gorse and bramble as far as he could see. Near him stood a dingy gipsy caravan, and beside it a man was sitting on a bucket turned upside down, very busy smoking and

1. A former British currency unit, equal to 1/20 of a pound or 12 pence.
2. The basic monetary unit of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Somalia.

within sight of safety and almost of home, and to be baulked by the want of a few wretched shillings and by the pettifogging mistrustfulness of paid officials. Very soon his escape would be

1. A dialectal term meaning to push or poke something gently.
2. To move or proceed in a slow, steady manner.

head next time, Toady!” they called out to him. The indignant Toad swam to shore, while the stoats laughed and laughed, supporting each other, and laughed again, till they nearly had two

1. Small, carnivorous mammals with slender bodies and short legs, known for their agility.
2. To evade or avoid something, often deceitfully.

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

1. A small, slender carnivorous mammal with short legs and a long body.
2. To evade or avoid a situation or responsibility in a sneaky manner.

voice, “which I have composed on the subject of Toad”—(prolonged applause). Then the Chief Weasel—for it was he—began in a high, squeaky voice— “Toad he went a-pleasuring Gaily down the

1. A large formal meal for many people, often for a special occasion.
2. An elaborate feast or ceremonial dinner.

said the Toad, readily. “Anything to oblige. Though why on earth you should want to have a Banquet in the morning I cannot understand. But you know I do not live to please myself, but merely to