THE WIND in the WILLOWS (English Original)

Kenneth Grahame, British fairy tale writer. Born in Edinburgh into a traditional Scottish family, his father was a lawyer, but he had a serious alcohol habit. After his mother died of scarlet fever, his grandparents took him to the countryside and raised him. The field scenery he wandered around as a child later became the world where Mole, Rat, Badger and Mr. Toad traveled together in "The Wind in the Willows". Although Graham's childhood was fraught with troubles, the tone of "The Wind in the Willows" is sweet. Perhaps Graham discovered that only in these forest animals can the dormant hope and love in life sprout. The sound of wind in the willow forest actually blows on every heart. "The Wind in the Willows" once attracted the attention of the then US President Roosevelt. He once wrote a letter telling the author that he read "The Wind in the Willows" three times in one go. In 1895, Graham published the children's book "The Golden Age". The huge success of this book established his position in the history of children's literature. The Wind in the Willows, published in 1908, won Graham even higher praise and was hailed as the finale of the golden age of British children's literature. "The Wind in the Willows" is published in the original English version, and comes with a matching English reading CD, allowing readers to appreciate the wonderful story while also improving their English proficiency. A sentimental British favorite, The Wind in the Willows is a far more interesting book than its popular and often juvenile audience might suggest. It became established as the evergreen children's classic it is known as today. In 1908, Grahame retired from his position as secretary of the Bank of England. He moved back to Cookham, Berkshire, where he had been brought up and spent his time by the River Thames doing much as the animal characters in his book do. He wrote down the bedtime stories he had been telling his son Alistair. In 1909, Theodore Roosevelt, then