The Open Road – The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Explanation of The Open Road by Kenneth Grahame

The story so far of the Open Road is of two friends Mole and Ratty who meet by the riverside.

Ratty takes Mole for a trip in his Rowing Boat, but the excited Mole upsets the boat and both of them land in the water.

Mole and Ratty are two friends that meet by Riverside. Ratty then takes Mole on a trip in his rowing out on his boat but excited upsets the boat that means you unstabled it made it out of balance and then both flips the boat and lands in the water but Ratty rescues mole and invites him to stay with him for a few days so they can learn about the river and its ways Mole happily accept then Ratty rescues mole and then invite him to stay with him for few days so that they can learn more about the boat in the water how the control the boat. Then one day rat takes mole to Toad at Toad hall. Toad is a very rich and boastful person and has a tendency to become over enthusiastic about things. Toad  tells his guests that he is over his most recent fads, boats and proudly shows that his latest passion a Gypsy Caravan. Now  Ratty and mole went to meet Toad who is also a friend of Ratty. He lives at Toad hall Toad  is a very rich and boastful, boastful means he likes to show pride and Honour as himself and he has tendency meaning having such behaviour such as The students socialize every evening the students have a behaviour to socialize in the evening so that’s a behaviour to tell his guests that he is over most fad, boats and proudly shows that his latest passion a Gypsy Caravan now a gypsy Caravan is a ride that is ran by horses in the Olden times the kings and princes, kings and Queens used it for far travels they are similar to modern vans they have kitchens, sinks a place to sleep, write and some more things.‘There you are’ cried the Toad.’There’s real life for you, embodied in that little cart, The open Road, dusty Highways, the rolling downs, here today off somewhere else tomorrow! travel, change, excitement! come inside and look at the arrangements.’  There you are, come here this is the real life for you. Embodied means represented an idea or feeling in some way that he was expressing that the Open Road was the Highways The Rolling Down The Rolling down means a low Hill very low Hill that was covered in grass. Here today after somewhere else tomorrow that  today they will go somewhere else tomorrow travel change, interest, excitement expression that they will go to travel a lot of new places they would change their passion everything will interest them, The change of location will interest them and  excite will come to them, The Mole was tremendously excited and followed him eagerly into the caravan. It is very compact and comfortable little sleeping bunks a little folding table, a cooking stove, lockers and pots and pans ,jugs and kettles of every size.‘All complete’ The Toad said Triumphantly ‘You’ll find I’ve forgotten nothing When we start this afternoon’.

‘I beg your pardon’ said the rat slowly ‘But I am not planning on going anywhere except my home’. ‘Now you dear good old Ratty’ Said Toad imploringly ‘You’ve got to come I can’t possibly manage without you’ The Toad said  triumphantly.  Triumphantly means very proudly like To you say  with  proudness you’ll find I have forgotten nothing When we start this evening the toad said that it, He is explaining that he has not forgot anything when they will start this afternoon the rat said i beg your pardon  but i am not planning on going anywhere expect my home, The Rat was not planning on going anywhere else his home the said you good old ratty said toad imploringly, imploringly means pleadingly, he said that he can not manage without him. ‘I’m not coming and that’s final’ said the Rat ‘And what’s more, Mole’s going to stick to me’. ‘I’ll always stick to you ,Rat’ Said the Mole, loyally. ‘All the same it sounds as it might be, well rather fun you know’  He added wistfully, a caravan trip appeared new and thrilling to him suggesting a life filled with adventure . I’m not coming with you and that’s final and Mole’s gonna stick with me, The Mole is loyal to the rat so he is going to stick with him i’ll always stick with you said the mole loyally, loyally means to show him support to him all the same its sounds fun as it seems rather fun he means it sounds as fun it is he added wistfully, wistfully means with a feeling of regret a trip in a caravan appeared new and thrilling to Rat. ‘The Rat hated disappointing people, as he was fond of the mole. Though still unconvinced, he allowed his good nature to overcome his personal objections, The toad packed the lockers still tighter with necessaries while his companions harnessed the old grey horse that would pull the cart, Finally they set off, all talking at once  The rat hated disappointing people, and he was fond of the mole. The rat didn’t like disappointing which means not fulfill a job though still unconvinced, he allowed his good nature to overcome his personal objections the nature or the character of the person helped him to overcome the to overcome his personal objection which is the caravan trip The toad packed the lockers still tighter with necessaries while his companions harnessed the old grey horse that would pull the cart, Finally they set off, all talking at once The toad packed everything that they would would need while his companions harnessed the old grey horse that would pull the cart the companions being the rat and mole they were getting the grey horse that would pull the cart Finally they set off, all talking at once the wayfarers bid them ’Good Day’ or stopped to say nice things about their beautiful cart. Wayfarers means traveller or wanderers 

Late in the evening, tired and happy and miles away from home they drew up on a remote common, turned the horse loose to graze, and ate their simple supper sitting on the grass. At last, tired and happy, they turned to their little bunks in the cart.  They drew up on a remote common means they were preparing to eat at a public area common means public area graze means the animal that eats grass.  No amount of shaking could have roused  the Toad out of bed the next morning. The Rat and the Mole set off to work, seeing to the horse, cleaning the mess of last night and making breakfast. The hard work had been done by the time Toad appeared on the scene, remarking what a pleasant and easy life they were leading.

Their way lay across the country,and it was not till afternoon that they came out on the high-road .They walked along one side of the road, The Mole by the horse’s head and the toad and the rat walking behind the cart far behind the they heard a faint hum.  Glancing back the saw they saw a small cloud of dust advancing towards them at incredible speed, while out of the dust came a faint Poop-Poop. In an instant, with a blast of wind and noise that made them jump for the nearest ditch, the motor car was on them. The poop-poop rang their ears, and they had a moment’s glimpse of the immense machine, its pilot hugging his wheel. It flung a cloud of dust that blinded them utterly, then dwindled to a speck in the far distance.

Their way lay across the country, means they travelled across the country 

The saw a small cloud advancing towards them it means that a cloud was coming towards them with a blast of wind and noise that made them jump for the nearest ditch, the motor car was on them with the intense wind and the noise made them move to a ditch which means the narrow side of the road, poop-poop rang their ears, and they had a moment’s glimpse of the immense machine, its pilot hugging his wheel. It flung a cloud of dust that blinded them utterly, then dwindled to a speck in the far distance. Utterly means absolutely, dwindled to a speck in the far distance  means dwindled means becoming less. Frightened out of their wits, the old grey horse drove the cart backwards into the deep ditch at the side of the road. There was a terrible crash- and the cart lay on its side, a hopeless wreck. 

‘You villains!!’ the Rat shouted, shaking both fists.’You scoundrels, you-you-roadhogs! I”ll have the law for you!!” The rat was furious about this.

Toad sat down in the middle of the dusty road, staring fixedly in the direction of the disappearing motor car. As intervals he faintly murmured ’Poop-poop’ The Mole and the rat went to look at the cart. It was a sorry sight. Panels and windows smashed, one wheel off and axles twisted out of shape ‘Toad!’ they cried,’Come and have a look!’The Toad never said a word. His friends found him sitting on the road, a happy smile on his face, his eyes fixed on the dusty wake of their destroyer

 his eyes fixed on the dusty wake of their destroyer means that his eyes were looking  at the destroyers remaining. The Rat shook him by the shoulder,’Are you coming to help us, Toad?’ he demanded sternly. Sternly means seriously. 

‘Glorious, stirring sight!’ murmmed Toad, not budging from his place.’The poetry of motion! The REAL way to travel! The Only way to travel! Here today. In next week tomorrow! O bliss! O poop-poop! O my! O my!‘Glorious, stirring sight!’ murmmed Toad, not budging from his place.’The poetry of motion!  The Toad was dreaming a stirring sight, stirring means emotional or causing excitement The poetry of motion! The REAL way to travel! The Only way to travel! Here today. In next week tomorrow! O bliss! O poop-poop! O my! O my!‘Glorious, stirring sight! The Toad was dreaming all of it and murmuring it. 

‘O stop being and ass, Toad ’cried the Mole

‘To think I never knew!’ went on the Toad,’I never ever DREAMT!’ But NOW that i Know, now that I fully realise ! What dust-cloud shall spring up behind me as I speed on my way!’ The Toad continued to Murmur in his thoughts.

‘What are we to do with him?’ asked the Mole 

‘Nothing at all,’ replied the Rat firmly.’He has got a new craze. He’ll continue like that for days’ quite useless for all practical purposes. Nevermind Him.’

The two decide what to do with him but the rat demands to leave him because he is of no use, firmly means with little possibility.

The Rat took hold of the horse’s reins.’Come on!’ he said grimly to the Mole

‘Its five or six miles to the nearest town, and we shall have to walk it, reins is the leash of the horse. ‘But what about Toad?’asked the Mole anxiously.’We can’t just leave him here sitting in the middle of the road! It’s not safe. Anxiously means  in a manner resulting from or revealing anxiety.

O, BOTHER Toad,’said the Rat fiercely.’I’m done with him!’ They had not proceeded far, when there was a pattering of feet behind them and Toad caught them up, meaning when they had not gone far when a repeating patterning of feet was behind them and Toad going faster by it. ‘Now, look here,Toad!’ said the Rat sharply.’ ‘As soon as we get to the town you’ll go straight to the police station and lodge a complaint against the motor car and it’s owner.’Complaint!’murmured Toad dreamily.’Me COMPLAIN about that heavenly vision! That swan, that sunbeam, that thunderbolt! NEVER!’

But the Toad is still in his dreams. ‘You see how it is?’ the Rat said to the Mole.’He’s quite hopeless. When we get to the town, we’ll go to the railway station and with the luck we have we may get a train that will take us back home.’ The rat makes a plan to get back home. After leaving the horse at an inn stable, they boarded a train which landed them at a station not far from Toad hall having escorted a sleepwalking Toad to his door, the two friends finally sat down to late supper in Rat’s cosy riverside parlour. Finally the friends back home while the Toad is still dreaming, the two friends have dinner at the residence of Rat. The next evening the Rat finds Mole fishing on the river-banks ‘heard the news??’ said the Mole ‘Toad went up to the town by an early train this morning And he has ordered a large and very expensive motor car

Meanings 

Embodied-Represented an idea or feeling in some way

The Rolling down-A low Hill very low Hill that was covered in grass

Tremendously-Highly

Triumphantly-Proudly

Imploringly-Pleadingly

Wayfarers-Travelers

Common-A land of public

Graze-Animal that eats grass

Incredible-Unbelievably

Dwindled-Becoming less