The Wind in the Willows: Chapter Six Summary & Analysis

It’s early summer now, and Mole and Rat are having breakfast and discussing what to do with their day. There’s a knock at the door, and Mole leads Badger into the kitchen. This is a big deal—Badger doesn’t usually call on other animals. Badger stares at Mole and Rat and then announces, “The hour has come!” Rat is confused, but Badger says it’s time to “take [Toad] in hand,” as they discussed in the winter. Badger says he’s heard that a new car is arriving at Toad Hall today. Toad is surely getting dressed in the “hideous” clothes that turn him from a toad to a violent creature, and it’s up to the three of them to “rescue” Toad.

Badger leads the way down the road. He, Mole, and Rat walk single file, which is how groups of animals are supposed to walk. When they reach Toad Hall, there’s a big red car in the driveway. Toad rushes out the front door, dressed in goggles, a cap, gaiters, and a huge overcoat. He sees his friends and starts to invite them to come along, but he falters when he notices their expressions. Badger tells Rat and Mole to bring Toad inside and then tells the chauffeur to take the car back. Then, Badger tells Toad to take off his ridiculous clothes. When Toad refuses, Rat and Mole take the garments off of Toad.

Toad giggles, seeming to understand what’s going on. Badger scolds Toad for squandering his father’s money and for ruining all the animals’ reputations by driving terribly, crashing his car, and fighting with the police. He leads Toad into the smoking room for a more hard-hitting conversation. As soon as they’re gone, Rat scoffs that a conversation will never work. But he and Mole sit and listen to Toad sob, and 45 minutes later, Toad and Badger come back out. Badger announces that Toad has vowed to give up cars forever. The only thing left is for Toad to apologize to his friends and admit he was silly for getting involved with cars at all.

Toad is silent—and then says that he’s not sorry, and that cars are “glorious,” not silly. Badger is perplexed, but Toad says he’ll say anything under pressure. He’s not sorry, and he definitely won’t promise to never touch a car again. Indeed, he can only promise that he’ll drive off in the first car he sees. Badger stands and says he knew it would come to this: he, Mole, and Rat will now stay in the house to supervise Toad until Toad sees the error of his ways. Rat and Mole take Toad upstairs and lock him in the bedroom, promising that this will be fun once Toad is over this “painful attack.” After this, Toad won’t waste his money, and he won’t have to be ordered around by female nurses in the hospital ever again.

Badger, Mole, and Rat arrange to watch Toad in shifts. At first, Toad seems to try to upset them by arranging chairs into a car shape and pretending to drive, making “ghastly” noises. But as time goes on, Toad becomes depressed. One morning, when Rat relieves Badger, Badger warns Rat that Toad isn’t to be trusted—Toad is still in bed and seems too subdued to be true. Badger leaves to go for a walk as Rat sits by Toad’s bedside. Without thinking, Rat reveals that Mole has gone out with Badger. Toad insists he can’t possibly get out of bed—he won’t be around much longer. It seems too much to ask to request that Rat fetch the doctor, and perhaps a lawyer as well.

The request for the lawyer disturbs Rat, so he leaves immediately for the village. Toad, of course, isn’t ill at all, so as soon as he sees Rat leave, he gets dressed and ties a rope out of sheets. He climbs out his window and heads in the opposite direction as Rat did. When Badger and Mole return and discover what happened, Badger brutally scolds Rat. He says they should stay at Toad Hall for a bit longer, since there’s no telling when Toad will return on a stretcher, or escorted by police. Toad no doubt thinks he’s very clever, so he might do any silly thing.  

Toad, “gay and irresponsible,” is walking along the road miles away from home. He’s very pleased with himself; it seems like nature is singing a song praising him. He sighs that Rat isn’t smart at all. When he returns, he should try to remedy that. As Toad marches along, thinking these conceited thoughts, he spots an inn and realizes he hasn’t eaten breakfast. He stops in and orders a huge luncheon. Halfway through the meal, he hears his favorite sound: poop-poop! Toad hears the car turn into the yard and tries to control his emotions. The party from the car comes into the coffee room, and Toad can’t stand it. He pays his bill and goes outside to inspect the car.

There’s nobody watching the car. Before Toad knows it, passion seizes him, and he’s driving down the road as fast as the car can go. Toad is the “the terror, the traffic-queller, the Lord of the lone trail.” He doesn’t know where he’s going—he’s just recklessly following his instincts.

Later, Toad stands trial: the Chairman of the Bench of Magistrates states that Toad has been found guilty of stealing a car, of endangering the public with his driving, and of “gross impertinence” to the police. The clerk lists his suggested sentences for each offense and suggests a total of 20 years in prison. The Chairman sentences Toad to 20 years, and “brutal minions” chain Toad. They drag him across the marketplace, where people throw vegetables and insults at him (they all love seeing “a gentleman in difficulties”). They take Toad into ancient towers and down stairs until they reach a dark dungeon kept by an ancient gaoler (jailer). The gaoler obediently locks Toad in a cell.