Bedside Lamp English Learning Reader II: Willow Wind (Pure English Version)

Author: (English) Kenneth Grahame
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-05-01
Features: This book tells a fairy tale, depicting the pastoral life of several small animals living in nature—the mole living underground, the water rat living by the river, the badger in the primeval forest, and the toad in Toad Hall—as well as their touching friendship. The mole, water rat, badger, and toad are four good friends. The mole met the water rat on a spring day and became good friends, starting to live together. The water rat is honest, kind, understanding, and always willing to help, showing meticulous care for the mole. In return, the mole is loyal and deeply admires him. The toad living in Toad Hall is arrogant and self-centered, squandering the small inheritance left by his father. He also loves reckless adventures and is easily bored with new things, always resorting to any means to obtain them. While taking the mole and water rat on an adventure, he saw a car and was instantly captivated. From then on, he indulged in extravagant spending, buying cars endlessly, getting into accidents constantly, and being sent to the hospital repeatedly. The toad's behavior worried his friends greatly, and they always tried to help him break his bad habits and reform. The mole, who had long admired the badger living in the primeval forest, but had never met him, secretly prepared to visit his home while the water rat was asleep. However, the primeval forest was dark and frightening, with various animals lurking about. The simple mole was terrified by the sounds and footsteps of the animals and hid in a tree hole. When the water rat finally found him, it had already snowed, and the two were lost in the snow but coincidentally stumbled upon the badger's home. The badger and the mole instantly clicked and became close friends. The toad's obsession with cars led him to steal someone else's new car, resulting in his arrest. Fortunately, with the help of the jailer's daughter, he disguised himself as a laundress and escaped from prison after enduring many hardships. Upon returning home, the toad discovered that Toad Hall had been taken over by the field mice, who were causing chaos there. In the end, under the guidance of the badger, the four animals used their wits to cleverly defeat the enemy and reclaim Toad Hall. The toad also reformed his flaws. With the help of the clever water rat and the steady badger, the mole matured through life's trials. This fairy tale is written in elegant prose, embodying the authentic style of British essays. It provides a detailed depiction of nature and is rich in wisdom. The story is (twisting and interesting), and at the time, it was hailed as one of the greatest children's literary works in English. The author gained fame in the British literary world as a result.