Mr. Toad

Mr. Toad, usually referred to as Toad, is one of the four main protagonists of the 1908 book The Wind in the Willows and it's sequel The Willows in Winter. Unlike the other protagonists Badger, Rat and Mole, Toad is presented as more of an anti-heroic character; being somewhat vain and selfish, who gets into trouble with the law on several occasions. Despite this, Toad's heart is in the right place and ultimately he does change for the better. 
==Biography==
===The Wind in the Willows===
Mr. Toad is the wealthy owner and resident of the appropriately named Toad Hall, the largest and most luxurious residence on the River Bank. Toad inherited the estate from his late father, who was a friend of Mr Badger's. Toad is known for his adventurous spirit and his ever changing obsessions. He will become interested in something for a certain amount of time, before giving it up and moving on to something else. 
Despite the differences in their social status, Toad is well known and generally liked by the local residents of the River Bank. At some point, he became acquainted with Mr Rat, a water vole known for his love of the river and boats. In fact, when Mr Mole, who had only just recently visited the river first sees Toad, the latter has taken an interest in river boats. Whilst enjoying a picnic, Rat, Mole and Mr Otter see Toad attempting to row down the river (and failing miserably).
By the time Rat takes Mole to Toad Hall to introduce the latter to Toad properly however, the rich amphibian has given up on his craze of river boats. Toad warms up to Mole quickly, before taking the pair to show them his latest interest: gypsy caravans. Having recently purchased one, Toad states that he intends to travel and eventually persuades the eager Mole and reluctant Rat to join him on the expedition. A few days into the trip however, the caravan ends up being knocked over when a passing motorcar startles the horse pulling it. 
Whilst Rat shouts after the driver and Mole tries to calm down the horse, Toad enters a trance like state, amazed by what he just witnessed. In an instant, he forgets about caravans and develops a new interest in motorcars. 
With no other means of transportation, the three friends are forced to walk to nearest town. Despite Rat's insistence, Toad refuses to lodge a complaint against the motorcar driver, declaring that he is finished with carts forever. Realising that Toad will be of no assistance, Rat and Mole take control of the situation. As Toad continues to fantasize about motorcars, the two mammals arrange for the caravan to be collected. Afterwards the trio go to the railway and manage to catch a train back to the Riverbank. After dropping Toad back off at Toad Hall, Rat and Mole return to Rat's home. 
The next day, Rat, who has sworn never to go travelling with Toad again, notifies Mole about the latest gossip. According to the other river-banker's, Toad went to town earlier that morning and ordered a fancy new motorcar. Thus, Toad's latest fixation begins. This particular obsession lasts far longer than any of Toad's other crazes and is still going strong by the time Rat and Mole stumble upon Badger's residence in the dead of winter. 
When Badger asks how Toad is getting on, Rat and Mole paint a very grim picture. Badger is informed that in the intervening months, Toad has bought and crashed no fewer than seven motorcars. The remnants of these written off machines now lie strewn across his coach-house. Three of these crashes landed Toad in hospital for weeks or months at a time. Worse still, Toad is now frequently getting into trouble with the law. He has had numerous run-ins with the police, resulting in either serious warnings or hefty fines. 
Despite this and the concerns/warnings from his neighbours, Toad won't listen to reason or give up his craze. Ignoring the clear evidence to contrary, he continues to insist that he is "a heaven born driver" and won't do something more sensible like hire a chauffeur or an instructor. The clearly worried Rat and Mole tell Badger that something needs to be done otherwise, Toad will end up in big trouble. Rat suspects that Toad will either kill somebody, probably himself or end up bankrupt, as Toad may be wealthy but he isn't a millionaire. 
Badger agrees with the pair, but says that it is far too late in the year for him to be worrying about Toad now. After promising to take the matter in hand once the winter is over, the animals put Toad to the back of their minds for the time being and instead focus upon celebrating Christmas. 
A few months later, once the cold weather has passed and the flowers are blooming again, Badger shows up unannounced, telling the younger mammals that he is now ready to take Toad in hand. He asks for their assistance, to which the relieved Rat and Mole eagerly comply. The group quickly make their way to Toad Hall, where Toad is about to purchase yet another expensive vehicle. There they find Toad donning his driving garments. 
Toad is initially elated to see his friends again, but his joy quickly falters when he sees the groups serious expressions. Badger's orders to be Toad taken inside by Rat and Mole, before telling the car salesman, to Toad's horror, to take the vehicle away immediately. Inside, the shocked and horrified Toad demands an explanation but Badger refuses to speak to Toad whilst the latter is wearing such a ridiculous attire. Toad defiantly refuses to take off his driving gear, whereupon Rat and Mole, acting on Badger's orders once again, strip off Toad's gloves, hat and goggles, with Toad struggling all the while. Only once his normal attire is revealed again does Badger finally confront Toad about his antics. 
Stating that he should have anticipated something like this sooner or later, Badger calls the young amphibian out on his atrocious behaviour. He makes it very clear that they are not going to let Toad run around recklessly or squander the money his father left him anymore. Deciding to give his best friends son one last chance, Badger takes Toad into the smoking room so that he can tell him in full what his antics have done. 
Rat does not think this is going to work but three-quarters of an hour later, when Toad and Badger emerge, it looks as though Toad has seen the error of his ways. Badger assures the younger mammals that their amphibious acquaintance has now seen the error of his ways and is ready to apologise for his mistakes. Toad, however, proves that Rat was right, by retracting all of the statements he made in the smoking room and making it very clear that he just said whatever was necessary so that Badger would stop shouting at him. Despite everything he was just told and his friends sincere pleas for his wellbeing, Toad makes it very clear that he is not giving up his obsession with motorcars. Instead, he vows to drive off in the very next motorcar he sees, whether it is his or not. 
This is the final straw for Badger, Rat and Mole. Left with no choice, they place Toad under house arrest, vowing to watch him day and night, until he changes his mind. Toad is confined to his bedroom, with his three caretakers taking turns to watch him. For a while this plan works. Then, one day, Badger and Mole head out, leaving Rat in charge of Toad. Sensing his opportunity, the young amphibian tricks Rat into leaving him alone by pretending to be ill. Once Rat is gone, Toad ties all of the bed sheets together to form a makeshift rope, climbs out the window and flees in the countryside. By the time Rat and the others discover what has happened, it is too late. Knowing that the trail will have gone cold, they decide not to pursue him, hoping that Toad will return of his own accord.
After fleeing the manor, Toad traverses several fields until he reaches The Red Lion pub, where he stops for lunch. Whilst enjoying his meal, a group of humans arrive in a large, expensive motorcar. This immediately catches Toad's attention. As the cars occupants enter pub for lunch, Toad quietly pays for his meal, slips outside and sneaks over to the vehicle. Seemingly unaware of what he is doing, Toad carries out the promise he made and, after powering up the car, drives off in it. 
What happened next is not clear but in the end Rat and Mole's worst fears were finally realised. Toad is apprehended, tried and convicted for theft, dangerous driving and verbally insulting his the rural officers. Toad's strict and unsympathetic judge asks what are the stiffest penalties he can enforce, in light of the prisoners clear guilt. The clerk suggests a total of 20 years in prison; 1 year for the theft, 3 years for the dangerous driving, 15 years for the insults and an extra year "to be on the safe side". The Judge agrees with this suggestion ecstatically and before Toad is taken down, he warns that amphibian that should he ever appear before this court again, he will be dealt with much more seriously. Toad is then dragged unceremoniously off to the jail, much to the amusement and mockery of the locals. 
Whilst in prison, Toad befriends the gaoler's daughter. Taking sympathy upon him, the young woman agrees to help Toad escape. Conspiring with her aunt, a poor washer woman, Toad and the aunt swap clothes, allowing Toad to walk out the front door unnoticed. Under the cover of darkness, Toad heads to the train station intending to buy a ticket back home. Unfortunately, not only has his escape been discovered, but Toad accidently left his wallet in his original clothes. At that moment, however, a train driver spots him and asks if everything is ok? 
Thinking fast, Toad convinces the man that he is a poor, penniless washerwoman who needs to get home to her children. Believing him, the drivers agrees to let him ride in the cabin, if he will wash a few shirts in exchange. Toad happily agrees and at first, it looks as if he has managed to make a clean getaway. But later, whilst they are riding through the countryside, the driver notices another engine chasing them, with the occupants, policemen, waving for him to stop. Knowing what will happen if they stop, Toad comes clean. After listening to his story, the driver decides that although he should rightfully turn Toad in, he doesn't like being ordered around on his own engine. 
After realising that they will never be able to outrun the officers train, however, the driver comes up with another idea. They are approaching a long tunnel. Telling Toad that there is a thick wood on the other side, he tells Toad that when they get to the end of the tunnel, he will slow down just enough to let Toad off, then make a break for it. If they play their cards right, the police will think that Toad is still on the other train and follow after him. Bracing himself, Toad jumps when instructed and watches as the unsuspecting law officers charge past, in pursuit of his new friend.
Toad's elation is short-lived, as he now finds himself lost in the countryside. After sleeping in a hollow tree, on a bed of branches and leaves, Toad wanders aimlessly and comes across a woman operating a horse-drawn barge. Once again, he convinces the unsuspecting human to let him ride on the barge by saying that he is a washer woman who has a daughter living near Toad Hall. However, the barge woman soon realises who he is and, disgusted at having an animal aboard her barge, throws Toad into the river. Furious, Toad takes revenge by stealing the woman's horse, leaving her stranded. 
He later sells the horse to a gypsy, finally acquiring some money. After some more walking, home and the riverbank are nearby. In what appears to be a stroke of fortune, Toad spots a car approaching and wanting to return home in style, flags the vehicle down. Unfortunately, the car turns out to be very same vehicle he had previously stolen and the passengers are the same ones he stole it from. At first the passengers do not recognise Toad, and thinking him a poor washerwoman overcome by the heat, give him a ride. Acting fast, Toad expresses an interest in the vehicle and tricks the driver into giving him a "driving lesson". Grabbing the steering wheel, Toad puts his foot to the floor and, revealing his identity, drives the car into a pond before fleeing leaving the occupants stranded.
Unfortunately for Toad, the police were not far away, resulting in a chase across the country fields. While trying to escape, Toad ends up jumping into a river which takes him to Rat's home. There he discovers that whilst he was in prison, his friends tried watching the house for him. However, the Wild Wooders (namely the weasels and stoats) attacked them, evicted the trio and have now taken over Toad Hall. However, all is not lost, for the three friends have a plan. Mr. Badger knows of a secret tunnel that leads directly into Toad Hall. With a bit of deception from Mole, the four friends manage to lure the security forces outside, whilst the rest of the weasels remain inside to celebrate their chiefs birthday. 
As a result of this, Toad and his friends are able to enter the building undetected. Waiting for the opportune moment, the group spring an ambush, which catches the Wild Wooders completely off guard. Toad is understandably the most angry of the group for kicking him out of and helping themselves to the luxuries of his ancestoral home. He personally sees off the Chief Weasel, as the Wild Wooders run out of Toad Hall en-masse. 
Following the spectacle, Toad, at Badger's suggestion, hosts an expensive banquet to mark his return. Despite some initial reservations, Toad quickly warms up to the idea. Instead of just invitations however, he proceeds to write an entire repertoire for the evening, concerning speeches and songs. After delivering the invitations however, the other animals, Rat in particular, state that this is not a good idea. They tell him quite blunly that his songs are not only gastly, but vain and self-serving. They essentially tell him that he is behaving just like he was before his arrest and that this sort of behaviour simply cannot continue. 
These words have profound effect upon Toad, who at long last finally acknowledges that he is a pompous fool. Though hurt by his friends words, he vows to turn over a new leaf. Seeing Toad's despair, Rat feels guilty, but Badger states that Toad needed to hear these words.
That night, the festivities take place. Toad, after dressing himself in his best attire, sings one final song on his way to the spectacle, "When the Toad came Home". When he finally reaches the banquet, the riverbankers cheer and applaude, before asking about his exploits. What happens next, takes them all by surprise. Toad's prison sentence, his journey back to the River Bank, bid to reclaim Toad Hall and the words of his three best friends have genuinely humbled him. Downplaying his own involvement, Toad praises his friends for their antics, gives no speech or song and renounces his obsession with motor cars forever.
Toad then proceeds to make amends for his previous behaviour. He sends letters of gratitude, along with gifts to the people who helped him (a gold chain, set with pearls to the gaoler's daughter and money to the train driver), along with a letter of apology and financial compensation to the barge woman. Afterwards, Toad settles down to live a much more peaceful and quiet life. Toad, Mole, Rat and Badger, who will occasionally walk through the Wild Wood together, would go on to live happily ever after and remain friends for the rest of their lives.
===The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad===
See Mr. J. Thaddeus Toad
Toad appears in this 1949 film by Disney.
===The Willows in Winter===
One summer sometime after the events of the first story, Toad allows Mole's recently orphaned nephew to stay with him at Toad Hall and they play croquet together. But Toad ends up sending Mole's nephew back to live with his uncle in Mole End after becoming fascinated by a plane.
By winter, Toad has bought a plane but is not pleased to learn that only a licensed pilot can fly it. The plane's pilot agrees to keep his head down to make it look like that Toad is flying the plane. Rat and Badger see Toad flying in the sky and later go to Toad Hall to confront him over his recklessness and decide that the plane should be used to look for a missing Mole. However, Toad knocks out the pilot and starts to command the plane with Rat on board. Toad ends up forgetting about looking for Mole and starts doing stunts, causing Rat to fall out of the plane. Luckily, Rat is able to activate his parachute.
Later, Toad ends up crashing the plane into a greenhouse, whose owner is revealed to be the judge that sent Toad to jail for the car theft. Not wanting the judge to know who he is, Toad claims to be a pilot trying to prove himself, causing him to be regarded as a hero. Whilst staying at the judge's home, Toad is invited to dinner. Not wanting his cover to be blown, Toad blocks up the chimney in his room and requests a sweep. Toad then gets the sweep drunk and then steals his clothes. Toad then ends up revealing his identity and the judge orders his arrest, but Toad manages to escape. Toad is roped into attending a wedding to bring good luck. However, the father of the groom is revealed to be the judge, resulting in Toad being arrested. An article in a paper reporting Toad's arrest make him out as a menace to society and claim that he killed the sweep.
At court, Toad tearfully pleads guilty to all his charges and confesses abandoning the search for Mole and possibly causing Rat's death. This confuses the court, who had no knowledge of Toad's friends. Just then, a letter from the editor of The Times newspaper (who is an old friend of Badger) arrives and says that he and Badger vouch for Toad's good character. The judge's butler also testifies for Toad and reveals that the sweep is alive. Toad's charges are dropped and he is allowed to return to Toad Hall.
However, whilst drinking at home, Toad accidentally knocks over a candle, starting a fire. Luckily, Rat, along with a very much alive and well Mole use the tunnel underneath Toad Hall to enter and rescue Toad. As he watches his ancestral home burn to the ground, Toad reveals that he has no insurance to restore it. As he is saying this, the letter he refused to open falls from his pocket. Rat opens it and is shocked by the contents. Turning to Toad, he informs him and the astonished crowd, that the letter is from his American cousin Luther's solicitors. Luther has died and bequeathed his entire fortune to Toad. Toad has inherited $5,000,000 (£3,528,600.00), meaning he can restore Toad Hall after all. 
The river-bankers are still never the less saddened by the loss of the old manor. Toad, however, says its fine. Accepting what has happened, he declares that all things must come to an end.
==Portrayers==
===Animated and Stop Motion===
*The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) - Eric Blore
*The Wind in the Willows (1983) and follow-up 1984-1990 series - David Jason (who also played Danger Mouse and Count Duckula)
*The Wind in the Willows (1987) - Charles Nelson Reilly 
*The Wind in the Willows (1995) and The Willows in Winter (1996) - Rik Mayall (who also played Rick, Richie, Edwin and King Arthur)
===Live Action===
*The Wind in the Willows (known in the United States as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride) (1996) - Terry Jones
*The Wind in the Willows (2006) - Matt Lucas 
==Gallery==
Iceraichabodmrtoad0691.jpg|Mr. J. Thaddeus Toad in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
00toad.jpg|Mr. Toad in the 1983 adaptation of The Wind in the Willows.
Mr.Toad1987.jpg|Mr. Toad in the 1987 adaptation of The Wind in the Willows.
toad-the-willows-in-winter-59.2.jpg|Mr. Toad in the 1995 adaptation of The Wind in the Willows.
Mr.Toadtwiw1996.jpg|Mr. Toad in the 1996 film The Willows in Winter (sequel to the 1995 film)
Mr.Toadtwitw1996liveaction.jpg|Mr. Toad in the 1996 live action adaptation of The Wind in the Willows (Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in the United States)
Mr.Toadtwitw2006liveaction.jpg|Mr. Toad in the 2006 live action adaptation of The Wind in the Willows
==Trivia==
*Mr. Toad was inspired by Alastair, the son of The Wind in the Willows' author Kenneth Grahame.
*Rik Mayall, who potrayed Toad in the 1995 film adaptation and it's 1996 sequel The Willows in Winter, said that Toad was always his favourite character and had always wanted to play him.
*Although he ultimately reformed in the book, a lot of television and film adaptations have Toad taking up a new obsession in place of motorcars, usually, aeroplanes. 
==Navigation==
Category:Book Heroes
Category:TV Show Heroes
Category:Movie Heroes
Category:Cartoon Heroes
Category:Live Action Heroes
Category:Male
Category:Anti-Heroes
Category:Animals
Category:Anthropomorphic
Category:Wealthy
Category:Comic Relief
Category:Redeemed Villains
Category:Titular
Category:Dimwits
Category:Arrogant
Category:Jerks
Category:Chaotic Neutral