Have you heard about the Toad?

Whilst holidaying with his wife in May of 1907, Kenneth Grahame wrote the first of fifteen letters to his son and ended it with mention of Toad, a fantastical character recently introduced to seven-year-old Alistair's bedtime stories, in part to better teach him right from wrong. His son was delighted and, over the coming weeks, his father's regular letters became entirely devoted to these stories. Within 18 months, following advice from his wife to further develop the tales, the general public were also introduced to Toad and friends by way of Grahame's now-classic book, The Wind in the Willows.

Transcript follows. Images courtesy of the Bodleian Library.

Images: Bodleian Library

Transcript

GREEN BANK HOTEL
FALMOUTH

10th May 1907.

My darling Mouse

This is a birth-day letter, to wish you very many happy returns of the day. I wish we could have been all together, but we shall meet again soon, & then we will have treats. I have sent you two picture-books, one about Brer Rabbit, from Daddy, & one about some other animals, from Mummy. And we have sent you a boat, painted red, with mast & sails, to sail in the round pond by the windmill  — & Mummy has sent you a boat-hook to catch it when it comes to shore. Also Mummy has sent you some sand-toys to play in the sand with, and a card-game.

Have you heard about the Toad? He was never taken pris­oner by brig­ands at all. It was all a hor­rid low trick of his. He wrote that let­ter him­self  —  the let­ter say­ing that a hun­dred pounds must be put in the hol­low tree. And he got out of the win­dow early one morn­ing, & went off to a town called Buggleton & went to the Red Lion Hotel & there he found a party that had just motored down from London, & while they were hav­ing break­fast he went into the stable-yard & found their motor-car & went off in it with­out even say­ing Poop-poop! And now he has van­ished & every one is look­ing for him, includ­ing the police. I fear he is a bad low animal.

Goodbye, from

Your loving Daddy.