Mr. Toad

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title: "Mr. Toad" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["anthropomorphic-frogs", "characters-in-children's-literature", "characters-in-british-novels-of-the-20th-century", "male-characters-in-literature", "male-characters-in-animation", "literary-characters-introduced-in-1908", "fictional-drivers", "the-wind-in-the-willows", "fictional-fugitives"] topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Toad" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox character"]

FieldValue
nameMr. Toad
seriesThe Wind in the Willows
imageE.H. Shepard illustration of Mr Toad.jpg
captionIllustration by E.H. Shepard
firstThe Wind in the Willows
creatorKenneth Grahame
portrayerPeter Harryson (stage adaptation)
voiceEric Blore (1949 film)
David Jason (1983 film, 1984 TV series)
Charles Nelson Reilly (1987 film)
Rik Mayall (1995 film, 1996 sequel)
speciesToad
genderMale
occupationThe Squire of Toad Hall
nationalityEnglish
::

| name = Mr. Toad | series = The Wind in the Willows | image = E.H. Shepard illustration of Mr Toad.jpg | caption = Illustration by E.H. Shepard | first = The Wind in the Willows | creator = Kenneth Grahame | portrayer = Peter Harryson (stage adaptation) | voice = Eric Blore (1949 film) David Jason (1983 film, 1984 TV series) Charles Nelson Reilly (1987 film) Rik Mayall (1995 film, 1996 sequel) | species = Toad | gender = Male | occupation = The Squire of Toad Hall | nationality = English Mr. Toad, of Toad Hall, is one of the main characters in the 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.

Inspiration

The inspiration for Mr. Toad's wayward mischievousness and boastfulness was Kenneth Grahame's only child Alastair: a family friend, Constance Smedley, overheard Grahame telling Alastair the exploits of Toad as a bedtime story, and noted that "Alastair's own tendency to exult in his exploits was gently satirized in Mr. Toad". Colonel Francis Cecil Ricardo (1852–1924), the first owner of a car in Cookham in Berkshire, where Grahame wrote the books is also thought to have been an influence. Other suggestions include Walter Cunliffe, 1st Baron Cunliffe and Sir Charles Day Rose.

Character

Toad is the squire of the English countryside estate Toad Hall, which he inherited from his family. Toad is a jovial and friendly figure but he is often ruled by his conceit and impulsiveness which frequently gets him into trouble. Toad is known for becoming obsessed with various activities and then eventually growing bored with them. In the novel Toad becomes obsessed with motor cars after one runs him and his friends off the road in his caravan. Toad is a passionate driver and crashes at least eight motor cars before his friends step in and encourage him to change his ways.

In other works

A. A. Milne's 1929 play Toad of Toad Hall was based on the book. William Horwood wrote several children's novels, Tales of the Willows, continuing the original story. The 2013 graphic adventure video game The Wolf Among Us, based on the Fables comic book series, features Mr. Toad as "a foul-mouthed taxi-driver" voiced by Chuck Kourouklis.

Portrayals

References

References

  1. Mattanah, Jonathan. (2009). "Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows: A Children's Classic at 100". [[Scarecrow Press]].
  2. Johnson, Andrew. (22 October 2011). "Is this the real Mr Toad?". [[The Independent]].
  3. Christopher McGrath, ''Mr. Darley's Arabian'', Pegasus Books, 2017, pp. 212, 243 {{ISBN?
  4. (1997). "Mr. Bliss and Mr. Toad: Hazardous Driving in J.R.R. Tolkien's "Mr. Bliss" & Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows"". [[Mythlore]].
  5. (2010). "Literary Afterlife: The Posthumous Continuations of 325 Authors' Fictional Characters". McFarland.
  6. (26 November 2019). "With The Wolf Among Us, Telltale Takes a Turn for the Nihilistic".
  7. "Mr. Toad Voice – The Wolf Among Us (Video Game)". Behind the Voice Actors.
  8. (2015). "RKO Radio Pictures Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, 1929–1956". McFarland.
  9. (2008). "The Oxford Companion to the American Musical". Oxford University Press.
  10. (9 June 2014). "In Pictures: Rik Mayall, a career in comedy". [[The Herald (Glasgow).
  11. (19 December 2007). "Willow talk". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
  12. (15 June 1998). "Aftonbladet nöje: Sista kvällen som padda".
  13. "Wind in the Willows (Broadway, Nederlander Theatre, 1985) | Playbill".
  14. Billington, Michael. (29 June 2017). "The Wind in the Willows review – Rufus Hound goes wild with Julian Fellowes' party animals". The Guardian.

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anthropomorphic-frogscharacters-in-children's-literaturecharacters-in-british-novels-of-the-20th-centurymale-characters-in-literaturemale-characters-in-animationliterary-characters-introduced-in-1908fictional-driversthe-wind-in-the-willowsfictional-fugitives