THE RIVER AND THE WIDE WORLD
An occasional delightful illustration can be found in some of the great children’s classics. I was reminded of one recently by my friend Ken Johnson of Monrovia, CA. He pointed me to that marvelous scene near the opening of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in The Willows. Rat is introducing Mole to The River as they scull along in a little boat. ‘I beg your pardon,’ said the Mole, pulling himself together with an effort. ‘You must think me very rude; but all this is so new to me. So–this–is–a– River!’ ‘The River,’ corrected the Rat. ‘And you really live by the river? What a jolly life!’ ‘By it and with it and on it and in it,’ said the Rat. ‘It’s brother and sister to me, and aunts, and company, and food and drink, and (naturally) washing. It’s my world, and I don’t want any other. What it hasn’t got is not worth having, and what it doesn’t…
To view this resource, log in or sign up for a subscription plan
