Rat (Wind in the Willows)

Rat (better known as Ratty) is one of the four main characters in the 1908 book The Wind of the Willows, it's TV and film adaptations and it's sequels.

He is a water vole (referred to as a water rat in the book) who lives at a riverbank in England.

One spring day, he meets and befriends Mole, who had left his underground home to explore the outside world after getting bored of spring cleaning. Mole goes on to become Ratty's housemate and meets his other friends Otter and Mr. Toad (who has many obsessions).

When visiting Mr. Toad at his home Toad Hall, Ratty and Mole see that his current interest is a horse-drawn gypsy caravans and are taken for a ride by him in his gypsy caravan. However, a motorcar races past them, causing the caravan to topple over. Whilst Ratty shouts after the driver of the car and Mole calms down the horse, Mr. Toad develops a interest in motorcars.

One winter's day, Mole goes into the Wild Wood and gets lost. Ratty goes to look for him and finds him. Whilst travelling through the woods, Mole scraps his shin on a boot scraper, which makes Ratty realise that they are outside the home of Mr. Badger, who lets them stay the night. Ratty tells Mr. Badger about Mr. Toad's new obsession with motorcars and how he crashed seven cars, has ended up in hospital three times and has paid many fines, but Mr. Badger replies that they must wait until winter is over before they can do anything.

After winter is over, Ratty, Mole and Mr. Badger arrive at Toad Hall and try to talk Mr. Toad out of his motorcar obsession. When Mr. Toad refuses, the trio are forced to put him under house arrest until he changes his mind. However one day, when Mole and Mr. Badger are out of the house, Mr. Toad feigns illness and tricks Ratty into leaving the house, giving him the chance to escape, where he steals a car and is jailed for 20 years.

Although dismayed that Mr. Toad escaped, Ratty, Mole and Mr. Badger are glad that they do not have to continue wasting the summer watching him.

After Otter's young son Portly goes missing, Ratty and Mole go to look for him and find him in the care of Pan, the Greek God of Nature, who later erases their memories of the encounter.

After Mr. Toad escapes prison and returns to Toad Hall, he finds that it has been took over by weasels from the Wild Wood.

Ratty helps Mr. Toad reclaim Toad Hall from the Wild Wooders.