Original subtitles

♪ The Wind in the Willows

♪ Sang softly to me

♪ Follow my voice

♪ Wherever it leads

♪ From mountains, through valleys

♪ To deep rolling seas

♪ Born on the wings of the breeze ♪

To all appearances, the summer's pomp was still at its height,

but the green was beginning to give way to gold.

Rowans were reddening and the woods were dashed here and there

with a tawny fierceness.

The robin, faithful in winter and summer, was asserting himself once more,

But overhead Ratty could hear the beat and quiver of impatient wings,

obedient to the call of the south.

Oh!

Ratty was a self-sufficient sort of animal, roofed to the land

and whoever went, he stayed.

Still, he couldn't help noticing what was in the air

and feeling some of its influence in his bones.

- Fellas, what are you up to? - Hello, Mr Rat.

It isn't time to be thinking of winter quarters yet!

We know, but it's always as well to be in good time.

We're early, but we're just making a start.

Oh, bother, starts! It's a splendid day. Come for a stroll along the hedge.

I think not today, thank you, Mr Rat.

Perhaps another day when we've more time.

But there's plenty of time yet. It's still summer.

- Harvesting's already started. - Won't be long before the first frosts.

Nonsense! What do you know about it anyway?

Nothing, sir. Sorry, sir.

Oh! Never known such a fuss!

Ratty returned rather despondently to his river,

his faithful, steady-going old river

which never packed up, flitted or went into winter quarters, but even here...

Oh!

Ratty!

Otter, I'm glad to see you!

At least you won't be packing up and moving on.

Look at those swallows. It's too early!

They're not taking off yet.

They're just making plans, deciding what route to take,

and where to stop on the way.

- They say that's half the fun. - Fun? I don't understand.

No, Ratty couldn't understand

how the swallows felt the stirring of sweet unrest,

as the scents and sounds of long forgotten places beckoned their return.

I say, well done, Portly!

Hello, Mr Rat! Did you see my dive? That was one of my best dives.

Now then, Portly, no boasting.

Otter, come for a stroll along the river bank.

Sorry, too busy. In winter the river will be running high.

Portly must learn to swim against the current.

Hello, Mole! Let's go for a picnic.

A picnic, Ratty? It's a bit late in the year for that, isn't it?

Nonsense! The summer isn't half over.

- In fact, I thought I'd go to Mole End. - Oh, what for?

The usual thing - getting it ready for the winter.

Winter! Why is everyone on the move?

You know how it is.

You get a feeling that it's time to do something and off you go and do it.

If you really want me to stay and have a picnic, I will.

Don't bother. The time was when you enjoyed a picnic!

Ratty, I enjoy picnics, but there is a time and place for everything.

Now it's time for you to go like everyone else.

No, not exactly, but people are on the move, you know.

Yes, on the move!

Ratty, I...

The truth was that Ratty himself, that most home-loving of creatures,

began to feel a strange new longing to know

what lay beyond the hills that he knew so well.

It was only a dream and yet he felt that it wouldn't take much

to make him long to turn that dream info a reality.

♪ When the sea voice calls, I must obey

♪ And the rolling tide draws me away

♪ White horses are setting courses

♪ For a distant shore

♪ So come follow me, wayfarers all... ♪

- Good day, friend. - Good day.

There's a whiff of clover on the wind behind the sharp smell of the river.

Won't you... Won't you stay and rest a while?

Leave the door open.

I'm not partial to being battened under hatches.

- I's a goodly life you lead. - It's THE life, the only life.

- I didn't say that. - You're not one of us.

Right. I'm a seafaring rat, I am.

And the port I hail from is Constantinople.

Constantinople?

Constantinople.

And the Grecian Isles and the Levant.

With golden days and balmy nights.

Sleeping in a cool temple or ruined cistern during the heat of the day

and after sundown, feasting and song

under great stars set in a velvet sky.

I suppose you go on great voyages,

months and months out of sight of land

and provisions running short, your mind communing with the mighty ocean.

Ha ha ha! By no means. That wouldn't suit me at all.

No, I'm in the coasting trade

where every landfall spells romance.

Venice is a fine city wherein a rat can wander at his ease

and take his pleasure feasting with his friends

where the air is full of music and the sky full of stars.

Ha ha! I wonder you ever want to leave!

Ah! It doesn't do to stick too long to one ship.

There's always another ship in every port.

♪ Sea rover I shall be...

♪ Ten thousand stars for company

♪ Follow islands, low and high land

♪ The way to old Bengal

♪ Come follow me, wayfarers all... ♪

And now I take to the road again

till at last I reach the sea town I know so well.

There, sooner or later, the ships of all seafaring nations arrive

and there at its destined hour,

the ship of my choice will let go its anchor.

Let go its anchor.

And you will come too, young brother.

For the days pass and never return

and the south still waits for you.

Take the adventure. Heed the call.

Tis but a banging of the door behind you

and 'tis out of the old life, into the new.

I will linger and look back

and at last I will surely see you coming,

eager and light-hearted,

with all the south in your face.

♪ And now I yearn to travel, oh

♪ You'll surely follow where I go

♪ Your longing is strong enough

♪ Now heed the call

♪ Come follow me, wayfarers all

♪ Come follow me, wayfarers all

♪ Come follow me

♪ Come follow me, wayfarers all

♪ Come follow me

♪ Come follow me, wayfarers all

♪ Come follow me

♪ Come follow me, wayfarers all

♪ Come follow me

♪ Come follow me, wayfarers all Come follow me... }

Ratty?

Rat?

Ratty!

- Rat, where are you going? - Going south.

Constantinople.

Seawards first and then on shipboard.

And so to the shores that are calling me.

Ratty?

Otter! Have you seen Rat?

I thought you'd know, Mole. He just left, down the road.

He was very strange, Mr Mole. He never said, "Hello, Portly."

He always says, "Hello, Portly."

Where did he go? Didn't he say anything?

He said something, but he was saying it to himself. He said, "Going south.”

Constantinople or somewhere.

Hello, Mr Mole.

You won't get Mr Badger now. He's gone to sleep for the winter.

Well, yes, of course. Naturally.

Ah, Mole! Come in. Splendid! Have some teal

- Toad, I need your help. - Of course, old chap. What is it?

It's Rat. He's left home.

Old Ratty? Oh, that's a surprise! Where's he gone?

Otter said, "Constantinople." Do you know where that is?

Oh, yes, of course. It's, erm...

Just the other side of Berkhamsted.

I don't think that's right.

Otter said Ratty was following that stranger, the seafarer.

I think Constantinople must be somewhere far away.

Oh, well, yes, of course. There must be more than one Constantinople. Let's see.

Yes, erm...

Constantinople...

Ah, yes, well, it's about... here. No, here.

There, Toad.

Oh, so it is. I say!

Rat's not going there, is he?

I mean, that's... That's abroad!

We must stop him, talk to him. He's so far ahead. Toad, how can we reach him?

Oh!

Ah! Ha ha!

Whoo hoo hey hey!

Wey hey hey!

Wey hey hey! Ha ha ha!

Take the adventure. Heed the call.

I will linger and look back.

And at last I will surely see you coming,

eager and light-hearted,

with all the south in your face.

Gone south, eh?

- My grandfather went there every year. - Where?

Monte Carlo, old chap. Gambling, champagne.

That doesn't sound much like Rat. Stop! Toad, stop!

I say, you haven't seen a rat passing this way, by any chance?

-Oh.

Not one rat. Two.

Toad, we're on the right track.

Er, where does this road lead to, my good horse?

"Good horse" yourself! Find out!

No, Toady!

Please tell us! Where does it lead?

The sea, of course. Where else?

Off we go, Mole old fellow!

Whoo hoo hey hey!

Wey hey hey!

Oh, oh...

- What can you see, Toady? - Ships.

Masts and funnels and lights.

It's the sea, Mole.

Drive on! If the Rat goes on a ship, we'll never see him again!

Oh, all right!

So you've come, my young friend?

I thought you would.

You're just in time.

The ship sails at midnight. Come aboard.

Ratty! Ratty!

- Ratty! No! - Come on, my young friend. Don't delay.

Let me go, Mole. I have to go south with the rest of them.

- Toad, help me! - The far shores are calling me.

Oh, dear old Rat! We don't want to lose you!

- No, Mole! - No, Ratty!

It's not for you. You need the familiar places, old friends.

The seasons coming each in their tum.

- Come, my young friend. - Let me go!

The chance may never come again.

- Oh, Mole! - Oh, Ratty, we can't!

- Oh, Toad! - It's for your own good. Really it is!

I will surely see you coming,

eager and light-hearted,

with all the south in your face.

Oh!

Oh!

Ratty!

Oh, Ratty!

It's gone, Ratty.

How can I explain to you the haunting sea voices,

the magic of the seafarer,

the magic and the dream?

Don't try, old fellow.

It's all right, Toad. I'll look after him now.

- Oh. - Toad, you were splendid.

- I could never have done it without you. - Oh.

Oh, I say!

It's just as well I knew where Constantinople was, eh?

Oh!

Something to be said for the old familiar friends, places.

For the seasons coming round year by year, just when you expect them.

I know I'm a dull sort of fellow.

Mole, you're the best of good friends. It's just that...

I know, old fellow.

Look, I don't believe you've ever written any poems about the harvest.

The wheat and the apples, the jams and preserves.

I don't feel like it just now.

Perhaps tomorrow then, hmm?

Oh...

How are you feeling today, Ratty'? Written any more poems?

No.

Oh, well...

No, of course not.

Well, I'll put the kettle on for a cup of tea.

Perhaps a piece of hot buttered toast, hmm?

Of course, Rat. What a good ideal

I suppose you can't think of a rhyme for "hayrick"?

♪ Spin me a dream

♪ Woven silver and gold

♪ From sunshine and shadows

♪ And days long ago

♪ Where people are memories

♪ And stories unfold

♪ Willows

♪ The tales you have told me

♪ Wind in the Willows

♪ You just seem to know

♪ Who you can tum to

♪ And which way to go

♪ To unwind your wondrous mind

♪ Wind in the Willows

♪ Take me there ♪