The following letter was sended by the President Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt to the author of 'The Wind in the Willows' in 1909.
My dear Mr. Grahame,
My mind moves in ruts, as I suppose most minds do, and at first I could not reconcile myself to the change from the ever-delightful Harold and his associates, and so for some time I could not accept the toad, the mole, the water-rat and the badger as substitutes. But after a while Mrs. Roosevelt and two of the boys, Kermit and Ted, all quite independently, got hold ofThe Wind Among the Willows and took such a delight in it that I began to feel that I might have to revise my judgment.
Then Mrs. Roosevelt read it aloud to the younger children, and I listened now and then. Now I have read it and reread it, and have to accept the characters as old friends; and I am almost more fond of it than of your previous books. Indeed, I feel about going to Africa very much as the sea-faring rat did when he almost made the water-rat wish to forsake everything and start wandering!
I felt I must give myself the pleasure of telling you how much we had all enjoyed your book.
With all good wishes,
Sincerely yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.