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| “ | Brought this upon myself, I did. Should have bloody well seen it coming. I rang him up. I asked for his help. What did I think was going to happen? | „ |
| ~ Mr. Toad complaining to himself about Bigby Wolf, Fables: The Wolf Among Us #2 — "Chapter Two" |
Mr. Toad is an animal Fable who resided in Cambria Heights in New York City before relocating to the Farm due to financial constraints preventing him from affording a glamour. He first appears in Fables #6 — "Road Trip: Part One of Animal Farm." Mr. Toad meets his demise in the war against the Empire, but it appears that a new version of the character takes his place after his passing.
History
First incarnation
The exodus
Mr. Toad is from King Cole's kingdom,[5] where he dwelled in Toad Hall.[4][5] However, Toad Hall and the rest of King Cole's kingdom fell during the invasion led by the Adversary, and Mr. Toad, Mr. Badger and Mr. Mole were all forced to flee. The three were among the many Fable creatures who hid for many days and nights in an abandoned mine with King Cole, and accompanied him to the hidden sanctuary in the mundane world during Fabletown's early days in the 1600s.[5] Mr. Toad eventually settles down in a run-down apartment in New York City's Cambria Heights with his son,[4] Toad Jr., also known as T.J.[6]
The noisy neighbour
One day, hearing a commotion upstairs, Toad calls Fabletown's Sheriff, Bigby Wolf, down to his tenement to stop the drunk tenant, the Woodsman, from doing any more damage to his own apartment. Despite being a non-human Fable, he extends his greetings to Bigby outside the premises, disregarding the fact that he should not be seen without a glamour. He expresses to Bigby that the quality of the glamors has declined, yet their cost has risen, rendering it excessively expensive for him to acquire a decent glamour. However, Bigby firmly states that he is not the authority who establishes the regulations and thus cannot provide him with a free pass.[4]
Upon entering, Toad mentions that the Woodsman is currently on another one of his benders, yet he is unsure of the cause. They also hear a girl shouting, although Toad is unable to identify the source. As Bigby goes to investigate, Toad's son opens their room door to tell him that the lights are flickering. Toad immediately orders him to return inside. "Do you want the Big Bad Wolf to take you away?" he says.[4]
Hearing a loud noise several minutes later, he leaves the building to see Bigby on top of his, now destroyed, car. Toad blames himself for getting in touch with Bigby, believing he should have predicted the outcome. He informs Bigby that the expenses for fixing the car will be significant, and with the added pressure of an expensive glamour being forced upon him, he fears financial ruin.[7]
The Tweedle terror
Later on, he hears someone rummaging around in the Woodsmans's apartment[6] and telephones Bigby.[8] Snow White accompanies Bigby to Cambria Heights and Bigby proceeds to inform her about the recent events. Snow White mentions that Toad has a deep affection for his car. Bigby acknowledges his guilt for damaging it and expresses uncertainty about sending Toad to the Farm immediately. Upon their arrival, they are greeted by the sound of Toad's desperate attempts to soothe his crying son, prompting them to enter Toad's apartment.[6]
Spotting Bigby, he tells the Sheriff that he was mistaken earlier and no one had been in the Woodsman's apartment. Bigby, however, observes that T.J. appears to be distressed. Toad fabricates a falsehood, claiming that his son accidentally stubbed his toe and has inherited his own lack of coordination. However, Bigby investigates the apartment and immediately notices a damaged lock, a lamp lying on the floor, and a poker stained with blood. Toad's explanations are unconvincing and filled with contradictions, failing to deceive Bigby. Mr. Toad finally discloses the reason behind his son's tearful state, explaining that either Dee or Dum, one of the Tweedles, had forcefully entered their premises earlier.[6]
According to Toad, they demanded a particular possession belonging to the Woodsman, leading to an alarming incident where both he and his son were attacked and threatened. Toad attempted to offer the attacker Faith's donkey-skin coat, discovered in the Woodsman's room, but the assailant refused to accept it. The Tweedle warned Toad that if he disclosed this incident to anyone, he would return to kill his son. Toad is told by Snow that they are going to take the girl's coat, and he proceeds to surrender it to them.[6]
Bigby subsequently revisits Toad to inquire about the potential return of the Tweedle, yet Toad affirms that he has not come back.[9]
Banished to the Farm
After observing a body being disposed of in the river, T.J. is brought to the Business Office by Mr. Toad to communicate what he has seen. When Bigby and Snow White approach to speak with them, Toad is seen hurriedly asking the Magic Mirror to vanish what he asked for it to show him. When inquired about his target, he denied spying on anyone. T.J. begins retelling what he witnessed at the river, but when Toad learns that T.J. disobeyed his strict rules of staying out of sight, he scolds him.[10]
Snow informs Bigby that the Office can't recompense Toad for the broken car, and that he needs to be sent to the Farm due to his continuous lack of glamour. She asks Bigby to break the news to him. Toad appears in the Business Office and demands to be compensated for the car, so he can invest in a glamour. However, Bigby states that the Business Office isn't a bank, and informs him that he and T.J. have to go to the Farm. He gives them a notice to vacate and makes it clear that they are going to be on the next truck leaving. This upsets Toad greatly, and he gives an impassioned speech about how the Fabletown government doesn't care about their citizens.[11]
Later, father and son are standing by the truck with their suitcases packed, ready to embark on the journey to their new home.[12]
Goldilocks' revolution
Mr. Toad is present at a gathering of Fable creatures discussing whether they should take up arms against the Adversary. Coincidentally, Snow White arrives at the Farm just as she does twice a year to check on the Fable community there, and walks in on them. The animals are shocked when they notice her sudden presence in the room.[13]
Toad and Red Cap take Posey's dead body away
Afterward, in the midst of the Farm's revolution orchestrated by Goldilocks, Toad finds himself watching as Posey shows a potential recruit, Rose Red, all the weapons they have acquired. Later that evening, he is stationed outside the main building with the playing cards and a selection of animal Fables, patiently waiting for Rose to come out and join them.[14]
Toad readies himself with a rifle and joins a gathering outside the barn, along with the other animal Fables. During this meeting, Posey discloses the revolutionary group's intentions to secure transportation and launch an operation in New York City, with the ultimate goal of gaining control over Fabletown.[15]
After Posey is beheaded for his involvement in the failed coup, Mr. Toad and Red Cap are the ones who remove his lifeless body from the scene.[16]
Battle of Fabletown
Toad, along with numerous other Farm Fables, is enlisted to journey to New York City and join the defense of Fabletown when the wooden soldiers plot an attack on the secret Fable society. Accompanied by Weyland Smith and Mister Sunflower, Toad arrives in the city by truck.[17]
Mr. Toad rides Luna during battle
Amidst the battle, Mr. Toad participates in the fight by riding Luna, the cow known for jumping over the moon; and carrying a basket filled with grenades. Luna leaps through the air, passing over the enemy, as Mr. Toad drops the grenades onto them.[18] He also witnesses Bigby Wolf's timely arrival, which shifts the balance of the battle.[19]
Fabletown-imperial war
Mr. Toad is seen with a collection of animal Fables as they come across a notice posted on the Farm, summoning them to a crucial gathering in the Farm square at midday. He attends the meeting, during which Boy Blue offers the Fables living on the Farm a chance to relocate to the Kingdom of Haven and begin anew.[20]
During the war between Fabletown and the Adversary, Luna and Mr. Toad collaborate once more, with Toad riding Luna and carrying a basket brimming with grenades. Sadly, both are struck down by arrows while in mid-leap. Toad, and the rest of the fallen, are honored with a hero's burial at the Farm. King Cole preside over Toad's funeral, delivering the solemn words ."..in the sure and certain hope of resurrection."[1]
Second incarnation
Killed Fables often get magically replaced by new versions of the same Fable:[21] After Boy Blue's funeral, a new incarnation of Mr. Toad is seen attending a small informal wake for Blue.[22]
Later on, Mr. Toad is seen reveling in dance to the rhythms of Peter Piper's band during an exuberant party night at the Farm.[23]
When Reynard the Fox becomes a knight of Rose Red's New Camelot, Toad joins the rest of the animal Fables in the barn to listen to the fox's latest stories about his adventures. Afterward, Mister Sunflower rallies the non-human Fables to speak up and demand the glamours that Prince Charming had promised them when he was elected mayor. Mr. Toad and many other Fable creatures join him as he leads a raucous protest in the center of the Farm. They shout for their glamours and hold up signs as they make their voices heard.[2]
Toad can also be spotted in a panel among a group of animal Fables at the Farm bidding farewell to the readers in Fables #150.[3]
Alternative universe
An alternative version of Mr. Toad appears in The Unwritten Fables, which takes place in an alternative universe where Mister Dark was never defeated. Here, Toad is seen carrying a sword as Mister Dark's forces attack the surviving Fabletown citizens at the magic grove.[24]
Appearances
Original source
Both incarnations of the character are based Mr. Toad from the children's novel The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Known as "Toady" to his friends, Mr. Toad is the wealthy scion of Toad Hall who inherited his wealth from his late father. He is gregarious and well-meaning, but as a fixated control freak, he is sometimes inclined to boast lavishly and make outrageous outbursts when held back by another character, regardless of their intentions with him.
He is prone to obsessions (such as punting, houseboats, and horse-drawn caravans) but gets dissatisfied with each of these activities and drops them fairly quickly, finally settling on motorcars. His motoring craze degenerates into a sort of addiction that lands him in the hospital a few times, subjects him to expensive fines for his unlawfully erratic driving, and eventually gets him imprisoned for theft, dangerous-driving, and severe impertinence to the police. Two chapters of the book chronicle his daring escape from prison.
Trivia
- He has a vanity plate on his car which says "TOADALY."[6]
- The lamp which Bigby finds lying on the floor of Toad's apartment, has a lily pad design;[6] fitting for a toad.
- He speaks in toad-related idioms, such as "clear as pond water" rather than "clear as day" and "scared out of his croaker sack" rather than "scared out of his mind."[6]
References
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See also
| Fables | |
|---|---|
| Series | Fables • Jack of Fables • Fairest • Fables: The Wolf Among Us • Everafter: From the Pages of Fables |
| Specials | Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall • Peter & Max: A Fables Novel • Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love • Cinderella: Fables Are Forever • The Literals • Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland • Fairest: In All the Land • The Unwritten Fables • Batman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham |
| Characters | Bigby Wolf • Snow White • Rose Red • Prince Charming • Beauty • Beast • Boy Blue • Flycatcher • King Cole • Frau Totenkinder • Geppetto • Snow Queen • North Wind • Jack Horner • Bufkin |
| Video games | The Wolf Among Us • The Wolf Among Us 2 (unreleased) |