Grahame contributed essays and stories to ''The Yellow Book'' and W. E. Henley's ''National Observer'' and his collections ''Pagan Observer'' ''The Golden Age'' and ''Dream Days'' were well received by erities such as Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch (''Q'' 1863-1944).Grahame married Elspeth Thomson in 1899 and their only child Alastair wasborn the following year (he was killed in 1918). Grahame created the character of Toad to amuse his son but it was not until 1908 that he published ''The Wind İn The Willows'' which had its origins in letters he had written to Alastair. ''Toad of Toad Hall'' by A. A. Milne (1882-1956). whose ''Winnie-the-Pooh'' (1926) was created for his own son Christoher Robin. In 1916 Grahame edited ''The Cambridge Book Of Poetry for Children'' but he published no more work of his own. After Alastair's death. Grahame and his wife spent long periods in Italy.