Toad becomes a loser

My mind drifts back to childhood, and I realize that what I learned as a child often influences how I see the world as an adult.  

For example, sometimes in public life we see a Man at the peak of his powers suddenly cast down.  Not only does he lose his incredible privileges, but the Law steps in, seeking punishment for the vile acts the Man has committed -- committed not only while at the peak  of his powers, but also while scrambling upward toward said peak.

And I think of Mr. Toad.. Toad isn't the hero of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows, but he is certainly one of the more colorful characters. The sort of guy who couldn't keep quiet, especially not when the topic of conversation touched upon his own many perfections.  The sort of character who, when complimented on his house, would -- as the author writes -- exclaim:

"Finest house on the whole river," cried Toad boisterously.  "Or anywhere else, for that matter," he could not help adding.  

Or:

"Ho, ho!  I am The Toad, the handsome, the popular, the successful Toad!"  He got so puffed up with conceit that he made up a song as he walked in praise of himself, and sang it at the top of his voice, though there was no one to hear it but him.

The world has held great Heroes,
As history-books have showed;
But never a name to go down to fame
Compared with that of Toad!

The army all saluted
As they marched along the road.
Was it the King?  Or Kitchener?
No.  It was Mr. Toad. 

 But, as I began reminding you, just like our hypothetical Man, even a toad of Mr. Toad's stature could get caught with his hand (paw?) in the cookie jar.  Could meet his Fate.  And the Cruelty of the Law.

"Prisoner!  Pull yourself together and try and stand up straight.  It's going to be twenty years for you this time." ... 

Then the brutal minions of the law fell upon the hapless Toad; loaded him with chains, and dragged him from the Court House, shrieking, praying, protesting; across the market-place, where the playful populace, always as severe upon detected crime as they are sympathetic and helpful when one is merely "wanted," assailed him with jeers, carrots, and popular catch-words; past hooting school children, their innocent faces lit up with the pleasure they ever derive from the sight of a gentleman in difficulties; across the hollow-sounding drawbridge, below the spiky portcullis, under the frowning archway of the grim old castle, whose ancient towers soared high overhead; ... [etc., etc.].  There at last they paused,, where an ancient gaoler sat fingering a bunch of mighty keys.

"Oddsbodikins!" said the sergeant of police, taking off his helmet and wiping his forehead.  "Rouse thee, old loon, and take over from us this vile Toad, a criminal of deepest guile and matchless artfulness and resource.  Watch and ward him with all thy skill; and mark thee well, greybeard, should aught untoward befall, thy old head shall answer for his -- and murrain on both of them!"

I admit it: As a boy I squirmed with pleasure as Toad faced his doom.  And yet Toad, for all his self-regard -- what we would today politely call narcissism -- and his incessant bragging ...  Well, he was, in fact, a lovable guy, a generous animal, a toad who loved his friends and hoped for their love in exchange.  He was kind, and his friends were both sympathetic and exasperated.  He just had no instinct for humility.

If we, as kids, squirmed with pleasure at watching the come-uppance of such a genial egomaniac as Mr. Toad, imagine our barely concealed pleasure as adults at seeing the same Fate befall a Man who had all of Toad's character weaknesses, but not one of his virtues.  Not one.

Almost hard to comprehend that such a Man could exist.

But I speak only about fiction, of course.  About hypotheticals..  Surely such a Man could not exist, let alone attain a state of High Power, in our real world today.