The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

From the beginning of the book, Mackesy makes it immediately clear that, while the boy easily recognizes the value and inherent worth of others, it is much more challenging for him to see his own, introducing the theme of The Challenge of Seeing Our Own Worth. This theme is developed as both the mole and the boy reveal vulnerabilities and are accepted and encouraged by the other, in a pattern of exchanges. First, the mole professes to feel “so small,” but the boy says the mole “make[s] a huge difference,” suggesting that no matter how physically small one is, one is enormously significant in the world (3). The boy says he wants to be “kind” when he grows up, but he seems to refer to the kindness we often show others and can neglect to show ourselves. This leads the mole to point out that “Being kind to yourself […] is one of the greatest kindnesses,” especially because it is often hardest to forgive oneself (35). However, when we wait for kindness from others, we can be disappointed or begin to lose hope that we have value. When we offer kindness to ourselves, we do not have to wait for it or depend on someone else to affirm our value. In reporting his favorite saying, the mole suggests that productivity and success are not of paramount importance; they do not determine one’s worth. He says, “If at first you don’t succeed, have some cake,” and claims that this saying works “every time” (9). This implies that it is perfectly reasonable to treat oneself or engage in a favorite activity—since the mole loves eating cake the most until he discovers the superiority of hugs—even when one falls short of “success,” and perhaps most especially then. 

The fact that all illustrations are in color during this discussion of cake suggests that we feel most alive, most fully aware of our worth, when we do what we love, whether that’s something as simple as eating cake or something else. These illustrations suggest that doing what we love adds figurative “color” to our lives, making them more beautiful and meaningful. Loving and being kind are hugely important, and mole defines success as love, but the boy has not yet learned that showing love and kindness to oneself is just as important as showing them to others. He is his own toughest critic, and this points to The Challenge of Seeing Our Own Worth.

Mackesy’s text often uses rhetorical devices to challenge meaning or suggest new perspectives. When the mole suggests that the biggest waste of time is comparing oneself to others, the boy wonders if there is a “school of unlearning” (13). This oxymoronic phrase draws on the child-related idea of schools and learning, subverting assumptions on what the value of learning might be. The boy’s question, which defies readers’ expectations about what school is, highlights the importance of unlearning this habit, one of many that society seems effortlessly able to inculcate in us. 

The book uses oppositional rhetoric again when the boy points out that “we can only see our outsides, but nearly everything happens on the inside” (28). This statement is part of the book’s consideration of value judgments and the ways in which we may judge ourselves and others. It is an example of Mackesy’s repeated creation of epigrammatic statements in order to heighten a sense of deeper wisdom. The mole’s concern about his physical size begins the text, and the boy’s response calls attention to this approach to size as a mistake. The boy’s words highlight an implicit fallacy about perception: that what can be immediately seen may be less important than what may be hidden. This establishes Mackesy’s message that the inner life of feelings is more significant to wellbeing than external things, echoing the mole’s early statement that “success” is “love.” Further, the mole’s claim that “One of our greatest freedoms is how we react to things” subversively defies conventional thinking that freedom is more concerned with action than reaction (23). It is common for people to link freedom to being able to do or act how they want, but the mole suggests that The Freedom to Choose Our Reactions is more noteworthy. These ironies highlight and render the text’s messages more surprising because they are unexpected, giving the book a gnomic quality.

Fear also figures largely in the characters’ experiences and wisdom at this early stage. This fear is one of the obstacles that the characters will learn to overcome through The Value of Friendship, providing the narrative with an arc of challenge-and-resolution. The mole tells the boy, “Most of the old moles I know wish they had listened less to their fears and more to their dreams” (15). Those moles who have the wisdom acquired from life experience describe fear as something that holds one back, something that keeps one from achieving one’s dreams. It doesn’t seem to have any benefits to outweigh this huge disadvantage. Later, when the boy asks what they’re looking at, the mole tells him, “It’s the wild […]. Don’t fear it. Imagine how we would be if we were less afraid” (16-17). The book emphasizes that these vulnerable characters are headed into the wilderness, symbolic of the unknown future, but it provides an optimistic lesson through the figure of the mole. He encourages the boy to consider how freeing it would be to proceed without fear, how much more likely they are to find whatever they’re looking for if they respond to the wild with curiosity than dread. The next day, the mole faces his fear of the fox when he chooses to free his natural predator from a snare, despite the fox’s threat. The mole chooses to be brave and makes the loving choice to release the fox because he knows the fox will die otherwise. This is the moment when the mole comments on The Freedom to Choose Our Reactions. The fox also possesses this freedom, and he does not respond to the mole’s actions with violence but with gratitude. The mole’s selfless example is accepted as a life lesson by the fox, leading to the mutual benefit of both, and to a lasting and supportive friendship. This passage demonstrates selflessness, trust, and reciprocity as key aspects of The Value of Friendship.