The Boy the Mole the Fox
and the Horse
In
reading this short story, there are many points that the reader can focus on,
whether that be the beautiful imagery, the life lessons, or the quotes that are
shared along the way. I found that the most meaningful parts of this story are
the life lessons that seemed to be so delicately placed within this story,
"The Boy the Mole the Fox and the Horse" by Charlie Mackey is
a story about the lessons we learn as we grow up. This story follows how each
animal portrays a different part of life and the types of realities that will
be shown to us during our journey.
As the
boy is sitting alone in the snow, the first character we meet is the mole. Even
with their first interaction, we can see as the boy lifts the tiny creature, he
is not afraid despite being so vulnerable, it's at this point we realize how
big of a character the mole is going to play in the story. The mole sits atop
the branch with the boy, and we can see he has a very gentle demeanor while
asking the boy what he wants to be when he grows up and he responds with
"kind". (Macksey) In life, I wish someone would have shown me
how impactful being kind can affect someone. As the story goes on it is shown
that the mole likes to enjoy the little things in life, much like a child, such
as his love of cake which becomes a recurring theme throughout the story. The
boy and the mole face the wild world ahead of them and start to walk in, not
letting their fears take over. They are introduced to the fox, the first image
we get of the fox is that he is in danger and stuck in a snare and he threatens
to kill the mole if he is not snared while the mole bravely stands out of
reach. With no fear or second-guessing, the mole chews through the snare and
sets the fox free. After the fox is set free the mole says, "One of the
greatest freedoms is how we react to things" (Macksey) The mole
did not let his fears define his actions and helped the fox even after being
threatened with death.
The
boy and the mole meet the fox again, not knowing what is going to happen, but
the fox makes his intentions clear by making a heart in the snow. This to me
felt like a sign of thanks and appreciation. After threatening violence, the
fox did not have to conform to what was expected from his nature, but he chose
kindness when it had been extended to him. I know that in certain situations it
is easy to conform to what others think of you because it is easier to fit in
than to stand out. He did not let the perceptions of his appearance affect his character;
a lesson often learned as teens. From personal experience, I know in my teen
years I felt like it was easier to fit in and be who people thought I was
rather than who I truly was. This brought me nothing but sadness because I felt
like I had to conform to other people’s ideals of me and I ended up around
people that did not care for me. It can be so easy to get wrapped up in how
others see us as expressed by the quote said by the mole, "Isn't it odd.
We can only see our outsides, but nearly everything happens on the
inside." (Mackesy) While the boy and the mole are looking into
the water, the mole falls in and gets swept away in the water and the fox
repays the kindness the mole showed him and saves him. Often as we are growing up,
we need to learn to repay the kindness that is given to us.
As the
three friends are walking among the bending trees, they come across a significant
being. The horse is the third and final character in this story. The three become
instant friends, as they start galloping and running, they cannot help but feel
instant freedom. As the boy sits alone,
the horse puts his nose on his head and says, "Life is difficult, but you
are loved." (Mackesy) No matter how difficult life can get; someone
will love you. The friends are standing in the snow when the horse says that he
can fly but stops because it makes other horses jealous. Sometimes as adults,
we do not flourish to our utmost abilities so as not to offend others. I know I
have let myself seem unintelligent so I would not offend others, the problem
with this is as time went on, I started believing it. Once the horse is
introduced to those who care and love him for his true self, he can flourish
and fly again.
The end of the story approaches and it is shown that the lessons that are learned along the way are affecting the boy. This story brings a lot of self-reflective ideals, that we as people, no matter what age can often forget. When we grow up, I feel that a lot of these lessons can be forgotten. Whether that be losing our charismatic trusting mole selves, the unintuitive nature of the fox, or growing beyond what people see you as within the horse. Sometimes we need to look internally to see how far we have come. They are growing and learning but the most significant thing taught is how much love there is in this world.
©️ TheRosebudWritings
References
Penguin. (2021). The Boy the Mole the Fox and the Horse. YouTube. Retrieved September 2, 2023, from https://youtu.be/VDLKT_oFhvc?si=52AEOHOkqt9gAg4G.
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