The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

“‘I’m so small,’ said the mole. ‘Yes,’ said the boy, ‘but you make a huge difference.’”

The boy sees the value in the small mole, but it is harder for him to see his own, highlighting The Challenge of Seeing Our Own Worth. The mole seems to doubt his value because of his size, but it is no trouble for the boy to recognize it. It is often easier for us to see others’ value, especially because—as the boy later points out—we can only see their outsides even though almost everything important happens on the inside.

“‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ [the mole asked]. ‘Kind,’ said the boy.”

This line establishes the way the subversion of expectations will characterize the language of the text. The boy’s childlike unexpected answer creates a sense of innocent wisdom and highlights how the book will address life’s big questions and near-universal values.

“‘What do you think success is?’ asked the boy. ‘To love,’ said the mole.”

This time, the mole provides an unexpected answer to the boy’s question. People often define success as having lots of money, a job that they find stimulating, and a fulfilling personal life. However, for the mole, success is something much simpler, and it is a similarly beautiful and unanticipated response to one of life’s common questions.