Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose
OCLC 1386296 | | |
Preceded by | McElligot's Pool | |
---|---|---|
Followed by | Bartholomew and the Oobleck |
Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose is a 1948
Summary
Thidwick, a moose in a herd numbering approximately sixty who subsist mainly on moose-moss and live on the northern shore of Lake Winna-Bango, grants a small bug's request to ride on his antlers (mistakenly referred to in the book as horns) free of charge. The bug takes advantage of the moose's kindness and settles in as a permanent resident, inviting various other animals to live on and in the moose's antlers.
The kind-hearted moose acquiesces to the unexpected living arrangements, treating the animals as 'guests' even though he never told them explicitly that they were allowed to live there. His passengers however are thoughtless and selfish, and the situation quickly gets out of control. When one of the guests, a woodpecker, begins drilling holes in Thidwick's antlers, the other moose give Thidwick an ultimatum: if he doesn't get rid of his guests then he will be forced to leave the herd.
When Thidwick's sense of decency compels him to forgo the comforts of herd life in favor of indulging his guests, his herd leaves him behind. Winter comes, and the herd swims across the lake to find fresh supplies of moose-moss. Thidwick wants to do the same, but his guests object, and insist that Thidwick must not take "their home to the far distant side of the lake". Even as he faces starvation, Thidwick refuses to go against his guests' wishes, and he remains on the cold, northern shore of the lake, where his guests prefer to reside. Meanwhile, the heartless residents of Thidwick's antlers, who pay no regard to the increasing physical or psychological load that the moose is forced to endure, continue inviting other animals, including a 200 kg (440.875 lb) black bear, to live with them.
The situation comes to a head when a group of hunters spot Thidwick and pursue him, with the goal of shooting him and mounting his head on the wall of the
Meaning
The story explores the limits of hospitality and sharing. Neil Reynolds has discussed it as a parable of immigration issues and the
Adaptations
- Welcome, a 1986 Soviet animated film
- Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose, a 1992 direct-to-video short following Horton Hears a Who! (part of the “Dr. Seuss Video Classics” series by Random House Home Video.
- Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose, an upcoming animated special set for release on Netflix.[5]
References
- ^ Neil Reynolds (27 December 2011), "The moose and the modern welfare state", The Globe and Mail, retrieved 2013-01-30
- ^ a b
Skoble, Aeon J (2011), "Thidwick the Big-Hearted Bearer of Property Rights", in Held, Jacob M. (ed.), Dr. Seuss and Philosophy: Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!, Rowman & Littlefield, pp. 159–166, ISBN 978-1442203112, retrieved 19 June 2013
- ^
Cribbs, Henry (2011), "Whose Egg is it Really? Property Rights and Distributive Justice", in Held, Jacob M. (ed.), Dr. Seuss and Philosophy: Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!, Rowman & Littlefield, pp. 184–5, ISBN 978-1442203112
- ^ Dempsey, David (11 May 1958). "The Significance of Dr. Seuss". The New York Times Book Review. p. 30.
- ^ Petski, Denise (March 15, 2022). "Netflix Orders Five Dr. Seuss-Inspired Animated Preschool Series & Specials". Deadline. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
External links
- Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose at Seuss Dude
- Thidwick, the Big-hearted Moose at Google Books