The Horse

The Horse, or simply Horse, is the fourth and final character to appear in the book. Horse is both the biggest and kindest being Boy, Mole, and Fox have ever met. He is often seen giving the others a ride on his back as well as giving advice to the more sensitive members of the group- Boy and Fox.

**Wise Guardian**

Because of Horse's great size, the other members of the friend group often gather around him during moments of rest. He also offers horseback rides to the others while they're traversing great distances. Additionally, Horse is very wise, and he often shares his knowledge with the friend group. As a result of these two characteristics, Horse can be seen as a guardian figure for the group- particularly and especially for Boy.

Once Horse is introduced into the group, he takes over the role of answering Boy's questions for Mole. Similar to Mole, Horse answers Boy's questions with patience and compassion for his dear friend. However, there is one clear distinct difference between Mole and Horse's worldview. While Mole answers Boy's questions in a practical manner that emphasizes one's freedom to choose, Horse's answers are much more based in faith. Horse is an optimist. He believes that everything will be alright, even if the current moment is not so favorable. Horse passes on his optimism to Boy by reassuring him with love and compassion that everything will turn out just fine in due time. Horse's optimism combines incredibly well with Mole's realist, you-can-do-anything approach; which ends up being the perfect combination to help Boy start working towards moving beyond his self-doubt and fear and really growing as a person.

**Magic Realism?**

While Horse may seem like the most put together of the group, he also has his own problems. For example, he confides with the group that he has the power to fly by spreading his wings. However, he stopped because the other horses felt bad and he didn't want that to happen. Boy then steps up and reassures Horse that they love him regardless if he can or cannot fly. Horse accepts their love and support and takes flight while Boy, Mole, and Fox ride on his back.

Ultimately, it's incredibly unclear whether or not Horse can actually sprout wings and soar across the sky. This scene lasts for three pages and is never mentioned again once it's over. Taken on a literal level, Horse's ability to fly could further elevate his status as a guardian over the other three characters by equating him to a divine guardian angel. This interpretation could be supported by the fact that other horses are implied to be unable to fly- which was the reason why Horse gave up flying so that they wouldn't feel bad. Taken on a figurative level, Horse's "flight" could actually just be him running at incredibly high speeds.

However, regardless if Horse can actually fly or not, this scene is a departure from the rest of the book. The pages are black while the illustrations are done with white tools, offering a different type of beauty with a magical feel as opposed to natural beauty. In the eyes of Boy, the story's child protagonist, Horse is a guardian on the same level as a wise sage. He can help get him home, but beyond that, Horse is a friend that can help teach both Boy and the reader how to love themselves and how to trust that life will turn out just fine.