What I Learned from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

Sometimes we need an unexpected event to jolt us out of our routines. Today, for example, I found a mole in MY BASEMENT. Ugh. I didn’t say it was a happy event. And I guess, technically, my son found the mole and he originally thought it was a mouse, but you get the idea. Did I already mention the undesired creature was in MY BASEMENT?

Naturally we left the house for greener pastures (no pun intended) and returned home later that afternoon. Still not wanting to face whatever was waiting for me downstairs, I decided to escape into a Disney movie. (Not my best parenting moment.) Fortunately, I had just picked up The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad from the library. I popped it into the player and quietly hoped the storyline didn’t include mice. (No offense Mickey.)

Copy of the original theater poster for The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad by Disney.

As much as I love Disney movies, I’m not sure I had ever watched The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad before today.  Disney originally released the film in 1949, which places it shortly after Pinocchio and Bambi and right before Cinderella. It’s not exactly a full-length animated feature, but a “package film” that includes two stand-alone stories. The first story is loosely based on The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. The second one is the retelling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, penned by Washington Irving in 1820. It was an unusual yet welcome feeling to watch an old Disney film with such little familiarity.

Screen shot from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad by Disney.

The Wind in the Willows is primarily a story about wealthy Mr. Toad and his pursuit of “travel, change and excitement!” Unfortunately for Mr. Toad, sometimes his zest for life leads to poor choices. Throughout the film he makes a deal with weasels, lands in prison, dresses up like a grandmother to break free and faces the weasels again to prove his innocence. I’m not going to lie, I found the storyline a bit odd. My apologies to any of you who loved this film (and book?) as a kid. You can relive the storyline, should you want to, on the Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride attraction at Disneyland. The similar attraction at Disney World closed years ago, but you can still spot Mr. Toad’s tombstone in the pet cemetery outside the Haunted Mansion.

Screen shot of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad by Disney.

The most redeeming qualities of the Mr. Toad portion of the film, at least to me, are the silly songs, the faithfulness of Mr. Toad’s friends and the general message of living life to the fullest. Toward the beginning of the film, Mr. Toad is joyfully singing with his trusty horse Cyril, “Merrily on our way to nowhere at all.”  The lyrics felt appropriate for a lazy summer day viewing and served as a welcome reminder that life does not have to be one endless to-do list.

I also enjoyed Mr. Toad’s long-suffering but loyal friends: Badger, Water Rat and Mole. (AHHHHH!!!!) Badger and Water Rat are the steady-minded, practical friends that try to steer Mr. Toad onto the right path. Mr. Mole is the sympathetic, loving friend that supports Mr.Toad unconditionally. Despite Mr. Toad’s crazy antics, his character encourages all of us to risk more and truly enjoy the life around us.

More about the mole later.

Screen shot from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad by Disney. I may have looked this way today too.

The second story focuses on Ichabod Crane and his mysterious encounter with the Headless Horseman. The movie is narrated by the wonderful Bing Crosby and relies heavily on voice overs and crooning ballads to advance the story. The lead character, Ichabod Crane, is the lanky, awkward school master who is often ridiculed by the local townspeople. The leader of the group is a character named Brom Bones, who bears a striking resemblance to Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. In fact, one of the earliest scenes involves Brom Bones and his buddies making fun of Ichabod as he obliviously walks through the village with his nose in a book. Sound familiar?

Ichabod has a strange habit of flattering women to get free meals. Really. He eventually falls for a local lady named Katrina (who looks remarkably similar to the yet-to-be-released Cinderella) and sets about competing for Katrina’s affection with Brom Bones. Realizing he’s losing ground with Katrina, Brom Bones appeals to Ichabod’s superstitious tendencies by telling him a ghost story at a town dance. Ichabod is spooked of course, and cautiously ventures down the trail from Brom Bones’ story on his way home that evening. There he encounters the Headless Horseman and frantically (comically?)  gallops his way over the bridge toward home. As the legend goes, Ichabod Crane is never seen again.

Speaking of never being seen again, it was time to face my own fear in the basement. In pure Disney fashion, my husband arrived home right as the ending credits were rolling on the screen. “Do you want me to take care of the issue in the basement?” he asked. I don’t think I’ve ever loved my prince charming more. Equipped with a bag of, um, equipment from Home Depot, he ventured downstairs. A few minutes later I heard a slight shriek, heavy footsteps on the stairs and a exasperated, “It’s not a mouse, it’s a….”

Is there really any way to end that sentence with something positive?

“MOLE!” he finished as he ran back down the stairs. A few moments later I heard, “I got it!”

As the mole was being removed from my basement I started thinking back on The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. What are the odds of watching a story that includes a mole on the same day one is found in my home?  I guess I should feel lucky I didn’t find a toad, a badger, a water rat or the Headless Horseman instead. Given those choices, a mole is not so bad. Maybe the mole was there to provide the unexpected jolt I needed to start writing again. Or, maybe the mole, like his animated counterpart, was there to remind me to show more compassion and loyalty to my friends. Whatever the reason, I’m grateful for the lesson and equally grateful he’s gone.

I’ll worry about how the mole got into my basement later.

Until then, find some unexpected magic in your world.