I remember seeing this short on the 2006 DVD of Dumbo. This and Elmer the Elephant. I believe they chose these two as on revolves around flying and the other elephants. But both revolve around misfits like Dumbo. But we're discussing The Flying Mouse here, and even at the young age of 10, the two shorts but especially The Flying Mouse hit close to home.
The Flying Mouse revolves around a young mouse who wants to fly like the birds. After several failed attempts that caused him to be laughed at by his brothers and spanked by his mother, the little mouse saves a butterfly who was about to be eaten by a spider. The butterfly reveals herself to be a fairy who offers him one wish, he wishes for wings and she grants it. But it doesn't turn out as well as he hoped.
Now the short really resonated with me even to this day as the character of the mouse was very relatable to me. He was shown to have dreams deemed impossible, he was different than the other kids, he embarrassed himself and was laughed at, he got in trouble without meaning to. But was also very kind. He just wanted to be loved and admired. He's very easy to feel for and identify with.
The whole short may seem like a simple cut and try story about a mouse who gets wings and flies but it's not. The overall theme I feel is about a mouse who simply just wants to be loved. And he feels that by having the wings, he'll get that from the birds and his family. But what happens is the birds stick up their beaks and shoo him from their young. The mouse's family thinks he's a monster and throw things at him. And when he runs away into a cave under a tree, bats find him and call him a nothin.
The poor little mouse tries to pull the wings off, the thing he thought would give him the love he craved only gave him pain. He tries to pull them off but they won't. And then the poor little mouse cries. Thinking to himself "What have I gotten myself into? I didn't mean for all this trouble. I just wanted to be loved." Which is one of the saddest moments as we all have a moment where we think we wanted something, only to be let down.
And then the fairy comes back asking him why he is crying. And he tells her that he's not a mouse, he's a nothin, and that he wishes that he was dead. Which is literally the saddest thing a child could say and think. And then the fairy tells him that he learned his lesson, and to be himself and do his best and that life will smile upon him. With the message being, don't be something you aren't, be the best you you can be, it might be tough for now, but what makes you different could be thing that will make you succeed in life. Which is wonderful message to give. Which was what the mouse really wished for all along.
And after giving the Fairy kisses on the hand, the little mouse runs back home to his mom. Who despite spanking him, still loves him and is happy to see him home safe and sound. The little mouse showers his mother with kisses while his brothers dance when they see him. They may have laughed at him but they still love him. This ending always makes me a crying mess. As it makes me think of my own mom and family, how we may have our moments where we get frustrated with each other, but no matter what we still love each other.
The Flying Mouse is sweet, touching and an extremely relatable short that even in the year 2021, years and years since 1934, still touches the heart. It's my favorite Disney short and I've seen lots of em, but this was the one that resonated with me the most, and if you haven't seen it yet, I can't recommend this short enough.
Go watch it!
The Flying Mouse revolves around a young mouse who wants to fly like the birds. After several failed attempts that caused him to be laughed at by his brothers and spanked by his mother, the little mouse saves a butterfly who was about to be eaten by a spider. The butterfly reveals herself to be a fairy who offers him one wish, he wishes for wings and she grants it. But it doesn't turn out as well as he hoped.
Now the short really resonated with me even to this day as the character of the mouse was very relatable to me. He was shown to have dreams deemed impossible, he was different than the other kids, he embarrassed himself and was laughed at, he got in trouble without meaning to. But was also very kind. He just wanted to be loved and admired. He's very easy to feel for and identify with.
The whole short may seem like a simple cut and try story about a mouse who gets wings and flies but it's not. The overall theme I feel is about a mouse who simply just wants to be loved. And he feels that by having the wings, he'll get that from the birds and his family. But what happens is the birds stick up their beaks and shoo him from their young. The mouse's family thinks he's a monster and throw things at him. And when he runs away into a cave under a tree, bats find him and call him a nothin.
The poor little mouse tries to pull the wings off, the thing he thought would give him the love he craved only gave him pain. He tries to pull them off but they won't. And then the poor little mouse cries. Thinking to himself "What have I gotten myself into? I didn't mean for all this trouble. I just wanted to be loved." Which is one of the saddest moments as we all have a moment where we think we wanted something, only to be let down.
And then the fairy comes back asking him why he is crying. And he tells her that he's not a mouse, he's a nothin, and that he wishes that he was dead. Which is literally the saddest thing a child could say and think. And then the fairy tells him that he learned his lesson, and to be himself and do his best and that life will smile upon him. With the message being, don't be something you aren't, be the best you you can be, it might be tough for now, but what makes you different could be thing that will make you succeed in life. Which is wonderful message to give. Which was what the mouse really wished for all along.
And after giving the Fairy kisses on the hand, the little mouse runs back home to his mom. Who despite spanking him, still loves him and is happy to see him home safe and sound. The little mouse showers his mother with kisses while his brothers dance when they see him. They may have laughed at him but they still love him. This ending always makes me a crying mess. As it makes me think of my own mom and family, how we may have our moments where we get frustrated with each other, but no matter what we still love each other.
The Flying Mouse is sweet, touching and an extremely relatable short that even in the year 2021, years and years since 1934, still touches the heart. It's my favorite Disney short and I've seen lots of em, but this was the one that resonated with me the most, and if you haven't seen it yet, I can't recommend this short enough.
Go watch it!