Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose Morality and Ethics Quotes

Thidwick believes he's doing the right thing because, well, he is. He won't be harmed by the wee bug chilling onto his giant antlers. Just because Thidwick's action is moral now does not mean it'll stay that way.

Thidwick's moose mates seem like they're being jerks, and maybe they are. On the other hand, as Nietzsche said, sometimes to get rid of a jerk you must become a jerk. Okay, those might not have been his exact words.

Here, the narrator turns it around on the reader and confronts him or her directly. These are the phrases children hear when they are learning how to properly treat others. Even though the reader may recognize the words, the sentiment behind them is 180 degrees different.

Children and adults typically use the majority rules method to fairly answer such important questions as "What board game to play?" or "What movie should we watch?" In fact, the only question this method can never solve is who should get the last piece of pizza—an answer that can only come after a free-for-all thumb-wrestling brawl.

Again, we see Thidwick's tale turning a traditionally sound moral strategy on its head and saying the majority is not always right simply due to greater numbers.

Ha. We love this ending because Thidwick learns his lesson but remains true to himself. Big-hearted to the end, he gives his guests exactly what they want—his antlers. While children may not be able to define irony, they'll know it when they see it.