Billy and the Minpins

Billy’s mother is protective of Billy and has many rules to limit where he goes and what he does. She forbids him from going into the Forest of Sin or anywhere else beyond their garden gate. To compel his obedience, she scares him by reciting a poem about the dangerous Forest of Sin and telling him about the terrible creatures that live there and will eat him if he ventures inside. Although she is strict in her ground rules, she is not a very present or engaged mother, and whenever she checks on him, she often calls from another room while she attends to housework. This pattern indicates that she and Billy do not have an intimate bond, and she does not understand his innermost thoughts, feelings, and imaginings.

Don Mini is the leader of the Minpins and is the first one that Billy meets. He is a tiny old man with a white beard who wears old-fashioned clothes like the rest of his people. He explains the world of the Minpins to Billy, describing their ability to walk up and down trees using suction boots. He also explains that they must fly on birds and avoid the forest floor to protect themselves from the Gruncher. By describing these aspects of Minpin life, Don Mini advances the novel’s conflict and gives Billy the information he needs to find a way to defeat the lurking Gruncher entirely. Don Mini also rewards Billy for defeating the Gruncher by having Swan give the boy rides to fantastical places every night. Don Mini and Billy remain very good friends, and Billy continues to visit him for years. Because Billy’s mother is rather distant and disengaged from Billy’s life, Don Mini serves a parental role by listening to Billy and encouraging him to be curious and adventurous. Even during the novel’s action, Don Mini fills the role of a supportive mentor and allows Billy to take the lead. In this way, he empowers Billy to develop greater leadership qualities and confidence.

The Gruncher is a dangerous monster in the Forest of Sin that terrorizes the Minpins. The Gruncher has eaten thousands of Minpins over the years, but he is even more partial to eating humans because they are larger and more delicious. The Gruncher has a strong sense of smell but cannot see anything around him because he constantly belches a cloud of red smoke that comes from the fire in his belly. The only thing that can kill the Gruncher is water. Billy develops a plan to lure the Gruncher into the lake by flying Swan in front of the monster and tricking him into falling into the lake.

When Don Mini shows Billy that the Minpins ride around on birds, he has an idea for killing the Gruncher but he will need the help of a bird. Swan is the biggest bird in the forest, so Don Mini summons him to help Billy with the plan. Billy and Swan make a good team even though they cannot verbally communicate. After they defeat the Gruncher, Swan continues to give Billy rides at night and shows him strange and beautiful things. Because they do not speak the same language, their relationship is built on implicit trust but no other communication. Eventually, Billy grows too big to continue riding Swan; he is sad when he reaches this milestone, which signifies the beginning of growing up and letting go of the fantastical visions of childhood.