Leroy Ninker Saddles Up

Patty LeMarque, Maybelline’s original owner, serves as a mentor to Leroy throughout the novel. When Leroy Maybelline, Patty provides guidance on how to care for her, instructing him on three important items: compliment Maybelline regularly, keep her well fed, and never leave her alone for long. Later, when Leroy faces the challenge of caring for Maybelline, he remembers Patty’s words—advice that continues to guide him even though she is not physically present. After Maybelline is done eating, Leroy “close[s] his eyes, [and] what he [sees is] Patty LeMarque” (45). This image reminds him that he should never leave the horse alone, and it helps him solve the problem of getting her into his apartment. Instead of forcing Maybelline inside, he opts to sleep outdoors with her. Because Leroy often hears Patty’s voice or sees her in his dreams, her wisdom guides him long after they part.

In addition to sharing her knowledge about caring for Maybelline, Patty also provides honest advice to Leroy about life in general. When he speaks to her in his cowboy slang, she says, “Be a straightforward communicator” (21). When Leroy and Maybelline ride away, Patty encourages him to “listen to the people of the world when they offer you informational bits” (29). Her words indicate that he will encounter more situations that he does not know how to handle, and by listening to the wisdom of others, he can learn and grow, pointing to the text’s thematic exploration of The Need for Friendship and Community. Beyond her knowledge of caring for horses, Patty LeMarque mentors Leroy by imparting important life skills.

DiCamillo characterizes Maybelline, Leroy’s horse, using anthropomorphizing techniques, portraying her—like Leroy—as a character with interiority. As their bond grows, Leroy and Maybelline relate to each other less like owner and pet and more like friends. For example, when Leroy admits to past wrongdoing, “There [is] a long silence. Leroy move[s] his hat and look[s] up at Maybelline. The horse look[s] down at him. She [is] listening” (46). After Leroy admits to having been a thief, Maybelline’s response is typical of a friend who is contemplating the gravity of what Leroy has just shared. By returning his gaze, Maybelline demonstrates that she is “listening,” not just hearing, which suggests that she understands what he says. After they are reunited, Maybelline sits at the Watson table with Leroy, Mercy, and others, enjoying a breakfast of toast. The illustration of this scene depicts her patiently waiting for Mrs. Watson to serve the food as if she were part of the family and as if horses normally sit at kitchen tables.

This anthropomorphism underscores the theme of the need for friendship and community because Maybelline is not a typical horse, but one motivated by kind words from loved ones. For example, she does not begin to walk when Leroy first sits in the saddle until he utters compliments and words of affection. His repeated words, specifically “horse of my heart” (53), demonstrate the love and devotion he feels for her. Maybelline, in turn, also loves Leroy. When the storm rages, she wonders, “Where was the little man with the big hat and the beautiful words?” (54). Not only does she want Leroy in her moment of fear, but she also notes his beautiful words, indicating that she longs for the love he shows her. When she feels terrified, she desperately needs his companionship to feel safe and secure. Maybelline’s favorite films—love stories—emphasize these feelings as she enjoys “the beautiful words that people said to each other” (89).

Beatrice Leapaleoni, the ticket seller at the Bijou Drive-In Theater, is Leroy’s knowledgeable co-worker who provides him with the newspaper clipping advertising Maybelline that serves as the novel’s inciting incident. Much like Patty LeMarque, Beatrice serves as a mentor to Leroy. First, she helps him see that all cowboys in Westerns have not only a hat, boots, and a lasso but also a horse. However, just as important as the advertisement is her advice. She tells him, “‘What you have to do here is take fate in your hands and wrestle it to the ground’” (8). Beatrice tells Leroy that instead of merely wishing to be a cowboy, he should take steps to achieve his dream. This wisdom and encouragement fuel his quest to obtain and keep Maybelline.