Thank goodness! We thought it would be all "Rules and Order" this and "Society and Class" that, but there's a healthy dose of Seussian fun and foolishness to keep things off the too straight and horribly narrow. The denizens of Didd are a procession of foolishness and folly: from King Derwin, who goes through all manner of shenanigans to remove a hat from a boy's head; to Sir Snipps's pride mixed with his short stature; and let's not forget the nine magicians who charm away Bartholomew's curse (results pending in ten years time; see a doctor if growth of excessive hands occurs). In a way, "Foolishness and Folly" is the most important theme in The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins because it underlines all the others. It provides the story's thematic and tonal connective tissue.
Questions and Answers
Q: Why are all the characters so silly?
A: When you follow silly rules and believe silly things, you become a silly person.
Q: Believe silly things?
A: Like the idea that the type of view a man has from his balcony makes him important.
Q: What character do you think is the silliest?
A: I can't make up my mind between the King and Bartholomew. The King requires people to do some silly things, but Bartholomew goes along with it even when his head is on the line (literally).