In The Tale of Despereaux, Despereaux may be a tiny mouse, but he has big principles. He sticks to his principles even when they're unpopular; he values art and music even though it leads to him being banished to the dungeons. He charges back into the dungeons in order to save the princess, even though it means putting his life in danger—he believes that as a loyal subject of the princess, he has to do anything to save her. And Princess Pea is a girl of principles too; even when she's kidnapped, she treats Mig with compassion and kindness.
Life lesson? Hang on to what you believe in and things will turn out okay.
Questions About Principles
- How does Princess Pea put herself in Mig's shoes even when Mig is kidnapping her?
- Why doesn't Despereaux admit that he's done something wrong when he appears before the Mouse Council?
- What kind of codes does the mouse community live by? How does Despereaux challenge these rules?
Chew on This
Acting on principle helps Despereaux keep on keepin' on in his quest to rescue the princess.
Acting strictly on principle leads the Mouse Council to make terrible decisions.