The Boys are characters in Pinocchio.
Contents
Background
The Boys are children from different towns and villages, who (like Lampwick) have prolonged misbehavior.
Personality
The Boys are disrespectful children that like to disobey rules and hate school. When presented with the offer to go to a place of no authority and endless foods and sweets, among other unsavory pleasures such as cigars, tobacco among other things, they are all too happy to accept without considering the risks involved. On the island, the boys become extremely gluttonous and engage in roughhousing and vandalism, among other things. Their extremely foolish nature becomes their undoing as they all turn into donkeys on the island, only regretting their behavior after it is far too late.
Role in the Film
Pinocchio
They are carried on the Coachman's stagecoach to visit Pleasure Island, a place where they can do what they care for without adults telling them to do anything. The boys are all aged between 5-9 years (Lampwick, however, seems to be between 10-12 years of age, so he may be the oldest of them all). On the Island, the boys can eat as much food as they desire; engage in violent brawls, drink unhealthy amounts of alcohol, gamble, go on rides, and generally abuse their privileges; and no adults (besides the coachman), are on the island to stop them. However, what they do not know is that while they are having fun, they are converted slowly into donkeys after having acted as such. First, the boys' laughs became the brays of a donkey. Then, the boys would grow donkey ears, followed by a tail. Then, the boys' faces would turn into that of a donkey, complete with a muzzle. Then, the boys' hands and feet would become hooves, with their entire bodies being covered in fur at the same time. Finally, the boys would fall to all fours and their voices would be replaced by full braying. Then the boys would go mad and they would be braying and kicking wildly, some throwing their clothes off. Only a very small handful of boys were fortunate enough to still retain their voices for unexplained reasons. They were then all rounded up by the Coachman's minions to be taken to the dockyards for inspection.
After becoming donkeys, the boys are asked their name by the Coachman going one after another as they are called.
If that answer is a bray, he removes their remaining clothes, (usually by tearing them off their bodies), and puts them into crates for sale. The Coachmen usually deal with anywhere donkeys are put to work, and the boxes are marked accordingly by labels saying "Sold to...."
If they answer with their name (as happens to Alexander), he holds them to work for him and to ensure they can't ever rat out the Coachman's evil schemes to the authorities back home. The boys could only watch sadly as they were forced to work like the donkeys they had become.
During Pinocchio's trip to the island, most of the boys had been transformed and rounded up while he and Lampwick were left as the only two not yet turned and remained unseen in the island's pool hall. Before long, however, Lampwick fell victim to the island's curse and turned into a donkey and he ran away from the hall in a panic. Whether he evaded the Coachman's minions is unknown, but he was likely caught and sold along with the rest of them. Pinocchio narrowly avoided the same fate due to Jiminy's intervention, with the knowledge of the island's evil curse.
Most of the transformed boys were sold to the salt mine, circuses, farms, and among other clients, all doomed to a life of intense and endless labor. It is unknown if any of them ever found a way to become human again, or whatever happened to the talking donkeys that were forced to stay on the island.
Other Appearances
The Stupid Little Boys also appear in the live-action tv special, Geppetto, where they are having fun at Pleasure Island where they get turn into donkeys when there on a rollercoaster, along with Pinocchio.
Disney Parks
- At least two of the Stupid Little Boys as donkeys are still wearing some human clothing have been seen in the Celebrate A Dreams Come True Parade at the Magic Kingdom park for Walt Disney World, marching along with Honest John and Gideon, also one has been seen with Lampwick in human form, except for donkey ears and tail, on the Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade; other than that they have not been exactly meetable characters.
Trivia
- The boys originally had a song written for them to sing about Pleasure Island, but it was cut.
- Lampwick and Alexander were the only characters to have names confirmed in the film while the rest of the names are unknown.
- However, it reveals that 6 boys are in the pen and can talk.
- Despite the rest of them being bad children, it does heavily imply that they still love their mothers.
Gallery
