#celesteville

I had a theory about Rataxes, everybody’s favourite rhino from the 1990′s cartoon ‘Babar’. In the 1989 Babar Movie, Rataxes not only looks physically different than he does in the TV series that followed, but I noticed in the film that his behaviour is much more violent. The Rataxes in the TV series might’ve been a jerk but he was at his best kindhearted. In the TV series his genuine apology to Basil for making him lie about rescuing Isabelle, his balloon elephant doll he makes for Flora to cheer her up, his participation in saving the jungle from the hunter and his love for his family are a sharp contrast to the Rataxes in the earlier film. In the earlier film, Rataxes isn’t just a bit of a jerk, he’s downright evil. He has his men burning down houses, dragging elephants out and tying them in chains, throwing Celeste (who was only a child at the time) down a water well, shooting at Cornelius and Pompadour and threatening to kill Babar and his friends. While the TV series Rataxes could be quite cold and mean, he never went out of his way to do anything that he knew would severely hurt the elephants (except sawing apart the bridge in “The Celesteville Express”, and even then he was only trying to stop the train; he had no idea that Cornelius and Pompadour were trapped on it).

It comes to four characters who are my absolute favourites (I can’t decide between them): Basil, Pompadour, Cornelius and Troubadour.

Basil... who wouldn’t love Basil? That little rhino is both admirable and humble, and he always treats just about everybody with respect, regardless of their species or alliance. To quote King Babar, “that Basil is quite a guy!”. It was so sad yet so beautiful that Basil was willing to throw away a chance at fame just because of how glad he was to see his boss respected by his people and loved by his family in “Unsung Hero” (if only more human beings in this day and age could be a bit more like Basil, am I right?). He’s also not portrayed as a bumbling servant, but instead as a resourceful and dedicated friend to Rataxes who helps keep everything in-check while still watching from the sidelines. I just wish he had appeared in more episodes! His origin and backstory, much like Pompadour’s, is rather ambiguous, but Basil was even less developed as a character and we never really got much in that regard (I was always hoping they would do an episode on how Rataxes came to meet and hire Basil, since Rataxes always seemed like the last guy who would admit to wanting an assistant).

Pompadour was always a favourite of mine; he’s adorably conservative and high-strung, but I’ve always loved how well-developed he is. He completely shatters the overused trope of the pompous, snooty bureaucrat who only cares about himself (yes, I’m looking at you, Chi-Fu from Disney’s Mulan!). Pompadour can be very snooty, but he isn’t mean-spirited, and throughout the show he shows a great deal of compassion for others. Wanting to build shelters for the homeless was just one example, but it’s most evident when he expresses how much he actually values his friends in spite of his general attitude. Rushing in to save Cornelius during a kitchen fire, being very patient with Isabelle when he was babysitting the children even though he definitely wasn’t a fan of the job, trying to stay behind under the guise of “proper protocol” in the episode “Remember When...” so Babar could board a plane with his family and get to safety first, turning on all the lights in the palace to try and lead Arthur and the children back home after they get lost, being so understanding when Babar doesn’t want the Celesteville Express to destroy Pleasant Valley, the list goes on. It’s a wonderful change from similarly aristocratic fictional characters, e.g. Squilliam from Spongebob or Gilbert from King of the Hill, to have a character who behaves similarly but is a genuinely good soul at the end of the day. When he does go out of line, he usually offers a genuine apology as well and acknowledges his wrongdoing, something similar characters simply never do.

Cornelius is a character who I not only saw on TV, but who appeared in the original books decades earlier. I do wish he and Pompadour had more adventures on-screen together; they are such wonderful friends and the depth of that is something which has always been endearing. Cornelius is always very caring towards Pompadour, and their relationship was never portrayed in a preachy or bizarre way. Cornelius is probably the wisest character on the show too; playing Hide & Seek with the children in “Conga the Terrible” and then tricking them into thinking he’d fallen asleep, his heartfelt talks with Babar and his role as almost a surrogate father, it’s all so simple and yet so powerful simultaneously. One of the episodes which really made him memorable and a favourite of mine was “A Child in the Snow” - he’s like that wise old grandfather who understands the motives behind everything and who appreciates the mysteries of life, yet he’s rational enough to also know when to leave the past behind. In the more recent “Babar and the Adventures of Badou”, he’s still present but portrayed as sillier than in the 1990′s show, a change which I’ve never appreciated. I’m still glad though that he has managed to hold on as a character and keep reappearing in adaptations instead of being forgotten like some of the others.

Troubadour, finally, is a character who never speaks (except in the tie-in picture book series) and he’s shrouded in mystery (how old is he? Where did he come from?) but somehow he’s still hands-down one of the most endearing characters in the whole series. He idolizes Cornelius and Pompadour in a sense, always there to assist them, but at the same time he’s got his own opinion on everything, expressed only in his own mannerisms. It’s wonderful how he becomes such a beloved friend to Queen Celeste and the children, too. He even seemed to share a rapport with Celeste, something which otherwise is mostly limited to Babar himself. This was especially evident in “The Celesteville Enquirer” when she knows he was just teasing about Flora’s newspaper photos - and Troubadour hugging the children really shows how he, like Cornelius and Pompadour, is a member of the family in his own right. He was always an adorable little elephant too, scurrying instead of walking, playing along with Pompadour’s antics in “Double the Guards” and “The Missing Crown Affair” (speaking of “Double the Guards”, the way he just ate several carrots at once so nonchalantly was hilarious), but I think what truly made him stand out was his personality. He never spoke yet he was such a defining character in the series, giving him an enigmatic role so he wasn’t just reduced to a background prop.

CELESTEVILLE, an elephant town, capital of Babar's kingdom, founded by King Babar on the banks of a blue lake where birds bathe and sing, and luscious tropical plants embalm the air.

After discovering the beauty of this place, King Babar decided to import the necessary materials for the construction of his capital, and caravans of camels brought all the necessary equipment from abroad. Beautiful gardens were laid out around the Royal Palace; each elephant has his own hut, and a magnificent theatre was built for the entertainment of the population. When the task was completed, Babar gave each of his subjects a present of clothes and toys, and a large party was held to celebrate with a costume ball and a night at the opera.

Celesteville School is in the hands of the Little Old Lady, a friend of Babar's, and lessons are given to both the very young and the older elephants. Celesteville was named after the famous Queen Celeste, Babar's beloved queen consort.

(Jean de Brunhoff, Le Roi Babar, Paris, 1939)