This moonlit scene capitalizes on the appeal of the talking animals as pure fantasy.

As the fox justifies his thefts on the basis of his need, we see the realist logic behind Outcualt's talking animals.

Richard Felton Outcault, Pore Lil' Mose, New York Herald c. 1901-1902; rpt. in Alan Havig, "Richard F. Outcault's 'Poor Lil' Mose': Variations on the Black Stereotype in American Comic Art," Journal of American Culture 11.1 (Spr. 1988): 36-37.