he extremely high quality of this Silly Symphony—one of the best of the decade-long series—was no accident. The little brave was designed by Freddie Moore, renowned for his ability to create appealing, beautifully designed characters, and largely animated by Frank Thomas, rightly revered as one of the Nine Old Men. Produced the same year as Snow White, it also benefited from the enormous leap forward the studio’s work took at that time. The little brave wants to prove himself as a great hunter, but it is his inability to shoot a small rabbit that saves him in the end when the forest animals, whose loyalty he has won, rally to rescue him from a ferocious grizzly. Hiawatha draws an uncertain bead on his prey in this drawing by Frank Thomas. He is 6-7/8", rendered in black, green, and red pencil on a 12-field sheet. As a peek behind the scenes into the intensity of the animation process, this key drawing was used by the Ink and Paint Department to calculate precisely how long was required to paint the finished cel. Times for each color are noted at the left of the drawing. Disney, 1938.