Gonff the Mousethief


 * "Thief, rogue, warrior, questor, but all for the good of other creatures."
 * ―Brother Hubert

Gonff the Mousethief was the best friend of Martin the Warrior, the husband of Columbine, the father of Gonff II, the ancestor of Dandin, and the great-grandfather of Bryony. Known for his talents as a musician and writer of rhymes, Gonff was especially notorious for his resourcefulness as a thief.

Personality
"Prince of Mousethieves", Gonff was renowned for his many talents and his irrepressible sense of humour. His reputation as a thief stemmed from his ability to pick locks, perform voice imitation and move swiftly and unnoticed in the dark. Almost always in a good mood, sometimes even impudent, Gonff called anyone he met "matey", not just his friends, but even his enemies. His ability to find hope, and even joy, in the midst of the most depressing situations made him a much cherished and admired mouse, especially amongst the otters, such as Queen Garraway Bullow with whom he was great friends.

Gonff had a very good appetite and a plump figure; yet he was very agile and deft with his hands. Gonff's artistic talents included playing the flute, singing, composing, poetry writing and voice imitation. Goody Stickle once commented that Mossflower Woods was singing through Gonff. Devoted to his friends and family, he was always ready for action and proved an invaluable ally in any fighting situation. His main weapons were his daggers, his voice and his wit.

In addition to his ability to lift valuables from under the nose of his enemies, Gonff was also a great lady charmer, especially when he wooed the mousemaid Columbine, who eventually became his wife.

Gonff was also a devoted father to his son and often missed his family during his travels.

Biography
Gonff grew up under the rule of the tyrant wildcat Verdauga Greeneyes, and his daughter, Tsarmina.

Gonff never knew his parents, who presumably died during one of the woodlander's failed uprisings against Verdauga. Ben Stickle and his wife, Goody, found Gonff as a baby mouse alone in the woods and raised him.

Gonff was a very energetic and famous member of the Corim, an organization of woodlanders dedicated to fight the rule of Verdauga and his daughter. Using his many talents for slipping in and out of guarded fortresses, the mousethief helped many woodlanders survive the winter by stealing back food from Kotir's larders. When Gonff was finally captured by Tsarmina's soldiers, the Corim devised a plan to rescue him.

Gonff first met Martin in the dungeons of Kotir, showing off some of his underhanded skills by breaking them both out of their cell. Martin and Gonff became fast friends, and their combined skills and abilities allowed them to outwit Tsarmina's army and rejoin the Corim. The Corim's headquarter was located in the home of Bella of Brockhall, who acted as a leader. Bella believed that her father, Boar the Fighter, would be able to lead the residents of Mossflower in challenging Tsarmina's tyranny, and she needed a party of volunteers to bring Boar back to Mossflower. When Ben's children, Ferdy and Coggs, were captured by the terrible wildcat, Gonff offered to help rescue the small hedgehogs. However, Gonff quickly realized that he was more valuable as a companion to Martin in Bella's quest, and, in characteristic Gonff fashion, told Martin he would be "a good matey to walk by your side through thick and thin".

Thus, Martin, Gonff, and Dinny journeyed from Brockhall, across the woodlands to the Great South Stream, through Batmount and the Swampland of toads, encountering many creatures, friends and foes. Along the way, they met Log-a-Log Big Club, who helped them navigate the tricky currents and followed them in their adventures. After a challenging trek along the parched sandy beach surrounding Salamandastron, Gonff and his friends eventually found Boar the Fighter.

While at Salamandastron, Boar forged new weapons for his guests, especially Martin's Sword, and trained Martin into an expert swordfighter. Boar forged another dagger for Gonff and, thanks to this additional weapon, Gonff often used two daggers during battles. Soon their new skills and weapons were to be tested, and Gonff fought heroically alongside Martin, Boar and their friends against great hordes of searats led by the terrible Ripfang. On their return from Salamandastron, Martin, Gonff and their friends used their newly gained experience to help the Corim defeat Tsarmina.

Shortly after, Gonff married Columbine, and had a son, also named Gonff. They resided in the church of Saint Ninian's. Later on, he and Martin went questing again, in order to find out more about Martin's father. Gonff's friendship with the otters and knowledge of many parts of Mossflower Woods, provided a great help for their quest.

Gonff's son, nicknamed Gonflet as a Dibbun, had himself a son, whom Bella describes as the spitting image of his grandfather, and who apparently also inherited the ability to slip away unnoticed.

Gonff's flute and Dandin
Gonff preferred to use a reed flute, and his most famous flute was later given to Dandin, who also inherited his ancestor's artistic talents. This flute was made of applewood, instead of reed, and was carved with beautiful ornamental designs, most notably the letter "G", located near the mouthpiece. When Abbess Germaine offered the flute to Gonff as a present, the mousethief believed it to be too elegant for him and left it in Redwall Abbey. Brother Hubert found it amongst his old records and handed it to Dandin, who promptly displayed gifts in singing and composition.

Character & Name Origins
Brian Jacques has attested multiple times that he used a younger version of himself as a model for the character of Gonff, and that Gonff is his favorite character.

The name Gonff comes from "gonif", the Yiddish word for thief.