Gonff the Mousethief

Gender: male

Species: mouse

Appears In: Mossflower, The Legend of Luke, and Doomwyte

Mentioned In: Outcast of Redwall, Mariel of Redwall, The Long Patrol, and The Sable Quean




Gonff - derived from "gonif", Yiddish for "thief" - is a small and plump resident of Mossflower who wields a dagger. He is the adopted son of Ben and Goody, adopted brother of Coggs, Ferdy, Posy, and Spike, husband of Columbine, father of Gonff II, great-grandfather of Bryony, ancestor of Dandin, and distant ancestor of Andio, Bisky, the Gonfelin Thieves, and Samolus. He calls himself the "Prince of Mousethieves", and rightly so as he is an expert thief and very skilled at picking locks. He is a talented musician who plays an applewood flute with carved designs on it (including a fancy "G" near the mouthpiece), possesses the ability to move swiftly through the dark despite his figure, a loyal friend, and is an excellent voice imitator. He is almost always cheerful, finds hope in even the dire of times, greatly admires otters, and calls everybeast "matey". Ben and Goody find him as an orphaned infant in the woodlands, as it is presumed that his biological parents are killed fighting against Verdauga, and he grows up to be an extremely valuable CORIM member who often sneaks in and out of Kotir to steal food so he can feed his friends during the harsh winter. At one point he is captured by the vermin soldiers and thrown into a prison where he meets Martin, and the two instantly become best friends. They escape and return to Brockhall where Bella says that she believes her father Boar can lead them to victory, and while Gonff initially wants to help rescue a captured Coggs and Ferdy he realizes that he should join Martin on the trip to Salamandastron. Along with Big Club (whom they meet along the way) and Dinny, the two mice eventually reach their destination where Boar forges them all new weapons. The group participates in the battle against Ripfang's crew, return to Mossflower, defeat Tsarmina, and ensure that Mossflower is free once more. Not long after he and Columbine move to Saint Ninian's Church, though they often visit their friends at a partially-completed Redwall, and he later accompanies Martin on the journey to the North Shores to learn more about the Warrior's father. During the events of Doomwyte it is revealed that while walking through Mossflower one night he spots two little glowing lights and an intoxicated stoat who becomes entranced by them, and Gonff follows the lights until he loses them after dawn. He ends up discovering the Doomwyte cavern, sneaks inside, and hides behind some bones while he witnesses the vermin army cruelly execute two innocent GUOSIM shrews. As revenge he steals the Great Doomwyte Idol jewels and returns to Redwall where he presents them to Columbine as gifts, however she claims they have seen great evil and refuses. He then hides the four jewels around the Abbey and leaves behind riddles that reveal their locations, a puzzle the Redwallers end up solving. Mr. Jacques has said several times that Gonff is his favourite character and hero, and he based him off of a younger version of himself.