In a show that has {{Talking Animal}}s or {{Funny Animal}}s, with the animal characters mainly being [[NiceMice mice]], birds, lizards, moles, etc., sometimes you can expect there to be a body of water like rivers, lakes or ponds as the setting. The best way for these animals to have transportation is to use a leaf as a boat in order to travel from place to place.

Put bluntly, this is a trope in which an animal character will use a leaf as a boat. It can also be used in fairy tales as well as being a common motif in any tale or art to do with little people like the fey/fairies.

Closely related to LilyPadPlatform. Often seen in MouseWorld settings.
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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Animated Films ]]

* ''Disney/TheRescuers'': Bernard and Bianca use a large leaf propelled by [[MeaningfulName Evinrude]] the dragonfly in order to find and rescue Penny.
* This was used once in ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}''.
* In ''Disney/FunAndFancyFree'', Mickey, Donald and Goofy cross the giant's moat on a giant leaf.
* Woodstock had one in ''WesternAnimation/RaceForYourLifeCharlieBrown''.
* In ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'', Ray goes out on the bayou in one of these during [[spoiler: [[{{Tearjerker}} his funeral]].]]

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[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* In ''MouseGuard'', Sadie uses one to travel to Calogero.

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[[folder: Fairy Tales ]]

* Creator/HansChristianAndersen's ''Thumbelina'' is probably the UrExample.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* The elven boats in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', while not literally made of leaves, use this as a visual motif.
* In TadWilliams' ''{{Otherland}}'' series, the heroes' boat turns into a leaf when they travel into a simulation in which they're smaller than the local insects.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'', while Link is tiny, he can go on top of a leaf and use his [[BlowYouAway Gust Jar]] to propel himself across the body of water.
* Used in the LostWoods dungeon of ''VideoGame/DarkCloud'' to go to a hidden bonus dungeon.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* Some types of Ants use leaves to cross streams.
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