Sir Oliver is a bear of nobility; an eloquent, though not always coherent, gentleman with a slight stutter when he's upset. He enjoys the finer things in life, like a good pipe, and tries to make a good impression with his peers in the
"Kleine Club," the "Little Club", a rather exclusive affair. It includes members such as mayor Dickerdack, overly eager to delegate difficult tasks, and Bumble's arch-rival the
Marquis de Canteclaer, who is also his neighbor and thinks that "this, err.. Bumble" is a
parvenu. Bumble's membership is somewhat controversial and he's
blackballed on several occasions. Bumble is quite wealthy; he even makes it into the
upper ten who own almost everything, but always tells others that money is of no importance and is generous to his friends and those in need. He lives in castle , where his butler
Joost sees to his every need. He is a modest bear though; he always dresses in a simple checkered coat and his car, nicknamed "De Oude Schicht" ("The Old Bolt (of lightning)"), is reliable, but not extravagant. Extravagance is a trait Bumble doesn't possess, following his dear father's lessons of modesty and common sense, exemplified in a "simple yet nutritious meal", which is rarely simple but always nutritious. The phrase
"een eenvoudige doch voedzame maaltijd" has become a
colloquialism in
Dutch. He is a kind soul but he tends to act before he thinks. although it's usually others, most often Joost and Tom Puss, who do the actual work. He also tends to blame others for his own mistakes and rarely gives
Tom Puss the credit he deserves for getting him out of trouble. As he has a "delicate constitution", he has no heart for conflict, but in the end he will always help his friends in need. Bumble has two staunch admirers. The first is Miss Doddle, Bumble's
Dulcinea and his prime source of fresh tea, courage and resolve in times of great emotional turmoil. She idolizes Bumble and thinks he's the smartest man in the world, even though Bumble is out of his depth more often than not. The second great admirer is the dwarf Kwetal who thinks Bumble has a big thinking-frame ("denkraam") and who blindly trusts his judgment. He is the source of some weird gadgets which wreak havoc in Bumble's life or work as a
deus ex machina to solve the problems which Bumble's ill-conceived grand designs have caused. Although Bumble has many flaws in his character, and maybe because of it, he's far more popular than Tom Puss and practically reduced the former hero to a sidekick. In many ways Bumble is an
antihero, blundering blindly through life, forced by fate, one of several
villains or Dorknoper, civil servant first class and tax-collector, to make decisions which greatly influence his world. Hence he is a more interesting figure than Tom Puss, who is a bit boring in contrast. ==Clarifications==