 Seuss has stated that the titular character Yertle represented Adolf Hitler , with Yertle 's despotic rule of the pond and takeover of the surrounding area parallel to Hitler 's regime in Germany and invasion of various parts of Europe . Though Seuss made a point of not beginning the writing of his stories with a moral in mind , stating that " kids can see a moral coming a mile off " , he was not against writing about issues ; he said " there 's an inherent moral in any story " and remarked that he was " subversive as hell " . " Yertle the Turtle " has variously been described as " autocratic rule overturned " , " a reaction against the fascism of World War II " , and " subversive of authoritarian rule " . 
