Freddy and the Dragon
Encyclopedia
Freddy and the Dragon is the 26th and last book in the humorous children's series Freddy the Pig
written by American author Walter R. Brooks
and illustrated by Kurt Wiese
. Freddy’s attempts to catch the gang extorting money from Centerboro’s city folk are hindered by a headless horseman
. The dragon
created as a circus attraction becomes a tool in fighting crime. The Bean animals settle accounts with the gang, and a long-standing foe.
The search for the gang continues. Most of Centerboro thinks Freddy is responsible for the crimes, but not the “solid” citizens. Since Freddy is the president of his animal bank, the town’s human banker vouches for him:
The Bean cow sisters discover that Percy is the father who abandoned them as calves; the bull is unmoved. He refuses to discuss his gang.
Freddy had been asked for a suggestion to help a circus. Now Uncle Ben the inventor suggests creating a fire-breathing dragon.
The gang begins demands for money. Freddy and Jinx the cat lie in ambush at the money drop site, but are terrified by the appearance along a dark road of a headless horseman. Once they have recovered, Freddy learns from the A.B.I. that many of the gang were seen in that area, including a scruffy pig.
Freddy has Samuel Jackson the mole burrow under Percy, to pretend to be his conscience. The mole convinces Percy to behave well, and to reveal the gang’s hideout. Percy reforms his manners so successfully that he becomes popular. Freddy avoids arrest on a technicality.
The spiders Mr. and Mrs. Webb are sent to explore the gang’s hideout. They discover a huge, complicated cave system, with many animals and people. Once Uncle Ben’s dragon is ready the animals stake out the cave. The dragon upsets the headless horseman’s activities, but the police are not convinced by the evidence. Scorning the cave map created by the spiders, they send in their own troops.
Although Freddy is in disguise to avoid arrest, he and Jinx intercept a new member coming to join the gang. Breaking into his hotel room, they steal the snake doing robberies. The snake is released far away, and the discouraged owner leaves town.
Some police troopers exploring the cave are missing. The police decide to use the spider’s map and the animal’s help. The gang is partly captured. The circus is held, and Samuel Jackson’s fake medium makes the animal’s enemy Mrs. Underdunk look foolish. The animals storm the cave, and with the help of Uncle Ben’s atomic station wagon, also trap the headless horseman. The extortion money proves to be in the house of Mr. Anderson — another longstanding enemy. As the series closes, he is finally sent to the penitentiary.
. This is specific to Freddy and the Dragon:
Kirkus (Oct. 20, 1958) "The remarkable Pig tracks down a ruthless protection racket…he also manages to teach a contrite bull how to behave like a gentleman…To be published posthumously, this Freddy episode is in the style of the several dozen which precede it — sometimes funny, often slangy, and caught in a balance between parody and two-gunned adventure — a balance that over the years has had a consistent appeal."
. The price was $3.50 (over $20.00 in 2007 USD). The book was republished in 2000 by the Overlook Press using the original illustrations, text and layout.
The story, read by John McDonough, was released in 2001 on five CDs lasting 4.75 hours (ISBN B000JQ1B80).
Freddy the Pig
Freddy the Pig is the central figure in a series of 26 books written between 1927 and 1958 by American author Walter R. Brooks, and illustrated by Kurt Wiese. Consisting of 25 novels and one poetry collection, they focus on the adventures of a group of animals living on a farm in rural upstate New...
written by American author Walter R. Brooks
Walter R. Brooks
Walter Rollin Brooks was an American writer best remembered for his short stories and children's books, particularly those about Freddy the Pig and other anthropomorphic animal inhabitants of the "Bean farm" in upstate New York.Born in Rome, New York, Brooks attended college at the University of...
and illustrated by Kurt Wiese
Kurt Wiese
Kurt Wiese was an award-winning German-born book illustrator. Wiese wrote and illustrated 20 children's books and illustrated another 300 for other authors.- Biography :Wiese was born in Minden, Germany...
. Freddy’s attempts to catch the gang extorting money from Centerboro’s city folk are hindered by a headless horseman
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story by Washington Irving contained in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., written while he was living in Birmingham, England, and first published in 1820...
. The dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
created as a circus attraction becomes a tool in fighting crime. The Bean animals settle accounts with the gang, and a long-standing foe.
Plot summary
Back from a trip, Freddy is surprised that many in Centerboro want him arrested. Considerable property damage has been done by a gang including a pig looking like Freddy. Investigating, Freddy shows that damage done in one case could not have been done by him. He is still under suspicion, and is called for an unpleasant police questioning. He instructs the A.B.I. (Animal Bureau of Investigation) to search the countryside, and immediately discovers a bull who has been damaging farms and crops. Freddy’s perfume-filled water pistols turn the bull Percy into a smelly laughing stock. He is subdued and they capture him.The search for the gang continues. Most of Centerboro thinks Freddy is responsible for the crimes, but not the “solid” citizens. Since Freddy is the president of his animal bank, the town’s human banker vouches for him:
- "'You think that because he is a banker, he is incapable of committing a crime?'...
- 'Sir,' said Mr. Weezer, 'when a banker commits a crime, it is a big crime, a first-class crime, a crime on a scale with his standing in the community.'" (p. 62)
The Bean cow sisters discover that Percy is the father who abandoned them as calves; the bull is unmoved. He refuses to discuss his gang.
Freddy had been asked for a suggestion to help a circus. Now Uncle Ben the inventor suggests creating a fire-breathing dragon.
The gang begins demands for money. Freddy and Jinx the cat lie in ambush at the money drop site, but are terrified by the appearance along a dark road of a headless horseman. Once they have recovered, Freddy learns from the A.B.I. that many of the gang were seen in that area, including a scruffy pig.
Freddy has Samuel Jackson the mole burrow under Percy, to pretend to be his conscience. The mole convinces Percy to behave well, and to reveal the gang’s hideout. Percy reforms his manners so successfully that he becomes popular. Freddy avoids arrest on a technicality.
The spiders Mr. and Mrs. Webb are sent to explore the gang’s hideout. They discover a huge, complicated cave system, with many animals and people. Once Uncle Ben’s dragon is ready the animals stake out the cave. The dragon upsets the headless horseman’s activities, but the police are not convinced by the evidence. Scorning the cave map created by the spiders, they send in their own troops.
Although Freddy is in disguise to avoid arrest, he and Jinx intercept a new member coming to join the gang. Breaking into his hotel room, they steal the snake doing robberies. The snake is released far away, and the discouraged owner leaves town.
Some police troopers exploring the cave are missing. The police decide to use the spider’s map and the animal’s help. The gang is partly captured. The circus is held, and Samuel Jackson’s fake medium makes the animal’s enemy Mrs. Underdunk look foolish. The animals storm the cave, and with the help of Uncle Ben’s atomic station wagon, also trap the headless horseman. The extortion money proves to be in the house of Mr. Anderson — another longstanding enemy. As the series closes, he is finally sent to the penitentiary.
Illustrations
There are 32 black and white, pen and ink drawings by Kurt Wiese, endpapers, and a full color cover, both depicting scenes from the book. Each chapter starts with a half page illustration, while a full page illustration is placed close to an event within each chapter.Critical reception
Books in the series received moderately positive to strongly positive critical review in sources such as the Times Literary Supplement, and Hornbook, and The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. This is specific to Freddy and the Dragon:
Kirkus (Oct. 20, 1958) "The remarkable Pig tracks down a ruthless protection racket…he also manages to teach a contrite bull how to behave like a gentleman…To be published posthumously, this Freddy episode is in the style of the several dozen which precede it — sometimes funny, often slangy, and caught in a balance between parody and two-gunned adventure — a balance that over the years has had a consistent appeal."
Publication history
The first edition was published posthumously in hardcover in 1958 by Alfred A. KnopfAlfred A. Knopf
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. is a New York publishing house, founded by Alfred A. Knopf, Sr. in 1915. It was acquired by Random House in 1960 and is now part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group at Random House. The publishing house is known for its borzoi trademark , which was designed by co-founder...
. The price was $3.50 (over $20.00 in 2007 USD). The book was republished in 2000 by the Overlook Press using the original illustrations, text and layout.
The story, read by John McDonough, was released in 2001 on five CDs lasting 4.75 hours (ISBN B000JQ1B80).