Freddy Plays Football facts for kids
First edition - Freddy’s rushing disrupts the opposition
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| Author | Walter R. Brooks |
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| Illustrator | Kurt Wiese |
| Country | U.S. |
| Language | American English |
| Series | Freddy the Pig |
| Genre | Children's novel, Comic novel |
| Published | 1949 A.A. Knopf 2001 The Overlook Press |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 263 (pp. 2 – 265) |
| ISBN | 1-58567-133-9 (2001 hardback) |
| Preceded by | 'Freddy Goes Camping |
| Followed by | 'Freddy the Cowboy |
| (2001 hardback) | |
Freddy Plays Football (1949) is an exciting book for kids. It is the 16th story in the funny Freddy the Pig series. The book was written by American author Walter R. Brooks. The pictures were drawn by Kurt Wiese.
In this story, Freddy the pig and his animal friends on the Bean farm face a big problem. They believe Mrs. Bean's long-lost brother, Aaron Doty, is not who he says he is. Freddy gets into some trouble while trying to protect the family's money. Meanwhile, the town of Centerboro gets really excited about football because of Freddy's amazing playing!
Contents
The Story of Freddy's Adventure
A Mysterious Visitor Arrives
When Mrs. Bean's brother, Aaron Doty, shows up, everyone is happy. He tells many exciting stories about his life. But soon, the animals start to notice something. His stories seem too good to be true. Freddy begins to wonder if Doty is really Mrs. Bean's brother.
Freddy Investigates the Mystery
Doty plans to take a large share of Mrs. Bean's family money. This would force the Beans to sell their farm. Freddy knows he must find out the truth quickly. He gathers clues and even overhears Doty talking with Mr. Garble. Mr. Garble is an old enemy of the Bean animals.
The animals hold a big meeting. They decide that Doty is a fake. But Mrs. Bean still believes him.
Freddy Joins the Football Team
By chance, Freddy gets involved in a high school football game. He isn't good at throwing or catching the ball. But when he runs with it, no one can stop him! The team agrees to let him join if he attends high school classes.
Freddy can't go to school all the time. So, his cousin Weedly pretends to be him sometimes. This means both of them end up "half-educated." Freddy's first game is a huge success!
Protecting the Family Money
Mrs. Bean decides to give Doty $5,000. She has to borrow this money. Freddy convinces the bank to give the money to him instead. Then, he disappears with it! The Beans are very upset. The sheriff has to look for Freddy.
Freddy almost gets hurt by Mr. Garble. But the sheriff had a clever plan. He loaded Garble's gun with harmless blanks. At first, Freddy hides the money in the forest. Later, when Freddy is in jail, the money accidentally ends up baked inside a pie made of plaster!
Finally, the animals trick Doty into telling his real name. He is not Aaron Doty at all! After his true identity is revealed, he leaves the farm for good.
Freddy's Court Case and the Big Game
While out on bail, Freddy keeps playing football. Old Whibley the Owl helps Freddy in court. He shows that the witnesses couldn't see well. They couldn't be sure it was Freddy who took the money. The judge understands and lets Freddy go. But he tells Freddy to be careful!
Freddy is in great shape for the important football game. They are playing against a rival town. The other town has brought their own animals to play against Freddy. The Centerboro team adds more animals to their side. In the end, Centerboro wins the game!
After the game, everyone agrees on something important. All the animals quit the teams for good. This means that next year, regular football can be played by humans.
Who Are the Characters?
Most of the characters in this book are animals and humans from earlier Freddy the Pig stories. "Aaron Doty" is a new character, but he doesn't stay in the series.
Important characters include Mrs. Church, who is very rich. Old Whibley the Owl and Solomon the Owl also play big roles. The Webb spiders are important too. Mr. Garble is the bad guy in the story.
The Pictures in the Book
The book has 38 black and white drawings. They are made with pen and ink by Kurt Wiese. Each chapter begins with a picture that takes up half a page. There is also a full-page picture near an important event in each chapter. The inside covers of the book and the main cover show colorful scenes from the story.
