Freddy and Mr. Camphor facts for kids
Cover and spine, showing Freddy talking to the frogs
|
|
| Author | Walter R. Brooks |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Kurt Wiese |
| Country | U.S. |
| Language | American English |
| Series | Freddy the Pig |
| Genre | Children's novel, Comic novel |
| Published | 1944 A. A. Knopf 2000 Overlook Press |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 258 |
| ISBN | 1-58567-027-8 (Overlook Press hardback) |
| Preceded by | 'Freddy and the Bean Home News |
| Followed by | 'Freddy and the Popinjay |
| (1944 hardback) | |
Freddy and Mr. Camphor is an exciting children's book from 1944. It's the 11th story in the funny Freddy the Pig series. The book was written by American author Walter R. Brooks and has pictures by Kurt Wiese. In this adventure, Freddy the pig takes on a new job. He becomes a caretaker for a large estate and has to deal with unexpected visitors!
Contents
Freddy's Big Adventure as a Caretaker
Freddy the pig usually runs an animal newspaper and a bank. But he feels like trying something new. He sees an advertisement for a caretaker job on a big estate. This sounds like a perfect change!
He meets the owner, Mr. Jimson Camphor, who is a bit quirky. Mr. Camphor's butler, Bannister, is very proper. Mr. Camphor jokes that Bannister is "dignified for both of us." The two men love to play a game. They say old sayings, called proverbs, and then argue about which one fits the situation best.
Dealing with Unwanted Guests
After Mr. Camphor leaves, Freddy settles into his new role. He lives on a fancy houseboat and eats meals in the main house. It sounds like a peaceful job, but soon, trouble arrives!
Two different groups of unwanted guests show up. First, there's a gang of rats led by a mean rat named Simon. They are causing trouble in Mr. Camphor's attic. They destroy anything they don't like.
Then, a human named Zebedee Winch arrives with his son. It turns out Zebedee's runaway wife is the cook at the estate! Zebedee and his son decide to move in and "visit" her.
Freddy Gets Framed
When Mr. Camphor returns for a weekend, Zebedee Winch does something sneaky. He steals Mr. Camphor's belongings and makes it look like Freddy did it. Because of this, Freddy gets fired from his job. He has to go back to the Bean Farm.
Back at the farm, the animals aren't sure what to do. Meanwhile, it's during World War II. The President is asking people to grow their own food in "Victory Gardens." The farm bugs and insects decide to help. They have a party and agree to stop eating the farm vegetables.
A rooster named Charles starts a very long speech, which makes the party less fun. After he's stopped, a horsefly named Zero crashes the party. Zero says the war is someone else's problem. Freddy chases Zero away, but now Zero wants revenge on Freddy.
Solving the Mystery and Catching the Thieves
Mrs. Wiggins the Cow and Freddy are talking about Zebedee. Suddenly, they hear Jinx the Cat making a loud noise. They find the other animals playing Mr. Camphor and Bannister's proverb game. But they are testing the proverbs! Jinx proves that it can be useful to cry over spilled milk. He howls until Mrs. Bean refills his milk dish.
The animals decide to help Freddy. Freddy, Jinx, and some mice sneak into Mr. Camphor's house. Their plan is to show that the Winches are the real thieves. But they get trapped inside when a door locks!
Freddy quickly thinks of a plan. He puts on human clothes and manages to trick Bannister. This gives Jinx and the mice time to help Freddy escape. The Winches recognize Freddy, but by now, no one believes them. The sheriff is called.
Zebedee Winch tries to run away in his car. But Freddy's friend, an eagle, forces Zebedee's car off the road. The sheriff catches Zebedee. The sheriff then goes to Zebedee's house. There, he finds Mr. Camphor's stolen things and arrests Zebedee.
Dealing with the Rats and the Horsefly
Freddy still needs to get Simon and his rat gang out of Mr. Camphor's attic. He uses fleas to annoy them. There's a small fight, but Freddy finally makes them leave.
Mr. Camphor is very kind. He forgives the Winches and lets them work on his estate. Freddy goes to a patriotic meeting for bugs. At the meeting, the horsefly Zero is allowed to debate Charles the Rooster. Zero loses the debate and then tries to hurt Freddy. But Freddy was ready! He brought his toad friends. When Zero tries to sting Freddy, the toads eat him!
Freddy helps Mr. Camphor fix some damaged portraits. Then, Freddy tells Mr. Camphor the whole story about what happened. Mr. Camphor thinks Freddy should write a book about it. Bannister then says a perfect proverb: "There's no friend like a good book."
Main Characters in the Story
Freddy usually lives on the Bean farm with his animal friends. But in this book, much of the story happens at Mr. Camphor's estate.
- Freddy the Pig: A smart and brave pig who takes on the job of caretaker.
- Mr. Jimson Camphor: The quirky and kind owner of the estate.
- Bannister: Mr. Camphor's very proper butler.
- Zebedee Winch: A human who causes trouble and tries to steal things.
- Simon: A mean and tricky rat who leads a gang.
- Mrs. Wiggins the Cow: One of Freddy's wise animal friends from the Bean Farm.
- Theodore the Frog: Another animal friend who helps Freddy.
- Zero the Horsefly: A rude horsefly who causes problems for Freddy.
Book Illustrations
The book has 34 black and white drawings. They are made with pen and ink by Kurt Wiese. There are also special pictures on the inside covers and a colorful picture on the front cover. Each chapter starts with a half-page drawing. A full-page drawing is also placed near an important event in each chapter.
