Freddy and the Bean Home News facts for kids
Distributing the Bean Home News
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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 | 1943 A.A. Knopf 2000 The Overlook Press 2002 Puffin Books |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 228 (pp. 2 – 230) |
| ISBN | 0-14-230088-8 (Puffin paperback) |
| OCLC | 47930650 |
| LC Class | PZ7.B7994 Foc 2002 |
| Preceded by | 'Freddy and the Perilous Adventure |
| Followed by | 'Freddy and Mr. Camphor |
| (paperback) | |
Freddy and the Bean Home News is a funny children's book from 1943. It is the tenth story in the popular Freddy the Pig series. Walter R. Brooks wrote the book, and Kurt Wiese created the pictures. This adventure happens during World War II in the United States.
In this story, Freddy the pig decides to start his own newspaper. This happens because the local newspaper is not reporting the truth. Freddy's paper, The Bean Home News, competes with the dishonest paper. This leads to some big problems for Freddy. He even gets into trouble with the law and is taken away! But his friends and the townspeople stand up for him and help him out.
Contents
Freddy's New Newspaper Adventure
This section tells you all about the exciting things that happen to Freddy.
Starting the Bean Home News
One cold morning, Charles the rooster tries to avoid his chores. He pretends to be sick, but then he actually gets sick! Meanwhile, Freddy convinces all the animals on the Bean Farm to join a special contest. They need to find old metal items for a scrap drive. This helps the country win the war.
Freddy tries to give some news to the Guardian newspaper. But he finds out his friend, Mr. Dimsey, the editor, has been fired. The owner, Mrs. Underdunk, put her nephew, Mr. Garble, in charge. With Mr. Dimsey's help, Freddy decides to start his own newspaper. It's called The Bean Home News, and it's for the animals.
The Bean Farm animals work on Mr. Dimsey's farm to help pay him. Soon, many people in town start subscribing to Freddy's paper. This makes Freddy decide to hire reporters to gather news from all over town.
Facing Competition and Trouble
Things get tricky when Freddy accidentally bumps into Mrs. Underdunk on the sidewalk. She gets very angry. When the sheriff doesn't arrest Freddy, Mrs. Underdunk threatens to get the sheriff fired. She even comes to the Bean Farm and says she will have Freddy shot! A joke meant for Charles the rooster makes her even angrier.
Freddy's newspaper reporters are getting great stories. For example, one reporter found out about a secret engagement! The Guardian newspaper starts calling Freddy a "ferocious wild pig." Freddy uses his own paper to tell the true story. People in town believe Freddy, which makes Mrs. Underdunk even more upset.
Charles the rooster gets very mad. He attacks Mr. Garble all by himself! This makes Mrs. Underdunk demand that Freddy be arrested. She says he is the leader of an animal gang. Luckily, Freddy hides in his friend the sheriff's jail. So, when they come to arrest him, the sheriff can say Freddy is already "in custody."
Freddy's Day in Court
Freddy visits Old Whibley, an owl, for advice. Old Whibley decides to be Freddy's lawyer. He tells Freddy to ask for a jury trial. This way, Freddy's friends can be on the jury. The animals keep interrupting Mr. Garble's sleep. So, when he gets to court, he is very sleepy.
Mrs. Underdunk's case against Freddy is not very strong. The judge asks her if Freddy bit her, and she says no. She just says Freddy "cannot be trusted." Mr. Garble falls asleep during the trial, so he can't even speak. The jury votes that Freddy is innocent!
A Tricky Plan and Victory
Mrs. Underdunk throws a big party with a senator. The Bean animals can't resist sneaking onto the grounds to watch. When they are found, Freddy runs into the house. Just then, a wartime blackout is called, and the house goes dark.
Freddy pretends to be the senator. He announces that Mrs. Underdunk is donating her fancy lawn ornament to the Bean's scrap drive! When the lights come back on, there's a lot of confusion. Freddy is caught and held captive. But the animals find him and tell the authorities. The police, sheriff, judge, and many townspeople arrive in a big, noisy crowd.
The judge warns everyone to be quiet. Since Mrs. Underdunk and Mr. Garble were caught in public, they agree to stop bothering Freddy. Mrs. Underdunk's lawn ornament is given up, and the Bean animals win the scrap drive contest!
Main Characters in the Story
Freddy lives on the Bean Farm with many animal friends. These include dogs, cows, chickens, and rabbits. There are also owls, jays, mice, spiders, and wasps. Many of them play a part in this book.
Jerry the ant convinces Freddy to teach him how to read. Jerry then becomes a spy for Freddy's newspaper. Mr. Garble and his aunt, Mrs. Underdunk, are new characters in this book. They appear many times in the series and cause trouble for Freddy.
Illustrations in the Book
The book has 30 black and white drawings by Kurt Wiese. These are done with pen and ink. There are also special pictures on the inside covers, called endpapers. The front cover is in full color and shows scenes from the book. Each chapter starts with a half-page drawing. A full-page drawing is also placed near an important event in each chapter.
