Freddy and the Ignormus facts for kids
First edition cover showing the attack on the rat’s headquarters
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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 | 1941 A.A. Knopf, Random House 1998 The Overlook Press 2001 Puffin Books |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 282 (pp. 2 – 284) |
| ISBN | 0-87951-882-0 (1998 hardback) |
| OCLC | 39868206 |
| LC Class | PZ7.B7994 Fp 1998 |
| Preceded by | Freddy’s Cousin Weedly |
| Followed by | Freddy and the Perilous Adventure |
| (1998 hardback) | |
Freddy and the Ignormus (1941) is the eighth book in the funny children's series Freddy the Pig. It was written by Walter R. Brooks and illustrated by Kurt Wiese. This book came out just before the U.S. joined World War II. In this story, strange rumors spread about a monster living in the dark woods near the Bean farm. When animals in the area start getting threatened and forced to give up their belongings, Freddy and his friends must be brave. They face the unknown to protect their home and friends.
Contents
The Mystery of the Ignormus
Freddy the pig believes in being brave. He says, "When you’re alone, and you hear or see something that scares you, the thing to do is walk right up and find out what it is." His friend Theodore, a frog, dares him to visit the spooky Big Woods. These woods used to belong to Mr. Grimsby, who was mean to animals. After he left, the woods became even scarier.
Freddy and Theodore soon learn that being brave is harder when you are actually in the woods! They get scared and run out. There, they meet their enemy, Simon the Rat. Simon has seen them run away. He warns them about a mysterious and dangerous creature called the "Ignormus."
Animal Republic Meeting
Simon's return causes a big meeting of the F.A.R. (First Animal Republic). This group was formed to take care of the farm when the Bean family was away. Many animals, like Charles the rooster, don't believe Freddy was really in the Big Woods.
Old Whibley the owl explains what people think the Ignormus might be. He says, "Is it, as some old legends tell, a bird with the head of a lion?...Is its name, as Simon says, the Ignormus? No one knows." Old Whibley then tells him to sit down if he only came to say he didn't know anything.
Freddy dares Charles to go into the Big Woods with him. Charles is scared, but his wife Henrietta pushes him to go. Freddy and Charles both go into the woods alone. Freddy thinks he sees a monster with a long snout and tail feathers, but it's just Charles. Charles also mistakes Freddy for a monster. Later, they both brag about seeing the Ignormus. They then realize they only saw each other!
The Farm Robberies
Soon, the animals' bank is robbed. Everyone suspects the Ignormus. Freddy decides to investigate. He dresses up as a hunter and borrows Mr. Bean’s shotgun. While looking around the old Grimsby house, Freddy shoots at what he thinks is a snake. The shotgun kicks back and knocks him out! When he wakes up, the shotgun is gone.
Back at the farm, Mrs. Wiggins, a sensible cow, wonders why such a terrible Ignormus wouldn't just fight Freddy directly. She says, "I don’t know what I mean...I just say what I think. You’re smart. It’s up to you to figure out what I mean."
Later, the Bean farm itself is robbed. The missing items are found in Freddy’s pigpen! Freddy also hears that animals are being threatened by someone using the Ignormus's name. He investigates and finds a threatening letter written in a familiar handwriting. Jinx the cat isn't impressed with Freddy's detective skills. Freddy says, "To the eye of the trained detective nothing is ever just what it seems to be." Jinx replies, "What does that make you, then?"
Confronting the Ignormus
Freddy and his friends walk along the Big Woods road, looking for the person who wrote the letter. They meet Simon the Rat again. Suddenly, a huge white shape with horns floats out of the woods, and they all run away!
They go back to the Grimsby house. From a window, the missing shotgun is pointed at Freddy and Theodore. They retreat to a bridge where animals are leaving goods they were forced to give up. There, they see Charles the rooster talking to the Ignormus’s small helper. Freddy hides and copies the helper's voice, insulting Charles. This makes Charles furious, and he starts a fight! Charles wins the fight, which makes him famous for being brave throughout the rest of the series. They discover that the helper is Simon’s son, but he escapes.
Some frightened animals start to leave the farm. Freddy gives a speech, telling them they are "deserting under fire." He inspires the animals to be patriotic and fight back. A beetle offers to climb into the shotgun barrels to chew out the gunpowder. Mrs. Wiggins, the F.A.R. president, organizes her animal troops.
They charge the Grimsby house, but Simon stops them. He only insults them and won't make a deal. The animals keep charging. The gun goes off, but only the gunpowder hits Freddy, causing a small injury. The animals take over the house, but they only find Simon and his gang of rats. Old Whibley the owl solves the final mystery. He drops a weighted bedsheet on Freddy. This sheet was used to make the "Ignormus" float through the air!
Mrs. Bean feels sorry for the rats and offers them a place to stay. All the rats accept except Simon. He says, "I don’t want kind words, and I don’t deserve them." The rest of the animals throw a big party. But at the end, Jinx the cat wisely points out that there will always be "Ignormuses" in the world.
Illustrations
The book features 32 black and white drawings by Kurt Wiese. These are made with pen and ink. Each chapter begins with a half-page drawing. A full-page drawing is also placed near an important event in each chapter. The endpapers (the pages glued inside the front and back covers) and the full-color cover show scenes from the book.
