Freddy and the Perilous Adventure facts for kids
First edition dust jacket with a comfortable adventuring moment.
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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 | 1942 A.A. Knopf 1986 Random House 2001 The Overlook Press |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 243 (pp. 2 – 245) |
| ISBN | 1-58567-178-9 (2001) |
| Preceded by | 'Freddy and the Ignormus |
| Followed by | 'Freddy and the Bean Home News |
| (2001) | |
Freddy and the Perilous Adventure is an exciting children's book from 1942. It's the ninth story in the funny Freddy the Pig series. The book was written by American author Walter R. Brooks and drawn by Kurt Wiese.
In this adventure, Freddy the pig, along with his duck friends Alice and Emma, and the Webb spiders, go on an unexpected journey. They get stuck in a fairground balloon that won't come back to the ground. After many days, they finally land. Freddy then has to face the dishonest balloon owner who tricked Mr. Bean out of money.
Contents
The Balloon Adventure Begins
Freddy the pig loves poetry and has a big idea. He suggests that his duck friends, Alice and Emma, should fly in a hot air balloon. This would be just like the first animals who ever flew in a balloon!
A balloon owner named Mr. Golcher is in town. He thinks Freddy giving a speech from the balloon would bring in lots of customers. So, the balloon is launched into the sky.
Lost in the Sky
The balloon lifts off, but soon there's a problem. When they are floating over the Bean farm, they discover they can't make the balloon come down! They float west, even over Syracuse, New York. At first, everyone enjoys the ride.
But as a cold night passes, the wind changes direction. The animals realize they are lost and have run out of food. Luckily, a friendly eagle finds them. The eagle takes a message to the Bean family and returns with a picnic basket full of food.
A Stormy Ride and a Close Call
The next night, the balloon travels through a big thunderstorm. By morning, the balloon is low enough for its grapnel to catch onto a house. This house belongs to some old villains who recognize Freddy! They almost capture the balloon, but the animals manage to escape.
The animals also learn that the police are looking for them. Freddy decides it's too dangerous to stay in the balloon. He makes a risky jump to the ground.
Freddy's Clever Disguise
After landing, Freddy disguises himself so no one will recognize him. But soon, his friend the sheriff finds him. The sheriff pretends not to know Freddy. He tells Freddy that the police are watching the Bean farm.
Freddy bravely decides to return to the farm, even though it's risky. Back at the farm, Mr. Golcher is threatening Mr. Bean. Mr. Bean agrees to pay Mr. Golcher $200 for what he claims to have lost.
Freddy tries to figure out how long it would take to pay back $200:
- "If it takes two years to get seven dollars," he said to Mrs. Wiggins, "how long would it take to get two hundred?"
- "Seven hundred years," said Mrs. Wiggins.
- Freddy didn't think that was right... but Mrs. Wiggins stuck to seven hundred. "It's only common sense," she said. "If you get seven dollars in two years, then in seven hundred you get two hundred."
The Circus and a Family Reunion
Freddy hides at the circus owned by his friend, Mr. Boomschmidt. Mr. Boomschmidt agrees to help. He lets his elephants tow the balloon all the way to the circus so it can be returned to Mr. Golcher.
Meanwhile, back at the balloon, the ducks Alice and Emma make a surprising discovery. They find their long-lost Uncle Wesley! He is making a living by selling low-quality goods to the forest animals. Even though they are disappointed, they ask him to come back to the Bean farm with them.
The Fight for Fairness
Even though Mr. Golcher gets his balloon back, he is still difficult. He refuses to return Mr. Bean's money. Freddy and the animals agree to put on a free show for Mr. Golcher. But even after the show, Mr. Golcher is still not happy.
Freddy and Mr. Golcher decide to settle their differences in a fight ring. Mr. Golcher makes a rude comment about eating pork, which Freddy finds very offensive. Freddy is losing the fight fairly, until his spider friends secretly bite Mr. Golcher. Mr. Golcher is ready to give up, but Freddy stops him.
Freddy asks Mr. Golcher:
- "Do you like being honest?"
- "Not exactly," said Freddy truthfully.
- "Then why do you do it when you don't have to?"
- "I don't know. I suppose maybe because Mr. Bean thinks I'm honest. I sort of want him to be right."
Mr. Golcher decides to be honest for once. He finally returns Mr. Bean's money.
Illustrations in the Book
The book has 34 black and white drawings. These pictures are made with pen and ink by Kurt Wiese. Each chapter begins with a half-page illustration. A full-page drawing is also placed near an important event in each chapter.
The inside covers of the book, called Endpapers, are blue and beige. The colorful dust jacket on the outside shows scenes from the book. The hardcover of the book has a blue ink stamp. This stamp is a copy of the first illustration from Chapter 1.
Images for kids
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First edition dust jacket with a comfortable adventuring moment.
