Freddy the Pied Piper facts for kids
Freddy and the mice dramatize leaving people’s homes
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| Author | Walter R. Brooks |
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| Country | U.S. |
| Language | American English |
| Series | Freddy the Pig |
| Genre | Children's novel, Comic novel |
| Published | 1946 A.A. Knopf, Random House 2002 The Overlook Press |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 251 (pp. 2 – 253) |
| ISBN | 1-58567-226-2 (2002 hardback) |
| OCLC | 48670490 |
| LC Class | PZ7.B7994 Frl 2002 |
| Preceded by | 'Freddy and the Popinjay |
| Followed by | 'Freddy Goes Camping |
| (2002 hardback) | |
Freddy the Pied Piper is a funny children's book from 1946. It is the 14th book in the popular Freddy the Pig series. The story was written by American author Walter R. Brooks and illustrated by Kurt Wiese. In this adventure, Freddy the pig helps gather circus animals after World War II. He also finds a clever way to earn money. This money is needed to fix the old circus equipment. The book's title comes from a time when Freddy pretends to lead mice out of town, just like the famous Pied Piper.
Contents
Plot Summary: Freddy's Big Adventure
A Circus in Trouble
The story begins on a snowy Valentine's Day. Freddy learns that his friend, Mr. Boomschmidt, is in trouble. Mr. Boomschmidt owns a circus, but he ran out of money during the war. Circus shows were not allowed, so the animals had to scatter. They went off on their own about a year ago.
Mr. Boomschmidt asks Freddy for help. Freddy needs to find all the animals and raise money. This money will help restart the circus. Freddy and his friend, Jinx the cat, go to Centerboro for advice. They visit the bank, but the bank won't lend money. They need something valuable as a guarantee. The bank manager says, "Chickens are cheap, and lambs are weak." He also mentions that rhinoceroses are not a good market.
The Bank's Mouse Problem
Freddy gives the bank some advice about a different problem. The bank has a lot of mice eating their money! Freddy suggests they put out cheese to distract the mice. However, this plan actually attracts even more mice. Soon, the whole town has a mouse problem.
Finding Leo the Lion
Freddy soon learns that Leo, the circus lion, is far away. He is about 200 miles from home. Luckily, Freddy's rich friend, Mrs. Church, is driving in that direction. She gives Freddy and Jinx a ride. Mrs. Church even pays for a hotel while they look for Leo.
Freddy and Jinx visit Mrs. Guffin's pet shop. Freddy buys a canary there. The canary winks at him, which seems strange. It turns out the canary is actually a chickadee that was dyed yellow. This clever bird gives Freddy clues about Leo. Freddy uses these clues to confront Mrs. Guffin. They manage to free Leo. However, Mrs. Guffin claims Leo is hers. This makes Freddy and Jinx fugitives, meaning they are on the run. Mrs. Guffin tries to get Leo back. But Mrs. Church arrives and takes Freddy, Jinx, and Leo safely home.
Freddy's Mouse Business
Since the town is full of mice, Freddy comes up with a new idea. He decides to start a business with his cat friends. Their job is to remove mice from homes. Soon, they are earning a lot of money. This money will help restart the circus.
But Old Whibley the owl has an even better idea. He suggests renting a special place for the town mice. This place would be a warm home for them during the winter. The mice love this idea! Freddy decides to put on a small play. The mice then move into their new home in a big parade. Freddy leads the parade, pretending to be the Pied Piper.
The Stolen Money
Freddy decides to take all the money they earned. He travels with Jinx and the circus animals to find Mr. Boomschmidt. They are almost there when they come across a race track. Some of the animals decide to join a race.
The rhinoceroses are carrying the money. A man from the track stops them, and the money is stolen! Freddy and the animals arrive at Mr. Boomschmidt's place with no money. But Mr. Boomschmidt is still happy to see them.
While they are there, Freddy gets a tip from a buzzard they met earlier. The animals manage to get their money back! To save Mr. Boomschmidt's pride, Freddy creates a fake séance. During the séance, the money he earned is "discovered" as hidden treasure. Mr. Boomschmidt is satisfied, even though he knows Freddy's trick. With the money back, Mr. Boomschmidt can finally restart his circus!
Illustrations
The book has 32 black and white drawings. These are done with pen and ink by Kurt Wiese. There are also special drawings on the inside covers, called endpapers. The front cover is in full color and shows a scene 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.
