Freddy the Pilot facts for kids
First edition - Dropping skunk and rabbit forces on the secret airstrip
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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 |
| Publisher | Knopf |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback), CD, cassette |
| Pages | 245 (pp. 3 – 247) |
| ISBN | 0-14-230044-6 (2001 Puffin) |
| OCLC | 46590050 |
| LC Class | PZ7.B7994 Frt 2001 |
| Preceded by | Freddy Rides Again |
| Followed by | Freddy and the Space Ship |
Freddy the Pilot is a funny children's book from 1952. It's the 19th story in the popular Freddy the Pig series. Walter R. Brooks wrote it, and Kurt Wiese drew the pictures. In this adventure, Freddy the pig learns to fly a plane! He needs to stop a mysterious airplane that keeps bothering his friend Mr. Boomschmidt's circus.
Contents
Freddy's Flying Adventure
Circus Trouble Begins
The story starts with Freddy the pig trying to get Sniffy the skunk to read Robin Hood. Suddenly, Mr. Boomschmidt arrives at the Bean farm. He brings his amazing circus, which used to be called "Boomschmidt's Colossal and Unparalleled Circus." Mr. Boom has a big problem. He invites the Bean farm animals to watch his small circus show.
During the show, a lawyer for Mr. Condiment interrupts. He claims that a performer named Mademoiselle Rose is in danger from the circus animals. The Bean farm animals quickly show this isn't true. But then, the show is interrupted again! A plane flies over and drops sacks of flour, ruining the performance.
Freddy Learns to Fly
Mr. Boom finally explains the truth. Mr. Condiment is causing all the trouble. He wants to force Mademoiselle Rose to marry him. Freddy decides he must learn to fly a plane to chase the bomber. His flying instructor warns him that the mystery plane is a fast World War II fighter jet. It will be much faster than any plane Freddy can get.
Still, Mr. Bean is very proud of Freddy. He buys Freddy a plane and even turns part of his farm into an airstrip! News about Freddy's flying spreads in the newspapers. This brings an inventor named Uncle Ben to the farm. Uncle Ben wants to test his new invention, a bombsite. This device helps planes drop bombs accurately. However, the device isn't ready when some generals come to see it. They leave feeling disappointed.
Freddy's Clever Disguises
Freddy decides to investigate Mr. Condiment. He dresses up as a woman to spy on him. Freddy finds out that Condiment is trying to force a bookstore owner to sell his comic books. One of these comics is called Lorna, the Leopard Woman, In the Lair of the Great Serpent.
The circus's pet boa constrictor sneaks up on Condiment as a joke. It asks, "Want a little hug?" Condiment gets scared and runs away. This gives Freddy an idea! He decides to pretend to be Lorna, the Leopard Woman. He uses a fake Spanish accent and visits Condiment. He lets Condiment believe he is the real Leopard Woman.
The Bombsite Surprise
Uncle Ben thinks about selling his faulty bombsite to enemies. But then Freddy accidentally discovers something amazing! The device is actually very good at finding lost coins. This discovery turns out to be much more interesting to the generals than its original purpose!
Now that Freddy's plane is free from bombsite testing, he takes it for a flight. He arrives at the circus just in time to see the mysterious plane again. He chases it, but the other plane is too fast and gets away.
The Leopard Woman Returns
Freddy puts on his Leopard Woman disguise again. He tricks Condiment into a dark circus trailer. Freddy pretends to be angry, claiming Condiment promised to marry him. The lights go out, and Freddy quickly swaps himself with a real leopard! When Condiment wakes up from fainting, Freddy is back, with Rose by his side. Condiment is now completely convinced that Freddy is the Leopard Woman. He cancels his comic book. Freddy hopes Condiment is scared enough to leave Rose alone.
Skunks and Rabbits Join the Mission
For several days, Freddy secretly follows the mystery plane. Each time, he gets closer to its hidden airfield. Finally, he finds its secret location. He returns to the farm and discovers that the skunks have taken the Robin Hood story very seriously. They are now carrying quarterstaffs and bows!
This gives Freddy an idea. He decides to use the skunks as spies. He plans to parachute them onto the distant airfield using umbrellas. The skunks are not very excited about this. Freddy encourages them, saying: "Why, how now, lads?' he said. 'Ye tell me ye be bound for a life of adventure in the merry greenwood, and yet methinks ye hang back when ‘tis question of trading hard knocks with a stout foe.'" (p. 131)
The skunks protest that they are not cowards like rabbits. A group of rabbits, called the "Horrible Ten," overhears this. This leads to two small fights. But the rabbits are happy when they are allowed to join the mission. The team of skunks and rabbits is successfully dropped onto the airfield.
Destroying the Plane
After a couple of days, the animals get tired of spying. They decide to destroy the plane. They don't have many tools. So, they steal gunpowder from the criminals in a house near the airfield. They are very pleased when they succeed in blowing up the plane!
Unaware of this, Freddy lands his plane. Condiment discovers that Freddy is not only a pig but also the Leopard Woman! Freddy is taken prisoner. But the skunks and rabbits quickly free him. They easily convince Condiment that he is about to be roasted and eaten. They tell him, "People who read comics will believe almost anything." Condiment is tied up, but he later escapes. The chase continues, and the gang eventually gets away.
The Demon Woman of Grisly Gulch
Freddy's detective partner, Mrs. Wiggins the cow, arrives in disguise. She even fools Freddy! She gets a chance to say, "I know you! You’re the fat, lazy good-for-nothing pig that lives on poor old Mr. Bean." Mrs. Wiggins then disguises herself as the Demon Woman of Grisly Gulch. This is another character from Condiment's comic books.
Condiment is completely terrified. He is forced to write a confession about his crimes. Back at the circus, Rose cries when she reads it. In that emotional moment, Condiment realizes he has a way to bargain. He tells Mr. Boom that Rose wants to marry him, in exchange for dropping the charges against him. The next day, there is a wedding! For the first time since Freddy has known him, Mr. Boom gets completely mixed up.
Illustrations in the Book
The book has 36 black and white drawings by Kurt Wiese. These are done with pen and ink. There are also special designs 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 placed near an important event in each chapter. There is even a half-page map showing the layout of the secret airfield.
The cover shows a P-39 Airacobra plane. This was a famous fighter plane from World War II. However, the drawings inside the book show that this is not Freddy's plane. It's the plane used by his enemies. This is an example of artistic license. It means the artist took some creative freedom. The P-39 was well-known to readers, so it made the cover exciting!
