The Tale of Fatty Coon

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

5701

Title

The Tale of Fatty Coon

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A whimsical collection of animal fables featuring Fatty Coon, a plump and mischievous raccoon who navigates the dangers of Farmer Green's farm. Through slapstick humor and charming illustrations, Bailey explores themes of hunger, curiosity, and the consequences of greed, offering timeless entertainment for young readers.

Summary up to 500 words

Arthur Scott Bailey's *The Tale of Fatty Coon* chronicles the humorous and perilous adventures of Fatty, a rotund raccoon living near Farmer Green's farm. The narrative balances the dangers of the wild with the safety of the forest home, illustrating how Fatty's cleverness is often undermined by his gluttony and naivety. The story opens with Fatty escaping a tree that falls unexpectedly, only to face a new terror: a passing automobile. Mistaking the car for a monster, Fatty and his mother watch in fear as the vehicle speeds past, unaware that the "monster" is merely a farmer seeking directions. As winter sets in, hunger drives Fatty toward the farm. His attempt to feast on hams in the smokehouse ends in a comical mishap when he accidentally bites through the cord holding a ham, causing it to fall on him. He later encounters Jimmy Rabbit and his brother, who playfully cut off Fatty's moustache and use his tail as a barber pole, leading to a dispute over the hollow tree. Fatty's curiosity nearly costs him his life when he mistakes a shiny tin trap for the moon, a deception his mother resolves with relief. Fatty's appetite leads him to a logger's camp, where he consumes dried apples that swell in his stomach after he drinks water, making him uncomfortably fat. The narrative concludes with Fatty mistaking Farmer Green's snowshoe tracks for those of a giant monster. His mother resolves this misunderstanding with laughter, revealing the tracks belong to the farmer himself. Throughout the tales, Bailey emphasizes that while Fatty is resourceful, his insatiable hunger and innocent misinterpretations of the world frequently lead to funny, if slightly dangerous, mishaps. The book serves as a lighthearted exploration of animal life, where human technology and winter scarcity create a backdrop for slapstick comedy and family bonding.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5701.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg5701.epub

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Categories

• Animals
• Juvenile Fiction