The Fling (Hank the Cowdog #38)

by John R. Erickson

Hardcover, 2001

Status

Available

Call number

TX

Publication

Viking Juvenile (2001), Hardcover

Description

Abandoned and lost in a strange town, Hank the Cowdog, law-abiding head of ranch security, embarks on a spree of fun and mischief with a jailhouse mutt named Ralph.

User reviews

LibraryThing member JalenV
When Hank the Cowdog gets himself trapped into a ride to Twichell, he meets up with Dogpound Ralph (It's a Dog's Life, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, The Case of the Car-barkaholic Dog, and The Case of the Night-stalking Bone Monster). Ralph likes to go on a fling now and then. He invites Hank to join him,
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which is why this book is The Fling. The two dogs sing 'The Fling Song,' a sprightly little piece. The verses are sung to 'She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain [When She Comes]', while the chorus reminds me of singer Stonewall Jackson's 1959 'Waterloo'.

During the fling, Hank runs afoul of a big, black Labrador retriever named Atilla. Will Hank's mouth save him or get him hurt?

Is what Ralph tells Hank true? Was he bullied by Buster and Muggs while Hank was dealing with Atilla?

On the way home, Hank runs into buzzards Wallace and Junior while trying to escape some coyotes (one of them sounds like Snort but isn't named). There are many other buzzards roosting in the same tree as Wallace and Junior. Their 'Buzzard Chant,' which turns into a round, is quite pretty. It sounds like a hymn.

As usual, it's a funny story, and well worth a listen.

In this book we learn that Dogpound Ralph's master, Jimmy Joe Dogcatcher, is also the mayor of Twichell. No wonder Ralph can get away with his flings.
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Language

Physical description

144 p.; 8.56 inches

ISBN

0670896942 / 9780670896943

Barcode

3405
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