History Literature / TheBookOfTheDunCow

* TheVoiceless: Ebenezer Rat never speaks, and it's unclear whether or not he does this by choice. It's implied that his secretive and criminal nature contributes to this.

A sequel was written titled ''The Book of Sorrows'', which is [[KillEmAll about as cheerful]] [[DownerEnding as you expect]]. It was later [[GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion rewritten and reissued]] as ''The Book of the Dun Cow: Lamentations'' and followed by a third book, ''Peace at Last'', [[SequelGap published 23 years after the second book.]].

* InWhichATropeIsDescribed: the chapter titles, although they're bit shorter in the second book.

* SanitySlippage: Chauntecleer in ''The Book ofSorrows'', thanks to the Fimbulwinter wolves and the worms from [[spoiler: Wyrm's corpse]].
* SavageWolves: Played with. A wolf tormented and eventually killed [[spoiler: Chauntecleer's mother]], but another is one of the animals who is part of the (failed) revolt against Cockatrice. Several more (Boreas, Eurus, Chinook, Favonius, and Notos) cause a great deal of trouble in ''The Book of Sorrows'', their machinations partially responsible for [[spoiler: Chauntecleer's descent into madness.]]

* InWhichATropeIsDescribed

* InfantImmortality: Subverted when [[spoiler: all of Chauntecleer's children are killed by basilisks.]]

* SanitySlippage: Chauntecleer in ''The BookofSorrows'', thanks to the Fimbulwinter wolves and the worms from [[spoiler: Wyrm's corpse]].

''The Book of the Dun Cow'' is a [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids children's novel]] written by Walter Wangerin, Jr. It follows the story of Chauntecleer, a rooster from before the creation of man. He's the leader of a small coop and the land that surrounds it, as he tries to get accustomed to an unwelcomed guest, [[TheWoobie Mundo Cani]], and stop somebody who's eating the eggs. But, after that's over with, he receives refugees fleeing from the land to the west, ruled by [[TheAntiChrist Cockatrice]]. Senex, the former ruler, wanted a son, even though he was impotent, and went about solving his problem the [[DealWithTheDevil wrong way]]. Thus, his son, Cockatrice, was born of him and the giant evil Wyrm locked under the Earth by the natural goodness of the animals on the surface. Eventually, Cockatrice kills everything in his land with his basilisk offspring. God sends his messenger, the Dun Cow, to Chauntecleer, and then seals off Earth from the rest of the universe with rain clouds. Eventually, Cockatrice starts attacking Chauntecleer's land with basilisks, and Chauntecleer calls the animals of his land to defend it. Bloodshed ensues.

--> '''John Wesley Weasel''': [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome "Do and do and do! John Wesley will do for you!"]]

** After the final battle, both John Wesley Weasel and Chauntecleer suffer from this. The last chapter is devoted to Pertelote breaking them out of it, Chauntecleer via TearJerker, John Wesley Weasel via SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}}.

* TookALevelInBadAss: Mundo Cani, who at first seems to be a self-hating whiner, is one of Chauntecleer's most faithful allies, saves John Wesley Weasel from Cockatrice, and last of all takes on [[spoiler: Wyrm himself]], with nothing but the horn of the Dun Cow. [[spoiler: [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome And wins.]]]]

* AltumVidetur: Wyrm and the Dun Cow both speak in Latin, "the language of the powers".

--> '''John Wesley Weasel''': [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome "Do and do and do! John Wesley will do for you!"]]

** After the final battle, both John Wesley Weasel and Chauntecleer suffer from this. The last chapter is devoted to Pertelote breaking them out of it, Chauntecleer via TearJerker, John Wesley Weasel via CrowningMomentOfFunny.

* TookALevelInBadAss: Mundo Cani, who at first seems to be a self-hating whiner, is one of Chauntecleer's most faithful allies, saves John Wesley Weasel from Cockatrice, and last of all takes on [[spoiler: Wyrm himself]], with nothing but the horn of the Dun Cow. [[spoiler: [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome And wins.]]]]

* GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion: ''Lamentations'' alters the books' continuity significantly, introducing new characters (Selkirk and Ratatosk), cutting others (Chinook the Gray She-Wolf), even [[GenderFlip gender-flipping]] one (the male beetle Black Lazarus was changed into the female Lazara the Black Beetle) and changing entire plot points. Most significantly, in the revised version Boreas survives, Chalcedony is murdered by Jasper, and Eurus is not blinded by Chauntecleer. The sequel follows the ''Lamentations'' version of events.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: While the animals are reunited in the afterlife, almost all of the named characters are dead and the spreading HatePlague has corrupted the world beyond repair.]]

* [[spoiler:DownerEnding]]: [[spoiler: Although reunited in the afterlife, most of the main characters die.]]

* BittersweetEnding

* BigBad: Arguably, the worms that infect Chantecleer are the main villains in ''Lamentations'', but Eurus takes this role in ''Peace at the Last''.

* GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion: ''Lamentations'' alters the books' continuity significantly, introducing new characters (Selkirk and Ratatosk), cutting others (Chinook the Gray She-Wolf), even [[GenderFlip gender-flipping]] one (the male beetle Black Lazarus was changed into the female Lazara the Black Beetle) and changing entire plot points. Most significantly, in the revised version Boreas survives and Eurus is not blinded by Chauntecleer. The sequel follows the ''Lamentations'' version of events.

** In ''The Book of Sorrows'', Jasper appears at the end with Chauntecleer's other animals to be with him, and her bad behavior is less intentionally malicious. In ''Lamentations'' she is forced to leave for her more severe crimes.

* TokenEvilTeammate: Jasper's bad behavior is worse in ''Lamentations'', and unlike ''The Book of Sorrows'' she is exiled from the Coop after trying to scavenge off the meat of a killed ewe and attempting to kill Pertinax the squirrel. Eurus the wolf and his pack are even worse - while Jasper [[spoiler: is ultimately forgiven]], he is not.

* SavageWolf: Eurus and his pack, especially Eurus himself and Ruttus.

The book is in fact named after an ancient Irish manuscript which contains bot Christian records and ancient Celtic legends.

* [[spoiler: KillEmAll]]: [[spoiler:The Meek (the animals led by Pertelote) are implicitly killed, although their implied reunion with Chauntecleer and the other animals in the afterlife may soften the blow.]]

* TokenEvilTeammate: Jasper's bad behavior is worse in ''Lamentations'', and unlike ''The Book of Sorrows'' she is exiled from the Coop after trying to scavenge off the meat of a killed ewe and attempting to kill Pertinax the squirrel. Eurus the wolf and his pack are even worse - while Jasper [[spoiler: is ultimately forgiven]], he is not.

* GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion: ''Lamentations'' alters the books' continuity significantly, introducing new characters (Selkirk and Ratatosk), cutting others (Black Lazarus), and changing entire plot points. Most significantly, in the revised version Boreas survives and Eurus is not blinded by Chauntecleer. The sequel follows the ''Lamentations'' version of events.

* PredatorsAreMean: All of the corrupted animals that attack Pertelote's group are predators or scavengers.

* SavageWolf: Eurus and his pack, especially Eurus himself and Boreas.

* SavageWolves: Played with. A wolf tormented and eventually killed [[spoiler: Chauntecleer's mother]], but another is one of the animals who is part of the (failed) revolt against Cockatrice. Several more (Boreas, cause a great deal of trouble in ''The Book of Sorrows'', their machinations partially responsible for [[spoiler: Chauntecleer's descent into madness.]]

* DeathEqualsRedemption: [[spoiler: Jasper is allowed into the afterlife, restored to her kinder self, and is forgiven by Pertelote.

* GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion: ''Lamentations'' alters the books' continuity significantly, introducing new characters (Selkirk and Ratatosk), cutting others (Black Lazarus), o. Most significantly, in the revised version Boreas survives and Eurus is not blinded by Chauntecleer. The sequel follows the ''Lamentations'' version of events.

A sequel was written titled ''The Book of Sorrows'', which is [[KillEmAll about as cheerful]] [[DownerEnding as you expect]].

!!Provides Examples Of:

* SavageWolves: Played with. A wolf tormented and eventually killed [[spoiler: Chauntecleer's mother]], but another is one of the animals who is part of the (failed) revolt against Cockatrice.

----

* EverythingsWorseWithWolves: Played with. A wolf tormented and eventually killed [[spoiler: Chauntecleer's mother]], but another is one of the animals who is part of the (failed) revolt against Cockatrice.

If the plot above seems [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids a bit complicated for a kid's book]], it's not just you. If anything is reminiscent of [[Literature/TheBible anything from the Good Book]], then don't be surprised. If anything ''isn't'' reminiscent of the Good Book, you're obviously not trying hard enough. [[DeathByNewberyMedal Got the ''New York Times'''s Best Children's Book of the Year, and the National Book Award. A lot of people die]].

If the plot above seems [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids a bit complicated for a kid's book]], it's not just you. If anything is reminiscent of [[Literature/TheBible anything from the Good Book]], then don't be surprised. If anything ''isn't'' reminiscent of the Good Book, you're obviously not trying hard enough. [[DeathByNewberyMedal Got the ''New York Times's'' Best Children's Book of the Year, and the National Book Award. A lot of people die]].

* TheDeterminator:

* [[PunchOutAGod Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu]]: [[spoiler: Mundo Cani stops Wyrm from escaping by blinding him with the Dun Cow's horn.]]