The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog

by John R. Erickson

Grades 3-5; Genre - Fiction; GRL Q; AR pts: 3.0

Hank has been accused of murder! In a fit of despair, Hank resigns his position as Head of Ranch Security and decides to join the outlaw coyotes. There he's known as Hunk (that's Hank in coyote language). Hank meets Missy Coyote, sister to Scraunch — the meanest, roughest, toughest, most notorious coyote in the whole country. If Scraunch found Hank with his sister... Well, look out for trouble.

Vocabulary (by Steve)

Comprehension Questions (by Steve)

Chapter 1

1. What was
   Hank’s job? Head of Ranch Security Pg. 1.
2. Why did
   Loper shoot off the gun? Hank was barking at the coyotes. Pg. 3
3. Who was
   Beulah? The neighbor’s collie that Hank liked. Pg. 4.
4. What did
   Hank and Drover think killed the chicken? A coyote or a coon. Pg. 8.

Chapter 2

1. Where
   did the porcupine stick Hank? In the face, nose, and paws. Pg. 12.
2. What did
   Pete, the barn cat,  do to Hank? Flicked
   his tail on his nose. Pg. 14.
3. How did
   Loper feel about Hank’s quills? It was Hanks fault for messing with a
   porcupine. Pg. 15.
4. Why did
   Loper throw the pliers at Hank? He wet on his pants. Pg. 17.

Chapter 3

1. What did
   Loper feel about Hank and the dead chicken? He barked all night and was expensive
   to feed. Pg. 19.
2. Why did
   Hank tell Drover he was useless? He was playing with a frog. Pg. 22.
3. What did
   Drover find in the night? A big monster with horns. Pg. 25.
4. What did
   Hank actually attack? The milk cow. 
   Pg. 28.

Chapter 4

1. Why was
   Slim nice to Hank? He wanted to wipe the dip stick on his ear. Pg. 31.
2. How
   did Hank feel about Drover’s help the night before? He was not happy he
   didn’t give any . Pg. 33.
3. Why was
   Drover not afraid to pee on the Boxer’s truck? He was chained up. Pg. 35.
4. Why did
   Bruno get in trouble? The men thought the other dogs were asleep. Pg. 39.

Chapter 5

1. What did
   Hank decide to do instead of guarding the chicken house? A steak-out. Pg.
   44.
2. Why did
   Hank fall asleep? Because he dreamt he was awake. Pg. 45.
3. Who
   found Hank with the dead chicken? Sally May. Pg. 48.
4. What did
   Loper do to punish Hank? Made him wear the dead chicken head. Pg. 50.
5. What did
   Hank decide to do because he was punished? Leave and become an Outlaw. Pg.
   53.

Chapter 6

1. What
   did Hank think Loper and Sally Mae would feel about him being gone? They’d
   miss him. Do anything if he’d come home. 
   Pg. 57.
2. How did
   Hank feel about the spring pool? A sewer is better. Pg. 58.
3. What did
   Junior think about Hank? Thought he was d-d-d-dead. Pg. 59.
4. What
   gave the signals that something was dead? The chicken head around hank’s
   neck. Pg. 62.

Chapter 7

1. Why did
   the dog look headless? A Hawaiian Punch can was stuck on its head. Pg. 67.
2. Why
   couldn’t the coyote understand hank? It didn’t speak Doglish. Pg. 69.
3. Did Hank
   like the coyote’s name? No. Girl-Who-Drink-Blood. Pg. 72.
4. Who was
   the coyote’s brother? Scraunch. Pg. 73.

Chapter 8

1. Who is
   Chief Gut? The coyote father of Missy and Scraunch. Pg. 75.
2. What did
   the coyotes call cowboys and guns? Big-hat and boom-boom. Pg. 76.
3. What did
   the coyotes call Hank that upset him? Chicken dog. Pg. 77.
4. Why
   didn’t the coyotes attack Hank? They were going to make him part of the
   tribe. Pg. 84.

Chapter 9

1. Why did
   Hank’s secret work? Coyotes are superstitious. Pg. 85.
2. What Did
   Hank’s mom say about coyotes? They were lazy, sneaky, undisciplined. Pg. 87.
3. What did
   Rip and Snort want to do? Go carousing in the silage pit. Pg. 88.
4. What is
   silage? Grass that ferments and turns into alcohol. Pg. 88.
5. What did
   Drover think about Hank with the coyotes? He was a traitor. 95.

Chapter 10

1. What did
   the coyote pups do to hank? Bit his tail. Pg. 99.
2. How did
   Hank feel about coyote life? Told Missy too much noise. Pg. 102.
3. What was
   the mutton feast? A piece of aged meat that was green with maggots on it.
   Pg. 103.
4. What did
   Missy’s mom think made Hank sick? Brackish water. Pg. 105.

Chapter 11

1. What did
   the coyotes like to eat and why? Juicy chicken because they are easy. Pg.
   107.
2. Who made
   the speech to the village? Scraunch and then led the raid. Pg.107.
3. Where
   did Hank hope Drover was? Hiding in a corner of the shed. Pg. 109.
4. What did
   Scraunch want Hank to do? Kill Drover, but he tried to save him. Pg. 114.
5. When
   Hank “heard Saint Peter blow” what did he think? He was going to die. Pg.
   116.

Chapter 12

1. What did
   Loper do and why to Hank? He smiled; glad he was back. Pg. 119.
2. What did
   everyone think happened to Drover? He was dead. Pg. 120.
3. What did
   Hank tell Drover he was doing with the coyotes? He was undercover. Pg. 122.
4. What
   did the Badger tracks turn out to be? Skunk tracks. Pg. 125.
5. What did
   Hank do to Sally May? Run in to her clean laundry with skunk smell. Pg. 127.