Danny Champion of the World

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• Danny lives with his father William in a Gypsy caravan. Danny’s mother died when he was 4 months old. Danny and his father operate a service station together.

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• William loves telling stories to Danny and they have a very close relationship inventing machines and flying kites.

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• When Danny is 9 years old, he discovers that William has a secret habit, poaching pheasants from Hazel’s Wood.

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• William explains to Danny how poaching started because people were poor and could not afford to feed their families. William tells Danny about some of the clever methods of poaching such as the ‘Sticky Hat

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• One morning thereafter, at 2:10 A.M., Danny discovers William is not there. He guesses correctly that his father may be in trouble.

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• Danny drives an Austin Seven to Hazell's Wood, where he finds his father in a pit-trap, with a broken ankle and brings him home.

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• While William is recovering from his injury, he and Danny learn that Mr. Hazell's annual pheasant-shooting party is approaching, which he hosts for dukes, lords, barons, baronets, wealthy businessmen, etc., and decide to humiliate him by capturing all the pheasants in the forest.

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• sleeping pills prescribed by their surgeon Doc Spencer inside raisins which the pheasants will then eat; and William names this new method the "Sleeping Beauty".