Yobgorgle: Mystery Monster of Lake Ontario
Encyclopedia
Yobgorgle: Mystery Monster of Lake Ontario is a young adult comedy novel by American author Daniel Pinkwater
. It was first published in 1979.
with his uncle, a hugely obese vending machine tester, when they are recruited by Professor Ambrose McFwain, an equally obese scientist, to join him on an expedition to find a sea monster called the Yobgorgle in Lake Ontario
. They find the Yobgorgle and realize it is actually a submarine
in the shape of a giant pig.
The ship is almost self-sufficient and the crew consists of only Captain Van Straaten. He invites the search party on board and then locks them in. They learn that Captain Van Straaten has a curse on himself much like the Flying Dutchman. He can only surface in his submarine every seven years and no ship (or life preserver) that has him aboard can float within five miles of shore, and he cannot swim. If the captain gets ashore someone has to offer him a decent corned-beef sandwich within 24 hours. They get to shore by hydroplaning (not floating), and then they buy the captain a corned-beef sandwich.
Daniel Pinkwater
Daniel Manus Pinkwater is an author of mostly children's books and is an occasional commentator on National Public Radio. He attended Bard College. Well-known books include Lizard Music, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, Fat Men from Space, Borgel, and the picture book The Big Orange...
. It was first published in 1979.
Plot summary
A boy named Eugene is visiting Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
with his uncle, a hugely obese vending machine tester, when they are recruited by Professor Ambrose McFwain, an equally obese scientist, to join him on an expedition to find a sea monster called the Yobgorgle in Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
. They find the Yobgorgle and realize it is actually a submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
in the shape of a giant pig.
The ship is almost self-sufficient and the crew consists of only Captain Van Straaten. He invites the search party on board and then locks them in. They learn that Captain Van Straaten has a curse on himself much like the Flying Dutchman. He can only surface in his submarine every seven years and no ship (or life preserver) that has him aboard can float within five miles of shore, and he cannot swim. If the captain gets ashore someone has to offer him a decent corned-beef sandwich within 24 hours. They get to shore by hydroplaning (not floating), and then they buy the captain a corned-beef sandwich.