For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 22, 2024

As I have said many times before, April is a genius. A child of four raised in a barely nominally Christian household has heard a term and understands its relevance from Hinduism or Buddhism. The Pattersons are busy laughing, but I would be standing there in awe of this little girl.

How about forget-me-nots?

too soon…

A ravine? That’s an insult to the memory of a great dog! At least, I hope that prayers will be said.

How ironic, since Farley was essentially “reincarnated” in the comics to repeat this sad story. It WAS nice to see him again I admit. I miss the big fella…..again.

“Farley’s dead! Bwah ha ha ha ha ha haaa..!”

From Lynn’s Comments: When this story originally appeared, my friend Charles Schulz was furious. He couldn’t believe that Farley had been allowed to die. He called me and said, “That stupid little girl! What was she doing down at the river in the first place? That stupid little girl!” He actually blamed April and not me!

April’s speech has undergone a transformation after her brush with death.

My father used to say, “When I die, if I can come back as something, I want to come back as a flower…so I can be a…[wait for it]…rein-carnation.”

And light some candles

This arc makes me cry even after then 9th or 10th time reading it. It just seems so unfair.

I buried our schnauzer in the back yard where she was the queen for ten years.

don’t think the flowers can do that, but why ruin a good joke. :J

I am a believer in dog reincarnation. I know that at least my last (and current) 4 dogs have been with me before. The instant connection cannot be ignored.

in the ravine? Next bad storm, he may get uncovered and washed away.

Reincarnations – we all need to plant some of those somewhere.

I believe Lynn had the idea for the pun in the last panel of today’s strip and the previous two weeks were created just to set that up.

Very nice word play, but I would go with a durable perennial like Crocuses to break through the snow early and various Tulips and such to follow. God speed Farley. Yes, I know this strip isn’t current.

When my ashes go to rest, I will be accompanied by the ashes of my loyal dogs who proceeded me in death.

My wife’s uncle had a hill that he buried all his horses on. He was a rancher all his life, and a rodeo rider during the depression to feed his family. Every horse had a marker with their name on it. The hill overlooked the ranch house and stream that ran through the pasture. I can remember many a time rounding up and branding cattle every spring out there.

I’ve heard of people getting bonked on the head , coming out of a coma and suddenly being able to speak a foreign language. Apparently this phenomenon struck April. Before she took the plunge she spoke baby talk. Now suddenly she speaks big words with perfect pronunciation. Amazing.

Not funny

I am sure going to MISS FARLEY!I know this happens in real life, been there more than I care to remember, but I really wish you hadn’t done this Lynn!

SO SAD that Farley died. Did that really improve the comic strip? Not happy.

Has anyone told Mike??

Gallows humour.

One rabbit on the horizon….

Thanks for checking with the conservation authorities before burying Farley. Canadians are so civilized.

There were some old cartoons made in Iran which showed a dog with a human head. The cartoons were critical of the Shah of Iran, claiming that the Shah loved his dog more than the Iranian people.

I remember Lynn saying when she did the rewind on this strip that she wasn’t going to kill off Farley this time around….

The first actual joke this strip has had in weeks (unless maybe you count Elizabeth’s belch in the second-most-recent Sunday strip, which definitely wasn’t funny but arguably tried to be). And it’s this.

Also, they’re burying him in the ravine? The spot where his heart gave out as he was a soaking wet, half-frozen mess, and before that where he watched in terror as a member of his family nearly died? That’s obscene. Didn’t he have a favorite place in the yard, where he could be right next to the house and can keep an eye on his family from beyond the grave?

If only….

Seems like a very hot day today. In the second and fourth panels John’s glasses have been steamed over.

Why not dogwood?

Lynn, I apologize. I went back and did some research.

Because a crappy pun makes it all better…

Carnations are my favorites!

“Aypo” can’t say April, but she can say “reincarnation”?

Like a kid who can’t even pronounce her own name could say that.

I wonder if they’ve told Michael yet?

A strip I remember, when Elizabeth was a toddler.

Elizabeth: Nizzie pet doggy!

Elizabeth pats Farley on head repeatedly

Elizabeth: Nizzie go for ride!

Elizabeth puts herself on Farley’s back like a deadweight

Elizabeth: Nizzie pull ears!

Elizabeth yanks Farley’s ears

Elizabeth: Nizzie pull tail…

Elizabeth is thwarted

Farley: GROWL!

Elly: Farley….NO!!! Oh, Elizabeth, are you OK?

Elly takes Elizabeth away

Michael: Hey, you want to talk to someone who understands?

So that’s it, is it? NO lessons learned, no teachable moments, no gentle reminders about the consequences of disobedience, no mea culpas from the clueless parents who lost track of their toddler during a torrential downpour?? Just one bad pun and farewell to Farley?