For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 11, 2024

April unsupervised. Recurring theme.

What’s that Lassie? Timmy fell down a well?

I can’t believe that parents could be so clueless!!

Edgar barks one “Wowf!” I think Lassie would do more barking but fortunately for Edgar, one “Wowf!” is all Elly needs. She is like the Edgar whisperer.

Elly interprets “Where’s April?”

The thought process here is that Elly knows Edgar and Farley are in charge of April. Therefore if Edgar shows up without her and without Farley, something has gone wrong with Farley and April.

The next thought is where did April go? The choices are: Out to the front yard, the side yard into Connie’s house to play with Sera, or out the back to river. While we have never seen April go that direction to the river, April has already told us she has been out to the river “lotsa times.” April demonstrates getting there so easily, I have no doubt she is telling the truth. Here is Elly’s thinking:

Back gate open = River

Side gate open = Messing around with Sera

No gates open = April went around the front and is wandering the streets.

None of these are great choices for attentive parent, but it is telling that Elly knows exactly what to look for. This is not Elly’s first rodeo in having to figure out where April is.

The answer to Elly’s question is: Yes, of course. She has been to the river “lotsa times” and Elly knows it or she would not know “back gate open = river” as opposed to: Playing in the mud right behind the fence, or playing in the park that is close by the river.

And it’s time for another round of ‘Oh these ghastly, useless parents, dogs take better care of their child than they do!’ Crikey. Wonder how much vitriol there would be if Elly and John were helicopter parents?

Heck… they’ve both been washed far downstream by now…

I just hope this is not the swan song for Farley.

Is it right, is it necessary for a mother to hover over her kids incessantly? As I understand it, it is part of the growing process to loosen the leash every once in a while. April has been TOLD to stay away from the river. Elly just got back from a trip and is catching up on local events. Guard is not totally up right now. Not bad parenting; Bad timing!

How long ago was this story line first published? Does anyone remember? There was a lot of pushback over the ending.

Follow-up on yesterday’s comments: Can we all agree now that it was indeed John, not Connie, who opened the door for Edgar?

Of course she would. April was a brat from day one.

And an ice cold dread settles over the three Patterson adults…

Death knell for Farley

April 13, 1995 if anyone wants to “read ahead”

Stop talking, rush over and LOOK!

I remember this from when it ran originally and I’ve been dreading it. So sad.

Parents: Do you know where your child(ren) is (are) at?

well, she figured it out quickly. :J

The timing of these reruns is almost more than I can bear. We just had to have our 13 year old Collie put to sleep last night. The hole in our home is enormous.

This is playing out like an Agatha Christy Novel, possibly titled, “The Boat in the Water.” It could be a Tommy and Tuppence along with Miss Marple solving this mystery.

Awfully slow at ‘puttin’ two and two together, there, Elle ! ! ! !

I always loved Farley far more than Aypo. I don’t know if it is her stupid haircut, the overalls or just her behavior or her speech. She is one of the most annoying kid characters ever seen in the comics. I really don’t know why Lynn had to add her to the mix. She could have created a far better kid if she needed to add one at all. But no, we get this whiny brat and lose one of the best comic strip dogs ever. On another note, do we ever hear about this river again? It sort of came up out of nowhere.

Who cried when “Old Yeller” died?

Good boy, Farley! Good boy!

Yes, she did. Now, follow Edgar!

Farely and Edgar to the rescue !! Hope Farley holds out until John and Elle arrive.

My wife and I had a few frightening experiences with our children when they were young. In one instance, I had a police officer come to my door to tell me that my son was hit by a car. It turned out that he was riding his bike, riding through the back “alleys” of the townhouses and darted out in front of a car. That car just barely stopped in time and my son actually hit wheel of his vehicle. There were three nervous wrecks: me, my wife and the driver. My son just got a scrape from falling on to the pavement. The second time, my daughter who was only four, managed to open our locked storm door, went out. When we noticed she was gone and we searched the neighborhood which was close to some busy streets. You can imagine the fear we felt when we were looking for her. We found her playing with some other kids a block down from our house. Kids can give you some gray hair earlier than old age will.

She wouldn’t go down to the river,would she?

Mmmmm…nyaaahhhh…could be!!

The last panel—-WHOOSH!! Brilliant. The lonely hero.

That’s some river. Looks like they made it all the way to Utah.

I’ve known this part was coming for a while. I’m not ready to relive it. :-(

I know we all joke about Lassie and Timmie in the well, heck I do too! It’s a classic!! But…. a good dog WILL be there for you in ways you can begin to imagine, only experience.

I always found it baffling that Elly didn’t notice April was not around until now!

Duh!!! Fix the darn gate!

Good thing there is OHIP. They can find a surgeon who has a revolutionary new way to save them both. Then we will see an April-headed Farley and a Farley-headed April!

The shock of this should turn Elly’s head upside down!

I read this arc in real-time years ago. It still makes me cry.

I read this arc in real-time. Still makes me cry

Of course she would.

THIS IS NOT GOOD !!

I have my reasons for disliking this storyline.

Please don’t tell me Farley is going to die. We just lost my good friend O.J. Simpson. :(

Why yes, yes, she would, Ellie, which you’d know if that kid had supervision.

Someone should report them to the county children and family services office for child endangerment

I remember this one from the first round of this strip. I won’t spoil the ending for you.

Good thing Canada has universal health insurance.

Fail to notice where your kids are AGAIN, ELLY!?

Duh!!