01
“I buried Little Ann by the side of Old Dan. I knew that was where she wanted to be. I also buried a part of my life along with my dog.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
Little Ann
ᐧ
Old Dan
characters
pets
ᐧ
death
ᐧ
dogs
concepts
02
“You were worth it, old friend, and a thousand times over.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
grief
ᐧ
friendship
ᐧ
worth
ᐧ
death
concepts
03
“I had heard the old Indian legend about the red fern. How a little Indian boy and girl were lost in a blizzard and had frozen to death. In the spring, when they were found, a beautiful red fern had grown up between their two bodies. The story went on to say that only an angel could plant the seeds of a red fern, and that they never died; where one grew, that spot was sacred.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
angels
ᐧ
death
concepts
04
“It’s strange indeed how memories can lie dormant in a man’s mind for so many years. Yet those memories can be awakened and brought forth fresh and new, just by something you’ve seen, or something you’ve heard, or the sight of an old familiar face.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
memories
concept
05
“People have been trying to understand dogs ever since the beginning of time. One never knows what they’ll do. You can read every day where a dog saved the life of a drowning child, or lay down his life for his master. Some people call this loyalty. I don’t. I may be wrong, but I call it love - the deepest kind of love.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
Mr. Kyle
character
pets
ᐧ
love
ᐧ
dogs
concepts
06
“It’s a shame that people all over the world can’t have that kind of love in their hearts,” he said. “There would be no wars, slaughter, or murder; no greed or selfishness. It would be the kind of world that God wants us to have - a wonderful world.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
Mr. Kyle
character
07
“I’m sure the red fern has grown and has completely covered the two little mounds. I know it is still there, hiding its secret beneath those long, red leaves, but it wouldn’t be hidden from me for part of my life is buried there, too.Yes, I know it is still there, for in my heart I believe the legend of the sacred red fern.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
plants
concept
08
“There is a little good in all evil.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
good and evil
concept
09
“Old Dan must have known he was dying. Just before he drew his last breath, he opened his eyes and looked at me. Then with one last sigh, and a feeble thump of his tail, his friendly gray eyes closed forever.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
Old Dan
character
pets
ᐧ
dogs
ᐧ
death
concepts
10
“I found her lying on her stomach, her hind legs stretched out straight, and her front feet folded back under her chest. She had laid her head on his grave. I saw the trail where she had dragged herself through the leaves. The way she lay there, I thought she was alive. I called her name. She made no movement. With the last ounce of strength in her body, she had dragged herself to the grave of Old Dan.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
death
ᐧ
pets
ᐧ
grief
ᐧ
dogs
concepts
11
“What I saw was more than I could stand. The noise I heard had been made by Little Ann. All her life she had slept by Old Dan’s side. And although he was dead, she had left the doghouse, had come back to the porch, and snuggled up by his side.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
dogs
ᐧ
death
ᐧ
grief
concepts
12
“With a heavy heart, I turned and walked away. I knew that as long as I lived I’d never forget the two little graves and the sacred red fern.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
dogs
ᐧ
death
concepts
13
“I suppose there’s a time in practically every young boy’s life when he’s affected by that wonderful disease of puppy love. I don’t mean the kind a boy has for the pretty little girl that lives down the road. I mean the real kind, the kind that has four small feet and a wiggly tail, and sharp little teeth that can gnaw on a boy’s finger; the kind a boy can romp and play with, even eat and sleep with.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
dogs
ᐧ
pets
ᐧ
love
concepts
14
“Some time in the night I got up, tiptoed to my window, and looked out at my doghouse. It looked so lonely and empty sitting there in the moonlight. I could see that the door was slightly ajar. I thought of the many times I had lain in my bed and listened to the squeaking of the door as my dogs went in and out. I didn’t know I was crying until I felt the tears roll down my cheeks.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
grief
ᐧ
dogs
ᐧ
pets
concepts
15
“I’d like to take a walk far back in the flinty hills and search for a souvenir, an old double-bitted ax stuck deep in the side of a white oak tree. I know the handle has long since rotted away with time. Perhaps the rusty frame of a coal-oil lantern still hangs there on the blade.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
memories
concept
16
“I wanted so much to step over and pick them up. Several times I tried to move my feet, but they seemed to be nailed to the floor. I knew the pups were mine, all mine, yet I couldn’t move. My heart started aching like a drunk grasshopper. I tried to swallow and couldn’t. My Adam’s apple wouldn’t work. One pup started my way. I held my breath. On he came until I felt a scratchy little foot on mine. The other pup followed. A warm puppy tongue caressed my sore foot. I heard the stationmaster say, ‘They already know you.’ I knelt down and gathered them in my arms. I buried my face between their wiggling bodies and cried.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
crying
ᐧ
dogs
ᐧ
pets
ᐧ
love
concepts
17
“Son, that’s a pretty hard question to answer. But I do believe that any wish you make can come true if you help the wish. I don’t think that the Lord meant for our lives to be so simple and easy that every time we wanted something, all we had to do was wish for it and we’d get it. I don’t believe that at all. If that were true, there would be a lot of lazy people in this old world. No one would be working. Everyone would be wishing for what they needed or wanted.“Papa,” I asked, “how can you help a wish?”“Oh, there are a lot of ways,” Papa said. “Hard work, faith, patience, and determination. I think prayer and really believing in your wish can help more than anything else.”
Wilson Rawls
author
God
person
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
Billy
ᐧ
Papa (Billy's father)
characters
believing
ᐧ
wishing
ᐧ
praying
concepts
18
“Everyone suffers, even the good Lord suffered when he was on Earth.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Jesus Christ
person
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
suffering
concept
19
“In his fighting heart, there was no fear.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
fear
concept
20
“He only answers the ones that are said from the heart. You have to be sincere and believe in Him.”
Wilson Rawls
author
God
person
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
believing
concept
21
“If a man’s word isn’t any good, he’s no good himself.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
words
ᐧ
character
concepts
22
“My heart started acting like a drunk grasshopper.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
heart
concept
23
“On my way home I didn’t walk on the ground. I was way up in the clouds just skipping along.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
emotions
concept
24
“It was wonderful indeed how I could have heart-to-heart talks with my dogs and they always seemed to understand. Each question I asked was answered in their own doggish way.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
dogs
ᐧ
pets
concepts
25
“Looking to the mountains around us, I saw that the mysterious artist who comes at night had paid us a visit. I wondered how he could paint so many different colors in one night; red, wine, yellow, and rust.”
Wilson Rawls
author
Where the Red Fern Grows
book
nature
concept