Where the red fern grows
Where the Red Fern Grows One day before leaving work, Billy Coleman spots a Redbone Hound being attacked by a mob of dogs. He gets them away and taking the dog to his home nurtures him/her before letting him/her free. This makes Billy remember his childhood memories of his Redbone Hounds. Billy Coleman, along with his 3 sisters and parents, live on a farm in the heavily forested Ozark Mountains in the Great Depression. Billy’s dream is to own not one, but two Redbone Coonhounds, and train them to be the best hunting dogs in all of the midwest. His father tells him that he can’t have Coonhounds because they are very unstable financially and if he really wants them that bad, he needs to work for them himself. He then goes to his grandfather’s shop and is told that if he can save enough money, he will do the rest to get him his hounds. After two long years of dedication and hardwork, Billy finally has enough money to purchase his hounds and goes to his grandpa’s store. His grandfather gives him good news that the price has gone down and sends a happy Billy off with 10 extra dollars and some candy which he shares with his sisters. Billy travels to get his dogs, soon named Old Dan and Little Ann inspired by a tree and trains them to tree and catch raccoons with the help of his grandfather, his motivational figure because of his encouragement for Billy. His dogs become very good and enter in a competition in which they win but his grandpa also gets injured. The climax then occurs when Billy is out hunting with his championship hounds. They are assaulted by a mountain lion and Old Dan gives his life ( and entrails) to save Billy, who kills the mountain lion to “avenge” him. His mother tries everything she can to save him but it is no use and they bury Old Dan. Little Ann then loses the will to live and they bury her right next to him. Their family decides to move to the city because of all the money that they won in the competition and Billy goes to see his hounds