Jerry ’s Reviews > Where the Red Fern Grows > Status Update

Finished Chapter 20. Billy and his family moved out the following Spring. The day they left, he went back up to the gravesite and received a shock: A Red Fern had grown in between the 2 graves. Billy yelled for his family to come see. After a while they left.
Billy never went back there, but hoped that one day he would. He knew the red fern was still there covering Dan and Ann.

Finished Chapter 19. Billy and his dogs kept hunting for 3 weeks. While hunting one night, the dogs treed a mountain lion. The fight was brutal and Billy did what he could. He hit the mountain lion in the back with his axe and killed it. Unfortunately, Dan received a deep cut that exposed his insides. Despite his parents help, Dan died. Ann grieved herself to death and died a couple of days later.

Finished Chapter 18. Morning came and Billy started to go look for his dogs when he heard a noise. It was some of the men from the camp looking for them. Some of the men came and helped grandpa out of the ravine and took him to the camp. The others helped Billy, his dad, and the judge to look for his dogs. They found them and got the coon. Billy won the championship and $300.

Finished Chapter 17. Billy, his dad, grandpa, and the judge were still hunting when a blizzard hit. They debated about heading back, but Billy convinced them to keep going. Eventually, they found Ann, and she led them to Dan. Grandpa hurt his foot. They camped out in a little ravine. Papa cut down the tree with the coon and three came out of it. One got away. The dogs then chased the 3rd one.

Finished Chapter 16. Billy's turn at hunting came up. Dan and Ann caught 3 coons. That tied Billy with 2 other men. The judges met with the 3 teams and explained the rules for the last night. Later that night, Dan and Ann's first coon chase scared them for a bit as the coon fought the dogs in the river. Eventually, they got the coon killed.

Finished Chapter 14. Billy's grandpa calls him to the store. At the store, he asks about the night Rubin died. Billy told him everything. Grandpa felt bad about it. Later, grandpa showed Billy a story in the newspaper about a championship hunt and that he'd like Billy to enter his dogs. At home, Billy talked to his parents about it and was able to convince his dad to go. He also discovered that his mom was pregnant.

Finished Chapter 13. The 3 boys make it to the tree. Billy climbs it to no avail. After a while, Billy gives up. However, Ann picks up the scent again and finds the coon. After getting it in the tree, Billy decides not to kill it. The Pritchard's dog arrives and fights with Dan. Ann joins in and Rubin tries to kill Billy's dogs but trips and falls on the axe and dies soon after. Billy tells his parents what happened.

Finished Chapter 12. Billy heads to the store for his mom. At the store, Rubin and Ranie Pritchard come in and challenge Billy to a bet to hunt the Ghost Coon. Billy's grandpa gave him the money to put up the bet. The next night, Billy took his dogs to hunt the Ghost Coon. After some running, the Ghost Coon loses the dogs at a tree that he frequently hides in.

Finished Chapter 11. After a winter storm, Billy took his dogs hunting. They found a coon and tracked it. Unfortunately, it led the dogs to a frozen river. It leapt the river, Dan followed, but Ann fell in. She was hanging on but barely. Billy found a way to save her by using the wire from his lantern to make a hook. He hooked onto her collar and pulled her free.

Finished Chapter 10. Billy's mom made him a coonskin cap with his first hide. He and the dogs went hunting nearly every night. He made quite a bit of money from selling the skins. He gave the money to his dad, who appeared to be saving it since he never bought anything. Billy told stories to others at his grandpa's store. Old Dan somehow climbed a tree by crawling in a hole that ran up through the tree.