Where the Red Fern Grows #2

Dear bloggers,

     I have finished the second part of my story, Where the Red Fern Grows, and yet again the author somehow makes me like the book even more. First of all, I always love the way the author makes beautiful scenery appear throughout the section. My favorite scene in the section I recently read is, "It was a beautiful night, still and frosty. A big grinning Ozark moon had the countryside bathed in a soft yellow glow. The starlit heaven reminded me of a large blue umbrella, outspread and with the handle broken off" (Rawls 69). I can relate to how Billy felt at this exact moment. One time, in the summer, I was in Idaho visiting my grandparents and I looked out at night. I always am taken away how beautiful the moon is at night, and it was winter so it was also frosty. Did any of you have a similar experience when you  guys were also amazed by a certain Scenery? Tell me!

     My outlook on Billy's two dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, wasn't the best in the beginning. I thought that they were just going to be cute little puppies that couldn't hunt at all, but I was wrong. Old Dan is a perfect coon hunter, and follows his instincts, "'Well I'll be darned," Grandpa said as he jumped down from the buggy. "He knows that coon's there and he doesn't want to leave it. You've got a coon hound there and I mean a good one"' (Rawls 82). I'm happy for Billy that Old Dan is listening to Billy and taking his training to heart. I can see that Little Ann is getting there and will eventually be a good coon hound like Old Dan, and I can't wait to see if she gets her first coon.

     Lastly, the one thing that I read this section that I was amazed at was Billy, and his love and loyalty to Old Dan and Little Ann. Billy treats his hounds like humans which shows how he trusts them, and that both dogs are highly intelligent by listening to what Billy says. A great example of when Billy shows this compassion and loyalty is when Old Dan and Little Ann chase the coon into "the big tree" and Billy makes the choice to cut the massive tree down. Billy says, "With tears in my eyes, I looked again at the big sycamore. A wave of anger came over me. Gritting my teeth, I said, "I don't care how big you are, I'm not going to let my dogs down. I told them if they put a coon in a tree I would do the rest and I'm going to. I'm going to cut you down. I don't care if it takes me a whole year"' (Rawls 75). This shows that Billy would never let his dogs down, and Billy would do whatever it takes to keep his promise to them even if the task ahead of him seems impossible. This is my favorite part of the section two of the book because it lets the reader see even more of Billy's character and his love and devotion to his dogs. What is your favorite part if section two, and d you agree with me?

Sincerely,

Jacob Dahl