Where the Red Fern Grows

by Wilson Rawls

Grade 6; Genre - Fiction; GRL X; AR pts: 11.0

Vocabulary and Themes in the Story (by Steve)

Comprehension Questions (by Steve)

Chapter 1

1. Describe the dog fight. The pack was attacking an old redbone hound. Pg. 2.
2. What did the old hound look like? He was starving. Pg. 3.
3. What could you tell from the paws? He had come a long way. Pg. 3.
4. What was his name? Buddie. Pg. 3.
5. Why did he let the hound go? It would break his heart to stay; break his will to live. Pg. 5.

Chapter 2

1. Where does Billy live? Ozark Mountains on Cherokee land. Pg. 9.
2. What happened because of his dog-wanting? He lost weight and didn’t sleep. Pg. 11.
3. What did Billy’s dad buy him for hunting? Three small steel traps. Pg. 12.
4. What did Billy trap? Samie the Cat over and over until he left. Pg. 14.
5.  What did Billy’s father allow him to do in the summer? Work in the fields. Pg. 18

Chapter 3

1. What does Billy find in the Fishermen’s camp? A magazine selling dogs for $25. Pg. 20.
2. What does Billy save his money in? An old K.C. Baking Powder Can. Pg. 22.
3. How does Billy save the money? He saves the $50 by selling berries, hides, vegetables. Pg. 24.
4. Why is his grandfather surprised about the money? Billy worked and saved for 2 years. Pg. 25.
5. What does his grandfather do? Gives him candy and says don’t tell about the dogs. Pg. 26.

Chapter 4

1. Where does Billie have to go for the dogs? Tahlequah. Pg. 28.
2. How does Billie get to Tahlequah? He walks 20 miles. Pg. 31.
3. What and why does he buy things for family? Overalls and cloth because he snuck out. Pg. 34.
4. How do the kids treat Billie? They call him a hillbilly. Pg. 37.

Chapter 5

1. Who was in charge at the depot? The stationmaster. Pg. 39.
2. How did Billy carry the pups home? In the gunny sack with holes for their heads. Pg. 42.
3. Why did Billy fight the freckle face boy? He pulled his pups ear and it cried. Pg. 44.
4. What did the Marshall give Billy? Strawberry pop. Pg. 47.
5. Why’d Billy think the lion wouldn’t hurt them? His father said it was afraid of fire. Pg. 51.

Chapter 6

1. How did Billy pick the pups’ names? They were carved in the tree. Pg.54.
2. How did Billy’s father know where he was? His grandpa told him. Pg. 56.
3. What did Mama fix for the pups? Warm milk. Pg. 57.
4. What was the cave called where Billy spent the night? Robber’s Cave. Pg. 57.
5. What was the black pipe at the school in town? A fire escape. Pg. 60.

Chapter 7

1. What did Billy think of his Grandpa’s trapping idea? He thought he was kidding. Pg. 65.
2. What did Grandpa’s pet coon catch his hand in? The butter churn. Pg. 66.
3. What did Mama think when Billy yelled about the coon? A snake bit him. Pg. 71.
4. Why can’t you sell coon skins in summer? They have yellow hair. Pg. 74.
5. What did Billy think about the pups when they had talks? They understood him. Pg. 77.

Chapter 8

1. Why was Mama worried about Billy hunting? He hadn’t been in the woods all night. Pg. 81.
2. What was the first trick the coon pulled on the hounds? Swam through water. Pg. 84.
3. Which tree did the coon run up? “The big tree”. Pg. 89.
4. Why did Billy tell Papa it was important to chop the tree down? To keep his bargain. Pg.92.

Chapter 9

1. How did Grandpa keep the coon up the tree all night? With a scarecrow. Pg. 99.
2. What traits did Grandpa say make a man? Determination and will power. Pg.101.
3. What did Mama learn about coon? That they were smart. Pg. 103.
4. Where did the dogs spend the night? They slept by the tree together. Pg. 106.
5. Why did Billy think the wind blew the tree down? He prayed to God. Pg.108.
6. Did Papa have another explanation? It blew the tree only because it was the tallest. Pg. 112.

Chapter 10

1. Why did Billy go to the store on Saturdays? It was “Coon Hunter” day. Pg. 115.
2. Why did the hunters make fun of Billy’s hounds? They were small. Pg. 116.
3. Who did Mama use to catch the chickens? Little Ann; Old Dan was too rough. Pg. 118.
4. Why did Billy think Old Dan had drowned? He was in a muskrat den in the slough. Pg. 122.
5. How did Old Dan get up in the tree? He went through the hollow trunk. Pg. 125.

Chapter 11

1. Why was it dangerous after the snow storm? It was slick and no moon. Pg. 128.
2. What happened when the dogs jumped the river? Old Dan was strong and made it; Little Ann slipped and fell in. Pg. 132.
3. What did Billy do when he couldn’t save Little Ann? He prayed for a miracle. Pg. 134.
4. What did Billy learn from the lantern clanging? Use the handle for a hook. Pg. 135.
5. Why didn’t Billy tell Mama? Because she’d worry and stop him from hunting. Pg. 139.

Chapter 12

1. Why did Grandpa accept the bet with Rubin? He called him crooked and spat. Pg. 144.
2. What and how much was the bet for? To catch the ghost coon for $2. Pg. 145
3. What happened when the coon went up a tree? It disappeared. Pg. 155.

Chapter 13

1. How did Little Ann know the coon was in the gate post? A breeze carried the scent. Pg. 159.
2. Where was the ghost coon? In the hallow gate post. Pg. 160.
3. How did Billy feel about the ghost coon? He wouldn’t kill him. Pg. 161.
4. Why couldn’t Old Blue beat Old Dan? Little Ann helped fight him. Pg. 165.
5. How did Rainie react to his brother’s death? He couldn’t get over the shock. Pg. 171.

Chapter 14

1. What kind of dogs could enter in the coon hunt? Registered. Pg. 179
2. Was Billy happy with his life? Luckiest boy in the world. Pg. 184.
3. What did his little sister want from the hunt? The gold cup. Pg. 186.
4. What was the only thing wrong with Little Ann? Gun-shy, Pg. 189.
5. What did Grandpa keep secret from Grandma? The corn liquor. Pg. 191.

Chapter 15

1. Why wouldn’t Old Dan eat his food? He was waiting for Little Ann. Pg. 194.
2. What did Billy think 2 screech owls meant? Bad luck. Pg. 196.
3. What kind of dogs were at the hunt? Redbones, blue ticks, walkers, and blood hounds. Pg. 200.
4.  Why did Billy pick Little Ann for the beauty contest? Old Dan’s face was all scared. Pg. 201.

Chapter 16

1. Where did the hounds run the coon? Back to the camp. Pg. 211.
2. Why did Grandpa look funny drying by the fire? His long underwear was steaming. Pg. 212.
3. Why was the judge worried with the coon in the river? He might drown the dogs. Pg. 221.
4. What surprised the judge? The dogs cleaned each other’s cuts after the fight. Pg. 222.

Chapter 17

1. Why did the judge want to quit? Because of the storm. Pg. 226.
2. How did they get Little Ann to come to them? They fired the gun. Pg. 228.
3. Who led them to Grandpa? Little Ann. Pg. 231.
4. What happened when they cut down the tree? 3 coons came out. Pg. 234.

Chapter 18

1. What did the hunter say happened to the hounds? Frozen solid. Pg. 240.
2. Why did the dogs keep circling the tree? They’d freeze if they stopped. Pg. 242.
3. What did Mr. Kyle call dog loyalty? The deepest kind of love. Pg. 243.
4. What did Mama do that night? Took food to the dogs and prayed. Pg. 250.

Chapter 19

1. How did Billy try to stop Old Dan’s bleeding? Mud caked onto the wounds. Pg. 260.
2. How did Billy feel when his dogs died? He didn’t believe in prayer anymore Pg. 270.
3. What was the miracle from the dogs? The money to move to the city. Pg. 272.

Chapter 20

1. What did Billy see when he said good-bye to the dogs? The red fern Pg. 278.
2. What did Papa think the red fern did? It was God’s way of helping Billy understand why his dogs died. Pg.279.