"Where the Red Fern Grows"
Today I am grateful for sunshine, time to just sit and watch ball games, and cold water on a hot day.
You may recognize the title of today's post as a classic children's book. It was written by Wilson Rawls in 1961, and is set earlier in the 1900's. It was around before I was. It was one of my favorite books in upper elementary, along with S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. I recall reading it in 6th grade. I don't remember if we all had to read it, or if I chose to read it, but whatever the reason I read it, I was glad I did. It was about a boy and his coon hounds.
As this school year wound down, the library at the school I work at was discarding some books. Where the Red Fern Grows caught my eye and I picked it up with my 11-year-old son in mind. But then I decided that it would be good for me to read it again myself. So I did. My hope is that Sam will read it this summer too.
Reading it when I was 11 or so, and now reading it at age 47 gave me an interesting perspective.I appreciate that it was about life in the country, hard work, faith, love of the deepest kind. In the book, Billy worked to save $50 over two years so he could buy two coon hounds of his very own. Then he trains them and they become successful hunters. But his training aside, the two dogs have a special connection and a true love of their owner. Billy was a pre-teen and then a teen as the story unfolded. His determination to achieve a goal and his dedication to his dogs, as well as their dedication to one another, were impressive. They are what makes the book inspiring.
As I read it again, I also realized there are some real shows of faith in the book as well, of a Higher Force at work. An early example was how Billy determined the names of his two dogs when he was making his journey home with them for the first time. He was resting with them, pondering names, when he noticed on a nearby tree trunk "Dan + Ann" had been carved into the bark. His dogs became Old Dan and Little Ann.
There is also the legend of the red fern. I will tell you the legend, but not exactly how it plays out in the book. Read it to find out. The legend is told in the first pages of the book: "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 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."
The Universe at work. Power beyond human power. Faith. Belief. Signs.
Don't we all have sacred places on our own journeys? Haven't we all been given signs that we aren't alone? These are thoughts I will ponder in my day. Have a nice day.
You may recognize the title of today's post as a classic children's book. It was written by Wilson Rawls in 1961, and is set earlier in the 1900's. It was around before I was. It was one of my favorite books in upper elementary, along with S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. I recall reading it in 6th grade. I don't remember if we all had to read it, or if I chose to read it, but whatever the reason I read it, I was glad I did. It was about a boy and his coon hounds.
As this school year wound down, the library at the school I work at was discarding some books. Where the Red Fern Grows caught my eye and I picked it up with my 11-year-old son in mind. But then I decided that it would be good for me to read it again myself. So I did. My hope is that Sam will read it this summer too.
Reading it when I was 11 or so, and now reading it at age 47 gave me an interesting perspective.I appreciate that it was about life in the country, hard work, faith, love of the deepest kind. In the book, Billy worked to save $50 over two years so he could buy two coon hounds of his very own. Then he trains them and they become successful hunters. But his training aside, the two dogs have a special connection and a true love of their owner. Billy was a pre-teen and then a teen as the story unfolded. His determination to achieve a goal and his dedication to his dogs, as well as their dedication to one another, were impressive. They are what makes the book inspiring.
As I read it again, I also realized there are some real shows of faith in the book as well, of a Higher Force at work. An early example was how Billy determined the names of his two dogs when he was making his journey home with them for the first time. He was resting with them, pondering names, when he noticed on a nearby tree trunk "Dan + Ann" had been carved into the bark. His dogs became Old Dan and Little Ann.
There is also the legend of the red fern. I will tell you the legend, but not exactly how it plays out in the book. Read it to find out. The legend is told in the first pages of the book: "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 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."
The Universe at work. Power beyond human power. Faith. Belief. Signs.
Don't we all have sacred places on our own journeys? Haven't we all been given signs that we aren't alone? These are thoughts I will ponder in my day. Have a nice day.
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