Where the Red Fern Grows Quotes

“It's hard for a man to stand and watch an old hound fight against such odds, especially if that man has memories in his heart like I had in mine. I had seen the time when an old hound like that had given his life so that I might life.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“Looking to the mountains around us, I saw that the mysterious artist who comes at night had paid us a visit. I wondered how he could paint so many different colors in one night; red, wine, yellow, and rust.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“I don’t see how anything like that can keep a coon in a tree,” I said. “It’ll keep him there all right,” Grandpa”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“Yes, I know it is still there, for in my heart I believe the legend of the sacred red fern.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“A man’s children should have an education. They should get out and see the world and meet people.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“As our buggy wound its way up through the bottoms, Grandpa started talking. “You know, Billy,” he said, “about this tree-chopping of yours, I think it’s all right. In fact, I think it would be a good thing if all young boys had to cut down a big tree like that once in their life. It does something for them. It gives them determination and will power. That’s a good thing for a man to have. It goes a long way in his life. The American people have a lot of it. They have proved that, all down through history, but they could do with a lot more of it.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“It’s strange indeed how memories can lie dormant in a man’s mind for so many years. Yet those memories can be awakened and brought forth fresh and new, just by something you’ve seen, or something you’ve heard, or the sight of an old familiar face.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“the muddy little tracks of the ringtails, I bored a hole, dropped in a piece of tin, and drove my nails. On down the river I went, making my traps. I stopped when I ran out of nails. Altogether I had fourteen traps. That night Papa asked me how I was making out. “Oh, all right,” I said. “I’ve got fourteen of them made.” He laughed and said, “Well, you can’t ever tell. You may catch one.” The next morning I was up with the chickens. I took my pups with me as I just knew I’d have a big ringtail trapped and I wanted them to see it. I was a disappointed boy when I peeked out of a canebrake at my last trap and didn’t see a coon. All the way home I tried to figure out what I had done wrong. I went to Papa. He put his thinking cap on and thought the situation over. “Maybe you left too much scent around when you made those traps,” he said. “If you”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“The fishermen were wonderful, as true sportsmen are. They seemed to sense the urgency in my voice and always bought my wares. However, many was the time I’d find my vegetables left in the abandoned camp.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“There I was sitting right in the middle of the finest hunting country in the world and I didn’t even have a dog.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“If a man’s word isn’t any good, he’s no good himself.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“I couldn't understand these town people. If they weren't staring at a fellow, they were laughing at him.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“On hearing this remark, my heart jumped clear up in my throat.. I thought surely it was going to hop right out on the depot platform. I looked up and tried to tell him who I was, but something went wrong. When the words finally came out they sounded like the squeaky old pulley on our well when Mama drew up a bucket of water.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“Men,” said Mr. Kyle, “people have been trying to understand dogs ever since the beginning of time. One never knows what they’ll do. You can read every day where a dog saved the life of a drowning child, or lay down his life for his master. Some people call this loyalty. I don’t. I may be wrong, but I call it love—the deepest kind of love.” After these words were spoken, a thoughtful silence settled over the men. The mood was broken by the deep growling voice I had heard back in the washout. “It’s a shame that people all over the world can’t have that kind of love in their hearts,” he said. “There would be no wars, slaughter, or murder; no greed or selfishness. It would be the kind of world that God wants us to have—a wonderful world.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“I remembered something my grandfather had told me. He said, “Never underestimate the cunning of an old river coon. When the nights are dark and the ground is frozen and slick, they can pull some mean tricks on a hound. Sometimes the tricks can be fatal.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“Samie was one of those nosy kind of cats. He would lie up on the red oak limbs and watch every move I made.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“Although the old hound had no way of knowing it, he had stirred memories, and what priceless treasures they were. Memories of my boyhood days, an old K. C. Baking Powder can, and two little red hounds. Memories of a wonderful love, unselfish devotion, and death in its saddest form.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“Billy,” she said, “I don’t approve of this hunting, but it looks like I can’t say no; not after all you’ve been through, getting your dogs, and all that training.” “Aw, he’ll be all right,” Papa said. “Besides, he’s getting to be a good-size man now.” “Man!” Mama exclaimed. “Why, he’s still just a little boy.” “You can’t keep him a little boy always,” Papa said. “He’s got to grow up some day.” “I know,” Mama said, “but I don’t like it, not at all, and I can’t help worrying.” “Mama, please don’t worry about me,” I said. “I’ll be all right. Why, I’ve been all over these hills, you know that.” “I know,” she said, “but that was in the daytime. I never worried too much when it was daylight, but at night, that’s different. It’ll be dark and anything could happen.” “There won’t be anything happen,” I said. “I promise I’ll be careful.” Mama got up from the table saying, “Well, it’s like I said, I can’t say no and I can’t”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“hound weren’t the only ones awake that night.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“I figured the lion had scented my pups. The more I thought about anything harming them, the madder I got. I was ready to die for my dogs.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“I’m sure some great champions had slid out of that pipe, and no doubt more than one world record had been broken, but if someone had been there when I came out, I know the record I set would stand today in all its glory.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“I know it is still there, hiding its secret beneath those long, red leaves, but it woukdn't be hidden from me for part of my life is buried there, too".”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“God helps those who help themselves.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“bark, she was easing her way down.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“Mama,” I asked, “do you think God made a heaven for all good dogs?” “Yes,” she said, “I’m sure He did.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“I looked at his grave and, with tears in my eyes, I voiced these words: "You were worth it, old friend, and a thousand times over.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“I know,” said Papa. “It’s all right with me, but women are a little different than men. They worry more.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“women are a little different than men.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“Begrudgingly, they”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

“WILSON RAWLS was born on a small farm in the Oklahoma Ozarks. He spent his youth in the heart of the Cherokee nation, prowling the hills and river bottoms with his only companion, an old bluetick hound. Rawls’s first writing was done with his fingers in the dust of the country roads and in the sands along the river, and his earliest stories were told to his dog. Not until Rawls’s family moved to Muskogee and he could attend high school did he encounter books. Where the Red Fern Grows has become a modern classic and has been made into a widely acclaimed motion picture.”
― Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows