Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson RawlsThere was this boy named Billy who lives on a farm. He really wants two good hunting dogs, but his father can't afford them. Billy decides he must work hard, selling fruit and bait to fishermen, to finally have enough money for the dogs. He gives the money to his grandfather, who orders the dogs for him. Billy runs away in the middle of the night to go look for them in town. In town, other children attack him, but he fights back and is helped by the local sheriff. On the way back, he and his two puppies decide to sleep in a cave. Outside, they hear a mountain lion and the pups bravely howl back. He decides to name them Old Dan and Little Ann. He can see that Old Dan is very brave but not too smart, and that Little Ann is very smart but not the bravest. Once home, he wants to start training them. He must have raccoon skin to train them. His grandfather shows him how to set a trap that will catch any animal of good size. Just as he is about to give up on the traps, he catches a raccoon. The next day, he happily begins training Old Dan and Little Ann. When raccoon season begins in the fall, they are ready. The first evening, his dogs chase a raccoon up the biggest tree imaginable. Billy immediately sees that it will take days to bring it down, but he is determined to put it down, because he told his dogs that if they chased down and cornered one raccoon, he would take care of the rest. His dogs rely on him so he can't let them down. His parents bring him food. His grandfather then shows him how to make a scarecrow; so the raccoon in the tree stays there and then comes home with dinner. Billy goes raccoon hunting almost every night after that. His father relieves him of his chores and Billy gives him the money from the raccoon skins he sells. Sometimes the raccoons try to trick his dogs, and Old Dan gets in trouble, but he's a tough dog. One night, Dan finds himself stuck in a muskrat hole..