Billy has lived on a farm his whole life. He has always wanted 2 good coonhounds very bad, but his Dad cannot pay for them. Billy works hard, selling fruit and bait to fishermen, so eventually he has enough money for the dogs. He gives the money to his grandfather, who orders the dogs for him. Billy sneaks off in the middle of the night to go to town and pick them up. While in town, …showed first 75 words of 809 total…

…showed last 75 words of 809 total…her will to live, and dies a few days later. Billy's papa tries to tell him that it is all for the best, because with the money Billy has earned, the family hopes to move to town. Billy does not completely recover until on the day of the move; he goes to visit the dogs' graves and finds a giant big red fern. According to Indian legend, only an angel can plant a reddish fern.