My name is Billy Colman. When I was a boy, living on Cherokee land near the Ozark Mountains, I wanted nothing more than two coon dogs of my own to hunt raccoon. For two years, I worked hard to save up for them. When I knew they had arrived at a town about 20 miles away, I wouldn't wait to get them myself, so I walked. Those dogs meant everything to me. I started a fight when a bully tugged on of those puppies' ears shortly after I'd gotten them. I was willing to defend them with my own life. And when they died... I buried them myself with as much care as I would a family member.

Hunting in the woods with Old Dan and Little Ann were the best times of my life. Every time I see a hunting dog I think of them and how the red fern magically grew over their graves as to signify that even heaven itself recognized what great dogs they had been.

Links of Interest:

• Ozark Plateau Wildlife Management Area
• Coon Dawgs
• History of the Cherokee
• What's Become of Sparrow Hawk
• Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Cemetery

Frances' explanation: The imagery on this page is how I would envision the Ozarks and the wild areas that Billy cannot seem to stay away from throughout the course of the book. The blue really represents the sadness throughout the entire book. Even so, it's a 'light blue' because there is always hope. As anyone who has read the book knows... Billy's main interest is with his dogs, but he cares a lot about his family too. Family is so important. They stick together. I picked up on minute details that I believe I missed during my first reading of the book which influenced some of my website link choices for this character.