Old Yeller
by Fred Gipson
Table of Contents
Cast of Characters
Travis—Narrator of the story, Travis is 14 and the “man of the house” while his father is away. He is a pragmatic youngster without affectation. At first he has no use for Old Yeller, but when the dog saves Arliss from a bear, Travis begins to appreciate Yeller’s virtues.
Papa—A strong, tall man, Papa has taught Travis all about hunting, farming, and living on a settlement. Papa appears in the first chapter to give Travis the task of “handling things” while he is away. He reappears in the last chapter with a horse for Travis.
Mama—An affectionate but no-nonsense woman (when she has to be), Mama smiles at seeing Travis dig into his new role as “man of the house.” She provides the calmer and sounder voice of reason when it comes to Old Yeller. As though intuiting the good he’ll be for them, she approves of Old Yeller long before Travis does.
Little Arliss—Age five, Arliss is Travis’ younger brother. He likes to play in the drinking water hole, make noise and get into trouble. He takes an instant liking to Old Yeller and tries to fight anyone who wants to take the dog away.
Old Yeller—A sly, stray, mischievous, dingy yellow dog, Old Yeller shows up at the homestead one morning and promptly eats the family’s morning meat. He proves his worth later on in a number of ways. He is put down after getting hydrophobia.
Bell—Travis’ first dog, Bell saved the boy’s life a number of times. When Bell died, Travis cried for a week and vowed never to have another dog.
Bud Searcy—An old man who loves to sit and talk and eat with everyone, he is left at the settlement by the other men, who go on the cattle drive, under the pretense of watching over the womenfolk and children. In actuality, he is just too gabby for the other men. He is full of the latest gossip and can’t keep his mouth...
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