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Billy’s Mother / Mama
Another Ozark mountain youth who is part of the infamous and insular Pritchard clan of bootleggers and thieves. A large, imposing boy two years Billy’s senior, Rubin is a bully through and through. When Rubin’s younger brother Rainie challenges Billy to a bet, claiming that Billy’s dogs won’t be able to tree the infamous “ghost coon”—a large, wily, uncatchable raccoon native to the Pritchards’ part of the Ozarks—Rubin repeatedly attempts to get Billy to give up and surrender his money before the terms of the bet have been determined either way. Rubin isn’t just physically intimidating—he’s also verbally abusive as he tries to get Billy to give up on his dogs. When Billy refuses to give into Rubin and Rainie’s bullying and decide to call his dogs off of killing the “ghost coon,” Rubin and Rainie become incensed. Rubin starts beating Billy for being yellow and “chicken-livered”—so Ann and Dan turn on Rubin and Rainie’s blue tick hound. When Rubin takes up Billy’s ax and runs toward the dogfight, intending to kill Ann and Dan, he trips and impales himself upon the ax. Rubin dies almost immediately, leaving Rainie traumatized and Billy forced to confront the swiftness of death, the randomness of life, and the lifelong guilt that accompanies bearing witness to such a tragedy.
Rubin Pritchard Quotes in Where the Red Fern Grows
The Where the Red Fern Grows quotes below are all either spoken by Rubin Pritchard or refer to Rubin Pritchard. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 13
Quotes
About halfway up, far out on a limb, I found the ghost coon. As I started toward him, my dogs stopped bawling. I heard something I had heard many times. The sound was like the cry of a small baby. It was the cry of a ringtail coon when he knows it is the end of the trail. I never liked to hear this cry, but it was all in the game, the hunter and the hunted.
As I sat there on the limb, looking at the old fellow, he cried again. Something came over me. I didn't want to kill him.
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“Don't let him up, Rubin," Rainie said. "Beat the hell out of him, or hold him and let me do it."
Just then I heard growling, and a commotion off to one side. […] I heard Rainie yell, "Rubin, they're killing Old Blue."
Rubin jumped up off me.
I clambered up and looked over to the fight. What I saw thrilled me. Faithful Little Ann […] had gone to the assistance of Old Dan.
I knew my dogs were very close to each other. Everything they did was done as a combination, but I never expected this.
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Rubin Pritchard Quotes in Where the Red Fern Grows
The Where the Red Fern Grows quotes below are all either spoken by Rubin Pritchard or refer to Rubin Pritchard. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 13
Quotes
About halfway up, far out on a limb, I found the ghost coon. As I started toward him, my dogs stopped bawling. I heard something I had heard many times. The sound was like the cry of a small baby. It was the cry of a ringtail coon when he knows it is the end of the trail. I never liked to hear this cry, but it was all in the game, the hunter and the hunted.
As I sat there on the limb, looking at the old fellow, he cried again. Something came over me. I didn't want to kill him.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“Don't let him up, Rubin," Rainie said. "Beat the hell out of him, or hold him and let me do it."
Just then I heard growling, and a commotion off to one side. […] I heard Rainie yell, "Rubin, they're killing Old Blue."
Rubin jumped up off me.
I clambered up and looked over to the fight. What I saw thrilled me. Faithful Little Ann […] had gone to the assistance of Old Dan.
I knew my dogs were very close to each other. Everything they did was done as a combination, but I never expected this.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
