LIFE IN THE HILLS & THE TOWN
True or False:The old hound in Chapter 1 seems comfortable and confident in town.
False
Why doesn’t Billy ask his parents directly for two hound pups?
He knows his family is poor and doesn’t want to pressure them.
What does Billy call his overwhelming desire for dogs?
A “dog-wanting disease.”
What object does Billy find in an abandoned fishermen’s camp that changes everything?
A sportsman’s magazine
What emotion floods the narrator when he looks into the old stray hound’s gray eyes in Chapter 1?
A wave of memories, tenderness, and sadness.
Why do town women stare at Billy when he arrives in Tahlequah?
A) He is loud B) He is barefoot and wild-looking
C) He is wearing fancy clothes D) He is carrying a gun
B — He is barefoot and wild-looking.
True or False: Billy’s mother worries about him hunting because he is too young to own a gun.
True
Why does this “disease” become worse after he gets the steel traps?
The excitement of catching animals makes his longing for real hunting dogs even stronger.
Riddle: I bite feet instead of thieves, I snap tight at a touch, and I make cats jump. What am I?
A steel trap
What do the valley, riverbank, and hills symbolize for young Billy?
Freedom, adventure, and the world that fuels his dreams.
What detail shows Billy is unused to city life when he first sees his reflection in a store window?
His long, shaggy hair and barefoot appearance shock him; he realizes he looks rough compared to city children.
Why is Billy embarrassed when people stare at him in town?
He realizes how different he looks and feels out of place for the first time.
What does Billy’s reaction to the $25 advertisement show about his determination?
He immediately decides he will work for the money himself and never gives up.
Why is the homemade collar carved with “Buddie” important in Chapter 1?
It shows the stray hound belonged to a loving rural family or boy.
Riddle: I hide in a loft, grow heavier with each coin, and hold a boy’s dream inside me. What am I?
The K.C. Baking Powder can.
How does being called a “hillbilly” by the town boys highlight the contrast between Billy’s mountain life and the town’s social attitudes?
It shows prejudice toward rural people and reveals how different, isolated, and misunderstood Billy’s upbringing is compared to town society.
What does Grandpa’s emotional reaction to Billy’s saved money reveal about their relationship?
Grandpa realizes Billy’s dedication and feels deep pride and love for him.
In Chapter 2, Billy says wanting a dog “gnawed on his heart” and mixed into his dreams until it was unbearable. What kind of conflict is this, and why is it important?
It is an internal conflict (Billy vs. himself), showing the emotional pain and deep longing that drives his entire journey.
Spot & Correct the Mistake: “Billy buys his dogs from a neighbor in the hills.”
He orders them from a kennel in Kentucky.
What does Billy being barefoot in the town symbolize?
His poverty, innocence, humility, and how unprepared he is for the judgment of society outside the hills.
When the women whisper that Billy is “wild,” what deeper idea does this reveal about the way society judges people from the hills?
Society quickly labels or misjudges those from poor or rural backgrounds, showing a cultural divide and lack of understanding about Billy’s world.
Billy wants to tell his father he is sneaking to Tahlequah but cannot. What does this reveal?
He deeply respects his father and fears disappointing him, showing a relationship built on silent love and pride.
In Chapters 3 and 4, Billy remembers Bible lines like “God helps those who help themselves” and feels that courage and determination were given to him. What universal message does this communicate?
With faith, effort, and self-discipline, a person can overcome obstacles and move closer to their dreams.
When Billy finally receives the letter from the kennel, what does this moment represent in the world of hunting?
A turning point — his dream of entering the hunting world becomes real and attainable.
Billy’s journey “as the crow flies” is physically challenging. What deeper meaning does this symbol carry?
It symbolizes his straight, fearless, unwavering path toward his destiny — no shortcuts, no hesitation.