Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
"Old Yeller" is a classic children's novel by Fred Gipson, published in 1956, that tells the story of young Travis Coates, a Texas pioneer, who is tasked with managing his family’s homestead while his father drives cattle to market. The narrative unfolds as Travis encounters a stray dog, Old Yeller, known for his scrappy appearance and troublesome behavior, who ultimately proves his worth and bravery in protecting the family from various threats, including wildlife and a rabid wolf. As Old Yeller gains the family's trust, he becomes an indispensable companion to Travis, aiding in chores, hunting, and even dangerous rescues. The story explores themes of responsibility, loyalty, and the bonds between humans and animals, set against the backdrop of pioneer life in Texas.
Gipson, drawing from his own experiences as an avid hunter and outdoor enthusiast, crafted a tale that resonates with lessons of survival and courage. The book received critical acclaim, including the Newbery Honor Award, and was adapted into a popular Disney film in 1957, further cementing its place in American children's literature. Gipson's legacy continued with other works, though none matched the impact of "Old Yeller," which remains a poignant exploration of childhood and the challenges that come with growing up.
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Subject Terms
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
First published: 1956; illustrated
Type of work: Domestic realism
Themes: Animals, coming-of-age, family, jobs and work, and nature
Time of work: The late 1860’s
Recommended Ages: 13-15
Locale: Salt Licks, Texas, on the Birdsong Creek
Principal Characters:
Travis Coates , a sturdy fourteen-year-old, the temporary head of the pioneer householdMrs. Coates , the mother of Travis and ArlissArliss Coates , Travis’ five-year-old brother, a constant source of mischiefOld Yeller , a powerful mongrel stray dog, adopted by the Coates family
The Story
When Mr. Coates, a Texas pioneer cattleman, is forced to leave his family while he drives his cattle to market, he puts the household in the care of young Travis. Eager to reap the benefits of this newfound maturity, Travis immediately discovers instead the hard work and the responsibilities of his new status. Getting the mule to work until sundown, ordering his little brother not to play in the drinking-water pond, and shooting a deer for supper—these are the kinds of tasks that fill his day.
When he discovers that a large side of beef has been stolen from the dog-run porch of their small cabin, Travis encounters the culprit, a “big ugly slick-haired yeller dog” whose distended stomach proves his guilt. Travis’ attempts to punish the dog and rid the family of the nuisance are thwarted by little Arliss, who screams and throws rocks to protect his new pet. Mrs. Coates, aware of the possible value of the dog’s presence around the farm, allows him to stay, to Arliss’ delight and Travis’ chagrin.
At first, Old Yeller is nothing but a nuisance, perhaps even a coward. Eventually, however, little Arliss finds a baby bear cub and brings it home; the angry mother bear lumbers into the homestead to reclaim her cub, and Old Yeller fights her off long enough for Mrs. Coates and Travis to rescue Arliss and return the cub to its mother. Having displayed his bravery, Old Yeller becomes more and more beloved by the entire family, accompanying Travis on his chores, especially his hunting expeditions. On several other occasions Old Yeller proves his worth: saving the corn from raccoons, rounding up stray cattle, even helping Arliss catch fish in the stream.
On one of the most dangerous and difficult jobs—rounding up the half-wild stray pigs for marking—Old Yeller truly proves his courage. Through an error in judgment, Travis falls from a muddy overhanging cliff into the middle of a vicious pack of long-tusked pigs. Before they can tear the boy to pieces, Old Yeller attacks and fends them off. Travis and Old Yeller are both hurt, but Travis manages to bind Old Yeller’s wounds and tuck him under a log for protection. Their rescue and long recuperation are described in careful detail.
Complicating the already difficult life of the Coateses is an outbreak of hydrophobia among the wildlife and roaming stock. When a milk cow contracts the disease and must be burned far from the homestead, a rabid wolf attacks the family. Old Yeller rescues the family again, but this time he is bitten by the rabid wolf. In a final act of courage and manly discipline, Travis shoots the dog.
Context
The metaphor of Old Yeller, that survival relies ultimately on native instinctual virtues, was not arbitrarily chosen; it was lived by Fred Gipson himself, an avid hunter and hound-dog trainer, who spent his entire life in the Texas outdoors. After a journalist’s career at several Texas newspapers and a few successful novels for adults, notably Hound-Dog Man (1949), Gipson wrote The Trail-Driving Rooster (1955), his first book for children, about a feisty chicken that refuses to submit to his fate as dinner. It was Old Yeller, however, written in 1956 and illustrated in its original edition by Carl Burger, that established Gipson’s name in children’s literature, winning many prizes, including the Newbery Honor Book award in 1957, a 1958 Maggie Award for Western books, and the 1959 William Allen White Children’s Book Award. When Walt Disney Studios made a film of the Gipson screenplay of the book in 1957 (and followed it in 1962 with a slightly less successful Savage Sam, about Old Yeller’s pup), the story of the lop-eared, stubborn dog and his boy was even more widely acknowledged.
No major children’s literature, however, followed these successes—Little Arliss (1978), for example, tried to follow the story of Travis’ younger brother, but was considered derivative. Gipson became president of the Texas Institute of Letters in 1960. Two local biographies, Fred Gipson by Sam H. Henderson (1967) and Fred Gipson: Texas Storyteller by Mike Cox (1980), follow his life and career in detail; he died August 14, 1973.