Old Yeller

As the days go by, Travis is unable to get over Old Yeller’s death. He feels simultaneously pained and empty—he can’t think of anything but his love for Old Yeller and how guilty he feels about shooting him so unceremoniously. Mama and Lisbeth try to comfort Travis, but their words are no use. One night, it rains heavily—and the next morning, Papa arrives home with a horse for Travis. Travis acknowledges that the horse is beautiful, gentle, and strong—but he doesn’t feel proud, thankful, excited. He still feels numb.

That evening, before supper, Papa and Travis take a walk down to the spring. Papa tells Travis he heard about what happened to Old Yeller—and that while he’s sorry Travis had to go through such a thing, he feels that Travis stood up to what he was dealt better than most grown men would. Papa urges Travis to try to forget what happened and to “go on being a man.” Travis asks how he is supposed to forget, and Papa admits that he doesn’t know how. He urges Travis not to focus on only the bad things that happen to him in life, because life is full of painful, unfair events. Even after the talk with Papa, Travis still feels “dead and empty.” 

About a week later, as Travis feeds Jumper some lunch, he hears Mama yelling at Little Arliss’s speckled pup—the one fathered by Old Yeller. The puppy has stolen some cornbread from the kitchen. As Little Arliss screams and Papa laughs, Travis starts to feel better. He watches the puppy run around with the stolen cornbread in its mouth and feels something brighten inside of him.

Travis takes his horse out for a ride. That evening, when he returns, he spots Little Arliss and his pup playing in the drinking water. Travis is about to yell at them, but at the last minute, he stops himself. He begins laughing and then crying. When Travis is finished crying, he decides that tomorrow, he’ll take Arliss and the puppy out for a squirrel hunt. If the puppy is big enough to act like Old Yeller, Travis thinks to himself, it’s time for him to start contributing.