SUMMARY:Raised on a ranch in northern California, Jody is well-schooled in the hard work and demands of a rancher's life. He is used to the way of horses, too; but nothing has prepared him for the special connection he will forge with Gabilan, the hot-tempered pony his father gives him. With Billy Buck, the hired hand, Jody tends and trains his horse, restlessly anticipating the moment he will sit high upon Gabilan's saddle. But when Gabilan falls ill, Jody discovers there are still lessons he must learn about the ways of nature and, particularly, the ways of man.ReviewBook of four related stories by John Steinbeck, published in 1937 and expandedin 1945. The stories chronicle a young boy's maturation. In "The Gift," thebest-known story, young Jody Tiflin is given a red pony by his rancher father.Under ranch hand Billy Buck's guidance, Jody learns to care for and train hispony, which he names Gabilan. Caught in an unexpected rain, Gabilan catches acold and, despite Billy Buck's ministrations, dies. Jody watches the buzzardsalight on the body of his beloved pony, and, distraught at his inability tocontrol events, he kills one of them. The other stories in The Red Pony are"The Great Mountains," "The Promise," and "The Leader of the People," in whichJody develops empathy and also learns from his grandfather about "westering,"the migration of people to new places and the urge for new experiences. -- __Product DescriptionTells a story of a young boy and life on his father's California ranch,raising a sorrel colt.ReviewBook of four related stories by John Steinbeck, published in 1937 and expandedin 1945. The stories chronicle a young boy's maturation. In "The Gift," thebest-known story, young Jody Tiflin is given a red pony by his rancher father.Under ranch hand Billy Buck's guidance, Jody learns to care for and train hispony, which he names Gabilan. Caught in an unexpected rain, Gabilan catches acold and, despite Billy Buck's ministrations, dies. Jody watches the buzzardsalight on the body of his beloved pony, and, distraught at his inability tocontrol events, he kills one of them. The other stories in The Red Pony are"The Great Mountains," "The Promise," and "The Leader of the People," in whichJody develops empathy and also learns from his grandfather about "westering,"the migration of people to new places and the urge for new experiences. -- __Product DescriptionTells a story of a young boy and life on his father's California ranch,raising a sorrel colt.