The Red Pony

work by Steinbeck

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Article History

The Red Pony, book of four related stories by John Steinbeck, published in 1937 and expanded in 1945. The stories chronicle a young boy’s maturation.

In “The Gift,” the best-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 his pony, which he names Gabilan. Caught in an unexpected rain, Gabilan catches a cold and, despite Billy Buck’s ministrations, dies. Jody watches the buzzards alight on the body of his beloved pony, and, distraught at his inability to control 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 which Jody develops empathy and also learns from his grandfather about “westering,” the migration of people to new places and the urge for new experiences.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.