First, Old Dan and Little Ann are a rare combination. Little Ann is smart, and Old Dan is strong and brave. It is a combination that can catch almost any coon. More important, perhaps, is the way that the two dogs get along together. Old Dan never eats until Little Ann gets her share of food. They lick each others wounds, and won't hunt without one another. They are so close, they are almost human. Perhaps they are better than human, the book seems to suggest. Finally, Little Ann is incredibly playful. Hounds are normally serious hunters, eager for the chase but otherwise quite calm. Little Ann is different. She jumps and skips and tries to play with Old Dan and Billy.
One of the most important themes of
Obviously, the red fern is a kind of memorial to the spirits of Billy's departed dogs. According to legend, an angel has to plant the seed of the red fern, and so wherever there is a red fern, it marks something very admirable and special. It is red, the color of blood, yet it is not a symbol of death. On the contrary, it helps Billy forget about the deaths of his dogs. Because an angel has honored his dogs, he understands that they are part of God's plans. His papa believes in fate, and when Billy sees the red fern, he is led to believe that there is a divine hand in what has happened to his dogs. He remembers that he prayed for the dogs and that all along, they seem to have been a gift of God. Perhaps this makes Billy accept that they were only a temporary gift. At least, it allows him to accept that their loss is part of a larger plan. So, the red fern helps Billy to understand that the death of his dogs is part of a bigger plan.