This is Jody’s Fawn by Marjorie Kinnan

Introduction

“This is Jody’s Fawn” is a heartwarming short story about a small child and his conscience. It is centred on the emotions of a small child, Jody, who has a sensitive mind and is unable to forget a doe’s sacrifice to save his father’s life. The lesson takes you on Jody’s journey, from discovering the fawn to bringing it home. Here’s a summary of the story “This is Jody’s Fawn.”

Summary of This is Jody’s Fawn

Jody’s father is bitten by a rattlesnake in this storey. He promptly dispatches a doe and extracts the poison from its heart and liver. Jody is concerned about what will happen to the baby fawn who has been abandoned by its mother.

Jody’s thoughts was haunted by the image of a fawn. He walked to his father’s bedside silently. He inquired as to how he was feeling. Then he asked him to consider the fawn. He requested permission to carry the fawn home. Jody wanted to be the one to parent him. The father initially dismissed it, but when Jody continued on reminding him of his responsibility, the father accepted. He let Jody bring the fawn home. He urged him to inform his mother before bringing the fawn in.

Jody’s thoughts was haunted by the image of a fawn. He walked to his father’s bedside silently. He inquired as to how he was feeling. Then he asked him to consider the fawn. He requested permission to carry the fawn home. Jody wanted to be the one to parent him. The father initially dismissed it, but when Jody continued on reminding him of his responsibility, the father accepted. He let Jody bring the fawn home. He urged him to inform his mother before bringing the fawn in.

Jody approached his mum and sat down calmly. The mother was filling the cup with coffee. When Jody mentioned bringing the fawn home, she was taken aback. When Jody saw his mother’s hesitation, he informed her what his father had said. He stated that Penny had stated that leaving the fawn to starve would be ungrateful.

Jody rode with Mill-Wheel on his horse, assuring his mother that he would arrive home before dinner. After some time, they got closer to the spot where his father had been bitten. Jody wanted to continue on his own because he did not want Mill-Wheel to see his disappointment if they did not find the fawn. If, on the other hand, he located the fawn, he wanted to enjoy the joy of it all alone because he expected their meeting to be powerful, emotional, and hence intimate. Thus, he continues on, assuring Mill-wheel of his understanding of instructions and capacity to care for himself.

When Jody arrived at the location where his father had been bitten, he discovered buzzards hovering over the dead doe’s carcass. He also discovered cat traces, and for a brief moment, he feared for the fawn’s life. He finally spotted the fawn behind a bush after a long hunt. Jody spotted the fawn shivering and felt suspicious. He attempted to soothe the fawn and reach some sort of understanding with him.

Despite the fact that the fawn tolerated Jody’s presence, he did not move. Jody then made the decision to carry the fawn all the way home. He gently lifted the fawn after patting him. He proceeded around the spot where his father had been attacked and where the fawn’s mother’s body lay, afraid that the fragrance of his mother would agitate the fawn. He had to stop frequently for breaks since he was struggling with the weight of the fawn and the vines and bushes that were in his way. Despite the fact that Jody’s arms were hurting, he continued on his journey. He even gained the trust of the fawn, who gradually became eager to follow him.

Comprehension Questions

1.  What had happened to Jody’s father?
Ans. Jody’s father was bitten by a rattlesnake. 

2.  How did the doe save  Penny’s life?
Ans. Doe’s heart and liver were used to save Jody’s father.

3.  Why does  Jody want to bring the  Fawn home?
Ans. Jody wants to bring the fawn home because he doesn’t want to leave it alone in the jungle

4.  How does  Jod know that the fawn is a  male?
Ans. Jody’s father had taught him to identify the differences between a male fawn and a doe fawn. In a male fawn, the spots were all in a line, whereas in a doe –fawn the spots were in different directions over the body.

5.  Jody didn’t want  Mill-wheel with him for two reasons.  What were they?
Ans. Jody did not want Mill-wheel with him for two reasons:
(i) if he did not find the fawn at the place he might feel sad and disheartened;
(ii) if he found the fawn there he would be very much emotional to meet it. In both cases, he did not want to share any of them with anyone else.

6.  Why was  Mill-wheel afraid to leave  Jody alone?
Ans. Mill-wheel was afraid of his feeling that Jody might get lost or bitten by a snake.

7.  How did  Jody bring the fawn back?
Ans. Jody got the fawn around the place where the doe was killed. He took the fawn in his arms and carried it home.

8.  Jody was filled with emotion after he found the fawn.  Can you find at least three words or phrases which show how he felt?
Ans. The words ‘startled’, ‘tumbled backward’, ‘delirious’ show Jody’s emotion in the text.

9.  How did the deer drink milk from the ground?
Ans. Jody dipped his fingers below the level of milk and the fawn sucked his fingers.

10.  Why didn’t the fawn follow  Jody up the steps as he had thought it would be?
Ans. The fawn was not able to follow Jody up steps due to its weak legs.

Extra Questions of This is Jody’s Fawn

1. Why did Penny Baxter allow Jody to go find the fawn and raise it?
Ans. Penny Baxter allowed Jody to raise the fawn because he was obliged to the doe that was killed to save his own life. Also he could not deny Jody’s wish, for he loved him dearly.

2. What did Doc Wilson mean when he said, “Nothing in the world ever comes quite free”?  
Ans. According to Doc Wilson, “nothing in the world comes quite free” meant that they had to pay a price for everything. Raising the dead doe’s fawn could be their price for the doe’s sacrifice.

3. How did Jody look after the fawn, after he accepted the responsibility for doing this?
Ans.Jody sacrificed his portion of milk in order to feed the fawn. He also took care of the needs of the fawn, teaching him how to sip milk from the gourd, climbing stairs and so on.

4. How does Jody’s mother react when she hears that he is going to bring the fawn home?Why does she react in this way?
Ans. Jody’s mother became anxious when she heard that Jody was bringing the fawn home. She becomes worried because the family could not afford sufficient food for the fawn. There was no extra milk or food to be given to the fawn.