Chapter 4: Talequah
I love the name Tahlequah. Did you know that it is a real town in Oklahoma? I'll bet that it has changed a lot since the time that this story takes place. I wonder if Wilson Rawls ever visited the real Tahlequah or if he just picked it off of a map. Check out the link on the side of the page. It goes to the Tahlequah Chamber of Commerce.
Here is the question for chapter 4. Remember as you answer to try to put some of yourself into your writing. Use what you write as a window into your thinking, or into your memories. Also, this is a two part question. Be sure to answer both parts and remember who your audience is. In chapter 4, Billy made a decision to leave home and go pick up his dogs. Do you think this was a wise decision? Why or why not? Have you ever made a decision on your own that you thought was a good idea at the time but it turned out not to be?
posted by Marty Kelsey at 2:32 PM
21 Comments:
I do not think that Billy leaving home was a wise decision because I would not leave home in the middle of the night to travel 20 miles to get dogs. I could wait for a week. I have made a decision on my own and that was to play competitive basket ball I very soon regretted it because I like to run but I don’t like to run 22 laps across the gym now my parents won’t let me quit.
Creyana
2:02 PM
I think it was a good idea to go get his dogs because he was diamond to get his dogs and he was not going to stop until he gets his dogs.
From Michael
2:06 PM
No, I do not think Billy made a wise decision because it is very dangerous to go out in the forest at night by your self. I think this because he could get lost, or fall and hurt his self with no one out there to help him. Although I have made an unwise decision like Billy. It was when my friend wanted to show me a fort he made out in the woods, so I asked my dad if I could go see it and he said yes. Then we headed out in the forest getting stabbed by thorns, slipping in mud, getting cut by barbwire, and whacked by branches. About 20 minutes later my friend says he forgot where it was. Then we started to head back and ended up slipping down a steep hill covered in mud, it felt like a muddy slippin’ slide. As I brushing mud off of me my friend says, “Oh there it is.” It was in front of us on a hill the whole time. When we finaly went up the hill to check it out, one of the pieces of the ladder was broke so we couldn’t climb up it. Then we started to go explore the woods, but I’m not even going talk about that, let’s just say, it got a lot worse.
-David D.
2:09 PM
I don’t think that was a wise choice because he didn’t tell anyone where he also as going. I also think when he gets back home he will be in a lot of trouble. I remember when I was walking somewhere with a friend and didn’t tell my sister where I was because she was babysitting me at the time so then my mom told the friends dad and he came and found us and we both got in a lot of trouble for not telling my sister where we were at. Then we weren’t able to play with each other for at least 1 month. After I got in trouble I was grounded for 4 days. And he was grounded for 5 days.
Yes I have made one bad decision before. What I did was I was me and friend Jake M. were going to the creek on a rainy day we thought oh no we won’t get in trouble if we go in the creek. Well so we went in the creek and we went to the far side of the creek and saw a mud slide. Well we went on the slide and slid down. Well that was bad choice 1. Bad choice number two was going inside the water of the creek to wash our clothes off. But that made clothes wet and more dirty. Well when we got home we were grounded for 2 days.
Brandin
2:10 PM
I don’t think it was a wise diction, because if you get lost were will you go. Or if you get attacked by an animals, or get abducted.
I have done something that I wasn‘t suppose to do. When I was only 3 I got all my pillows and covers when to my parent’s room so when they woke up they would scam. Then I ended up in a lot of trouble, so I never did it again.
-Rafael
2:11 PM
Billy made a bad discussion because he was barefoot, by his self, didn’t tell any one, and had to walk 20 miles and walk through the woods. Yes I have made a bad discussion and that was to wrestle my uncle and my brother and my uncle beat me up because he is chunky but I still beat him and my brother. Then my dad came down stairs and body slammed my uncle on my bead then I jumped on my dads back and he body slammed me then my bed broke and then my dad choked me out and I tapped. Then the next day my mom came home and saw my bed and got mad at me and I told my mom that it was my dad and I didn’t get into trouble.
Anthony S.
2:11 PM
By: Jake
I think it wasn’t very wise of Billy to go out at night and just go and pick up some dogs even when you are bare foot because something could stab you in the foot and just like he said “those scratches”
But I have made a not wise choice before to I was playing outside barefoot and I got on a box and it slipped out from under me and my arm landed on the edge of the concreat and I snapped my arm and all I could here was”cccrackkk” it hurt real
2:11 PM
4 – 25 – 08
I don’t think this way a good decision… part of this not being a good decision is because he is in a field, by himself, in the middle of he night, and with no shoes! What is worse is that he is only like 14! I meen he can get his dogs some other time. Now wouldn’t be the best time. I can remember a time that I thought something was a good idea when it wasn’t. When I was 7, my sister was only 2 years old. It was my parents anniversary and we were being babysat. It was about 7pm. My babysitter fell asleep and my other sister was taking a nap. I was starting to feel hungry. When I tried waking my babysitter she said that I am old enough to make my own food. I tried but the bowls were to high up for me. Even on a chair I was having a hard time. I was so hungry I thought about my favorite place to eat, McDonalds. I grabbed some money from my piggy bank. I thought that $1 and a nickel should be enough for one burger. Than I thought I might need a watch to remember to be back by eight and a water bottle incase I got thirsty. Now think about it… a 7 year old going out on there own, with a $1.05 to go buy a burger from McDonalds. When I was ready I opened the door and walked outside. I was ready. I started walking in the direction I thought was McDonalds. I walked for about 5 minutes until I hit a stop sign. I could just barley see McDonalds. So I kept walking. About half way there it was almost 7:50. I thought I wouldn’t have any more time to get a burger and come back. So I started walking home. I was almost home and about a block away I saw my parents passing by, I didn’t want them to catch me so I picked up a nail and threw it at the car tire. It slowed them down but I needed to run. I ran inside my house to find the babysitter sleeping and my sister in her bed. My parents were pulling up on the drive way. I sprinted into the room, careful not to wake my sister, then I cuddled up and fell asleep. I am not sure what my parents thought after that, but looking back on it. I think that was pretty stupid!
- Madison
2:13 PM
I think that the decision that Billy made was not a good idea because he could have just waited for the dogs but instead he just took of with out his parents having a clue what was going on and where Billy was going!
On decision I made that I thought was a good one turned out to be a bad one. Ok it all starts with my brother’s girlfriend and I went to her grandmas. We were looking at the horses when something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. It was a chip munk slash squiral looking thing it had a white stripe going down its back with a fluffy tail. I went to the barn grabbed a rag ran out and caught it!!! When we got home I put it in a big hamster cage. When my mom saw it she freaked out!!! It was so funny!!! Any way I named him Alvin and fed him some hamsters food. About a month later Aliv got loose!!! He was running all around the house. One day my sister was sitting on the couch when Alvin came out from under the couch, he scared her so much I thought she was going to have a heart attack. It was about two weeks later when I finally caught him. My mom was so happy when I let him go so after my hamster Elivs dies I don’t get another one! Now that was a bad decision looking back!!!!
-Hadei*
2:15 PM
I totally think his choice was wise because if you buy something to soften them up you are home free. But I still think his choice was also unwise because he ran off with out telling anybody where he was going or even telling them he was going. By the way I have made a choice that I thought was right but parents disagreed. It was when we sued Joel for $90,678,998. He was mad and cried and yelled “Emily, Amanda, Kim I thought we were like family, I thought we all loved each other like family. I thought I was gonna be the cute cuddly one, Josiah was gonna be the annoying one, Emily the ugly one, Amanda the smart one and Kim the pretty dumb one and Luke the lazy one with speedy cheerio’s.” When I leaned over to whisper in his ear I yelled “APRIL FOOLS!!!!!!!!” he got mad. And then we gave Josiah a my little pony, a MY LITTLE PONY for his birthday. He cried we got in trouble and all was well in the perfect world we call planet Earth. (oh yeah he burnt the my little pony he still has it. (he uses it for target or batting practice) Coming up we are scaring Josiah with a huge rubber snake like 5 ft. long. (He hates snakes.)
Amanda
2:22 PM
PART ONE: Billys decision to pick up his dogs to me wasn’t the brightest
thing. He could of been killed by a mountain lion or could of drown in the creaks or river.
Also he could of been hurt by the towns people. And that’s why I think it was the best idea because someone could of picked him up and dropped home off.
PART TWO: Yes I have had a idea that I thought would be good but wasn’t.
One time I was at my grandmas out in the country. I was target practicing and got done so I walked across the road to the creek. But then the neighbor’s dog started barking I still had my gun in my hand and Trooman came out and thought I hurt his dog and started yelling at me. Then he grabbed my arm and pulled me over back across the street and told my grandma. I didn’t get in trouble cause my grandma knew I didn’t hurt his dog but she said “ he only accused of hurting his dog because kids were mean to the other ones he had. But any way that was a horrible idea to go over the creek.
logan
2:32 PM
Have I ever done something like that before, yes and it was very hard. I think that Billy made the right choice because the people could have delivered the dogs to the wrong house and Billy would have never gotten them, now would I have done what Billy did no because well… I just wouldn’t. I have made a choice on my own and it did end up backfiring it was about a new bike. I asked if I could get one and my parents said no I said I was going to get one all with my own money and it turned out being even longer until I got one.
-Nicholas
2:33 PM
No I do not think that was a wise choice, because you never know what may be in the woods or river that Billy followed to get to Tahlequah.
I have made a decision that I thought was a good idea but it wasn't. I made up a plan to sneek out of the house to go to my friends house and I thought my dad was asleep when he was not and I got busted.
-Marressa
2:36 PM
I think that it wasn’t a wise thing to do because he could have gotten hart or he could have got lost. I would just wait until the dogs came to his house instead of going to Tahlequah at night and getting them there and have I made a bad decision like Billy, yes I have made a bad decision like Billy. I had a sleepover and we went out side and this was on Halloween night and after trick or treating we went and busted pumpkins on the street and we got busted by my mom. It was not a good choose to make because in the morning we had to clean the road up.
Chasity*4/25/08
2:37 PM
I don’t think I would have gone out in the in the dark in bare feet running in the woods, and besides I could have waited to go get the dogs for one more week besides he was just getting made fun of by a bunch of boys just cause he lived over the hills.
And yes I have been in his situation were I just wanted something really bad and I just had to have it and that time was when I was four and I was at the mall and I saw this really big lollypop that I just had to have and I asked my dad “dad can I get the big lollypop over there in the candy place please.” And he said “ I guess, just let me finish checking out here real quick, ok” then it took forever just to checkout and I just started to run to the candy place and I grabbed the lollypop and ran to the check out counter and then my dad ran after me and he got out of line and when he paid for the lollypop and then when he got back over to line he was in the guy that was behind him said “ back of the line cause you lost your spot” so then we went to the back of the line my dad said to me “you are so difficult sometimes” and then we checked out and we went home. –Hope*
2:39 PM
I think that the decision that Billy made was a bad decision because he left at night, and he didn’t tell anyone were he was going. Billy also walked twenty miles without shoes and Billy had never been to town in his life so he could of gotten lost on his way there. One time when I made a bad decision and I thought it was a good one at the time was when I was at my friend Luke’s house and we decided to go out side in the middle of the night and jump on his trampoline, and then go to a place in his naborhood we called the ditch. We call it that because it was down a big hill and some sewer pipes let water out there and we brought flashlights with us. When his parents woke up they thought we were lost so they went to look for us but they never found us so they went back to their house and when me, and Luke got to his house we got in so much trouble his parents had to stay up and watch us for the rest of the night, but I couldn’t so when his parents fell asleep I could get Luke up and we could get something to eat.
Jonny
2:40 PM
No I don’t, because his parents were probably worried to death about him and it wouldn’t be any fun at all (well maybe a little bit). Because he had no shoes on at all, so it would hurt really badly. It would be really hard to do that.
Yes I have a lot of times, like when me and my friend Jared were going to go in the creek and it had a rope and we thought that it would be and it was but pretty bad (or hilarious for me). We went in the creek and we swung across the creek a few times and then stopped. After that we went to this other place and we ended up soaked and it was a tunnel, Jared and I thought that it was okay, but we got in there and we heard this voice and he thought that it was a crocodile and I said that they don’t live in there and I went in there and pretended that I got eaten, and he yelled for me and then got my mom and she came, and I ended jumping out and scaring the heck of them after I got on trouble jared told me that he almost peed his pants, and that’s my story for today.
-Kaide*
2:41 PM
I do not think leaving home was a wise decision by Billy. First of all, you’re going to a town that you barely know anything about, with no maps, nothing (except for food)! No offense, but how stupid can you get?!? I don’t think it was a wise choice because you could easily get lost. You could also get hurt, and your parents would know where to find you. I’m not an expert when it comes to woods. I’m not even an amateur. In fact, I don’t even think I’m a beginner! I’m probably worse than that. Anyway, you could go one-on-one with an animal. I have made a decision that I though would be good, but then turned out not to be. It was when I wanted to do a little trick with my friend. You know that thing when you hook arms with your friend and then flip over their back? I was going to do that with my friend. As I was flipping over her back, she dropped me. I didn’t realize she had dropped me, so I didn’t do anything. I landed on the ground…HARD. At first, I was gasping for air and I had to sit down. Later, when I felt better, I tried to turn my neck. I couldn’t look up, down, or right without it hurting. It took a little longer than a week to be able to turn it properly. I think what happened is I had sprained something in my neck because one certain place hurt, and it felt like something, like a muscle, was there. I am never going to do that trick again! Ciao!
Brittany HOF’07
2:42 PM
Well, I kind of think it was choice and kind of think it is a wise choice and kind of don’t. I think it is a wise choice because he doesn’t want o wait so he is going now. I think it is not a wise choice because he has to walk at least 20 miles barefoot. Yes I have made very bad choices.
-Justin
2:43 PM
I think that leaving home alone just to get two dogs isn’t a wise idea, because Billy left like in the dark, if I were him I would have stayed home and waited for my family’s opinion. I wouldn’t run away at night because, first, I’m scared of the total dark, and because I don’t like being alone. I have made a decision on my own, that decision, made me get in so, I mean so much trouble. Let me tell you about it, well I was over at my friend Jessica’s house, you could say that we got a little bored, and decided to start ding-dong – ditching neighbors. We got in so much trouble, well not really trouble, because we jumped the fence and escaped, but after that I felt horrible, I thought that my parents were going to find out. I kept my mouth shut until I couldn’t any longer; I had to tell my mom. She didn’t do much, just grounded me for about threes or five days, it didn’t hurt me. I still find ding-dong-ditching is fun, but not when I remember what happened.
-Monse
H.O.F.07
2:45 PM
No I don’t think Billy made a wise choice because sneaking out in the middle of the night is just crazy! His parents don’t know where he is and his papa might get worried and think he got kidnapped and he might come looking for him with a gun. Now I am going to tell you if I ever made a bad decision, well I have, It was in the I don’t know 3rdor 4th my friend and I decided to ding-dong-ditch so we went out about 8:00 or 9:00 and we rang on this guys doorbell and ran, but we did it to him about 8 times so the last time we did it was when the horrible thing happened the guy we did it to about 8 times yeah we didn’t ever ding dong ditch again because listen to this yeah he came out with a riffle so you know what I did, I ran and screamed and to this very day I have nightmares about that so I am trying not to do that ever again that turned out to be a very bad idea and decision.
Charlie
2:51 PM
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