My Friend Flicka facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Mary O'Hara |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | J. B. Lippincott Company |
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Publication date
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1941 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Followed by | Thunderhead |
My Friend Flicka is a classic novel written by Mary O'Hara in 1941. It tells the story of a young boy named Ken McLaughlin and his wild mustang horse named Flicka. The story is set on a Wyoming ranch.
This book was the first in a series of three. The other books are Thunderhead (1943) and Green Grass of Wyoming (1946). The story was so popular that it was made into a movie in 1943. This film starred Roddy McDowall. Later, there were two more movies based on the other books. There was even a TV show called My Friend Flicka in the 1950s. It first aired on CBS, then on NBC. Reruns were shown on ABC and CBS. The Disney Channel also showed reruns in the mid-1980s.
Contents
Story of Ken and Flicka
Kenneth McLaughlin is a 10-year-old boy. He lives on Goose Bar Ranch near Cheyenne, Wyoming. His family includes his father, Rob, his mother, Nell, and his older brother, Howard.
Rob, Ken's father, is a practical man. He often gets annoyed with Ken. Ken tends to daydream instead of focusing on chores. His mother, Nell, understands Ken better. She shares his sensitive nature. Howard, Ken's older brother, is more like their father. Howard was allowed to pick and train a horse from the ranch. This made Ken feel very jealous. Ken loves horses, but Rob thinks Ken is not responsible enough yet.
Ken's Challenges and a Special Horse
At the start of the book, Ken has failed in school. He has to repeat fifth grade. This makes his father very upset. Rob cannot easily afford the extra school costs. After a few problems at home, Nell talks to Rob. She convinces him to let Ken have a young horse, called a colt. Nell believes this will help Ken become more responsible.
Ken looks at many horses. He cannot decide which one he wants. Then he sees a beautiful sorrel (reddish-brown) filly. She runs very fast away from him. Ken immediately knows she is the one he wants.
A Wild Horse and a Difficult Choice
Rob is annoyed again by Ken's choice. This specific filly has some mustang blood. This makes her very wild. Ranchers call such horses "loco," meaning crazy or untamable. The mustang blood comes from a wild white horse called the Albino. Horses with this bloodline are fast and beautiful. But they are also impossible to train. Rob has tried for years to train one. Now he wants to get rid of all of them.
However, Ken really wants this filly. Rob finally agrees to let him have her. Rob, Ken, and the ranch workers try to catch her twice. During the second try, she tries to escape. She attempts to jump a very high barbed wire fence. She gets badly hurt in the process.
Flicka's Recovery and Ken's Dedication
Ken spends the rest of the summer taking care of the injured filly. He names her Flicka, which means "little girl" in Swedish. Ken spends many hours each day with her. He tends to her wounds and keeps her company. Flicka slowly learns to trust and love Ken.
But Flicka's wounds get worse. She develops a dangerous blood infection. Ken continues to care for her with great effort. During this time, he also writes an essay for school. It is so good that his teacher promotes him to the next grade.
A Race Against Time
Flicka becomes very thin and weak. Rob decides she must be shot to end her suffering. The night before this is to happen, Flicka walks into a shallow stream. She falls and cannot get up. Ken sneaks out of the house. He spends the whole night sitting by the stream. His legs are in the cold water. He holds Flicka's head up to stop her from drowning.
The next morning, Ken is found. He has chills and a high fever. But Flicka is still alive. As days pass, Ken's fever turns into pneumonia. His health gets worse. On the other hand, Flicka slowly gets stronger. By the end of the book, Ken gets better. He is healthy enough to go back to school. He also learns that his beloved horse is alive and well.
Movie and TV Versions
The story of My Friend Flicka has been made into movies and a TV show.
Films
- My Friend Flicka (1943): This was a 20th Century Fox film. It was directed by Harold D. Schuster. Roddy McDowall played Ken McLaughlin. This film had two sequels based on O'Hara's other books: Thunderhead, Son of Flicka (1945) and Green Grass of Wyoming (1948).
- Flicka (2006): This was another 20th Century Fox film. It was directed by Michael Mayer. This movie loosely updated the story to modern times. Alison Lohman played a girl named Katy McLaughlin.
- Flicka 2 (2010): This was a sequel released directly to DVD.
- Flicka: Country Pride (2012): This was a second sequel released directly to DVD.
Radio
- My Friend Flicka (June 7, 1943): This was a radio play. It was part of the Lux Radio Theatre show. Roddy McDowall and Rita Johnson played their roles from the 1943 film.
Television
- My Friend Flicka (1956-1957): This was a 20th Century Fox television series. It aired on CBS.
