The Flight of Pony Baker facts for kids

First edition, 1902

The Flight of Pony Baker is a children's novel written by William Dean Howells. It was published in 1902 by Harper and Brothers in New York. The story is about a young boy named Pony Baker. He tries many times to run away from his home. Pony lives with his mother, father, and five sisters. The story takes place "fifty years ago" in a place called Boy's Town in Ohio. This is the state where Howells grew up.

What is The Flight of Pony Baker About?

The story starts with Frank Baker, who everyone calls "Pony." He gets this nickname from another boy to tell him apart from his cousin, also named Frank Baker. Pony lives in Boy's Town with his family. His mother is very protective of him. She always wants him to play with his five sisters. Pony feels his mother's rules stop him from having fun.

Pony also feels his father has given him reasons to run away. But Pony thinks his father's actions are mostly because his mother told him to do them. One day, Pony gets very upset. This happens after his father reacts to Pony being moved down a reading level at school. Pony reads poorly because it is hot and he feels lazy. This makes his teacher move him from third to second reader. Pony leaves school upset and plans to run away.

Pony's First Plan: Running Away with Indians

After school, Pony's friends hear about his plan to run away that night. They offer to help him. An older boy, Jim Leonard, suggests Pony go live with Indians. Jim says the Indians would like Pony and adopt him. He offers to find out if any Indians live closer than the Indian reservation, which is 100 miles away.

Jim Leonard's Big Flood Adventure

Jim Leonard lives with his mother in a log cabin by a river. One spring, a huge flood happens. Jim stays up all night watching the river. He falls asleep in his stable's hayloft. Jim wakes up to find the stable torn apart. He is floating on the roof in the floodwaters. The current pulls him into the middle of the river. He starts yelling for help.

Jim decides to name a rat on the roof "Bolivar." He plans to save the rat as a pet. Firefighters arrive and save Jim. But the rat falls into the water. Many people say Jim made up the story about the rat.

The Watermelon Patch Trouble

Later that summer, Jim tells Pony and the other boys about a watermelon patch. He says the owner does not want the melons. Jim dares the boys to come with him to get them. They go to the patch on a sunny September morning. Jim acts hesitant, complaining of a toothache. The boys encourage him to keep going.

They reach the large patch. The boys start eating the melons. Pony feels it is wrong to take them. He stands aside with Jim, who is still complaining about his toothache. Pony thinks he sees someone from the owner's house with a dog and a hoe. Jim shrieks that it is the owner, Bunty Williams, with a dog and a gun.

The boys run into the woods. They cross the river, but Jim is missing. The boys brag about what they would have done if caught. Pony worries they might hurt Jim. Pony goes home. He finds Jim hiding in a hole, crying about his toothache. Jim is afraid to go home and get a beating.

Jim and Pony buy crackers and apples. They drink water and then build their own fire. They bake potatoes. Pony wonders why Bunty would chase them if he did not want the melons. Pony feels sick and asks Jim to help him get home. Pony agrees not to tell his parents what happened.

When Pony gets home, his mother finds out about the watermelon patch. She learns Jim Leonard led the boys there. Pony gets sick for a few days. His mother wishes Jim Leonard was not in Boy's Town.

The Canal-Boat Plan That Failed

Pony still likes Jim, even after the watermelon patch incident. Jim finds out the closest Indian reservation is near Lake Erie. He says the best way to get there is by canal-boat. Pony does not like the idea of living with Indians for so long. He worries he would forget his family. But he does not tell Jim.

The next day, the boys hear Pony plans to run away on a canal-boat. They suggest using Piccolo Wright's father's boat. The boys go to the boat, planning to travel with Pony at night. They hear Piccolo's father shout. They all run away. They decide not to use the boat to avoid trouble.

Indians Come to Boy's Town

A group of Indians passes through Boy's Town. The government is moving them west. The boys are excited. Jim tries to convince Pony to run away with them. Pony does not want to tell Jim he has almost given up on running away. Things at home are better since the canal-boat incident.

Jim keeps trying to persuade Pony. Then a stray arrow skims Jim's foot. Pony helps Jim home. Pony decides not to run away with the Indians. He almost gives up on running away completely. He has a great Fourth of July. He starts thinking about his cousin Frank's story.

Frank Baker's Fourth of July Story

Frank Baker is sawing wood when his friend Jake Milrace asks him to come to Dave Black's house for the Fourth of July. Frank's mother lets him go. They ride to Dave's house. Dave is hauling rails, and the boys help him. After work, they head to a swimming hole.

On the way, they eat berries from a mulberry tree. A light flashes into Frank's eyes. Dave yells at a boy in the cornfield, but the boy disappears. The boys go to the swimming hole. A thunderstorm starts. They take off their clothes and play "Indians."

Jake yells at the same boy, a naked white figure. Frank says there is no one else. Jake claims to see the boy again in a barn door. The other boys do not see him. Jake sees the boy again before he disappears. The storm clears. The boys decide to build a raft instead of swimming.

The raft gets stuck. Dave falls in, and the other boys almost fall on him. Frank gets caught in a tree underwater. He says he saw the same boy underwater, surrounded by light. The other two did not see him. The boys play castaway sailors. Frank and Jake ride home.

Frank's mother feeds them baked chicken. Frank tells his story about the boy at Pawpaw. Pony's parents argue about whether the "Fourth of July boy" was real.

Pony Almost Runs Away with the Circus

Before the circus comes to town, Pony throws a snowball at his mother's head as a joke. His mother cries and grabs him, boxing his ears. Pony cries too because he did not mean to scare her. This makes Pony want to run away again.

On circus morning, the boys watch the circus parade. Later, Pony helps carry water to the circus horses. A circus man talks to him. Jim Leonard tells the man that Pony wants to join the circus. The man tells Pony to wait on his doorstep at one in the morning. The circus will pick him up.

Pony's Circus Adventure That Wasn't

Jim Leonard tells all the boys about Pony's plan. That night, Pony's father takes him and his sisters to the circus. His parents are very kind. This makes Pony sad when he thinks about leaving them. After supper, Jim helps Pony pack his things.

Pony goes to bed early. His mother comes to see him and apologizes for boxing his ears. Pony cries and hugs her. Pony falls asleep. He wakes up to the sound of the circus band. He gets dressed quickly and rushes to his front steps. He sees the circus magician.

Pony tries to get back inside, but there is no door. He curls into a ball, hoping the magician will not see him. Then his father and the doctor are looking down at him. The doctor says Pony was sleepwalking. Pony wakes up and finds it is morning.

Pony is relieved the circus is far away. He gets sick for a few days. He is not sure if he really waited on the steps or if it was a dream. Jim tries to help him figure it out. Jim says he wishes he had not overslept so he could have said goodbye.

Frank Baker's Money Adventure

Pony likely would not have tried to run away again if it were not for Jim Leonard. Pony's mother always wanted him to spend time with his cousin Frank. Pony wanted to ask Frank about running away. But he felt ashamed after hearing Frank's story.

When Frank was eleven, he delivered $2,000 from the city to Boy's Town. A merchant needed to send money to his partner. He gave the money to Frank to take home. On the way, Frank's carriage broke down. He and his brother had to stay 16 miles from home overnight.

A bad thunderstorm happened. Frank did not sleep. He wanted to protect the money and make sure his brother was safe. Frank finally fell asleep and woke up the next day. He reached home. After supper, Frank took the money to the merchant's partner. He gave the money, and it was counted.

Frank went home. His father told him that people with lots of money sometimes care more about it than their own family. He said they think money can buy things more precious than what it cannot. His father then told him to rest.

The Raft Plan That Failed

In September, Jim tells Pony he should run away again. He says he will run away too. The plan is to take boards from a shanty in the woods. They will build a raft and float down to the city. When school starts, Jim and Pony become good friends. They ask to sit together.

After school, they hang out in Pony's barn. Jim convinces Pony they need to hide food for their trip. The first day, Jim eats Pony's food. The next day, Pony's dog Trip eats Jim's food. Jim tells Pony to train Trip not to follow him into the barn. Pony does this, even though it makes him sad.

They keep eating the food they stored. Jim then tells Pony that Pony must leave first. Jim will follow when the river rises. Pony does not like this. He thinks Jim is backing out. The plan is for Pony to sleep in the barn next Friday. He will leave early the next morning.

Every afternoon, Pony brings bread and meat to hide in the hay. Jim brings eggs. Friday comes. Jim tells Pony he will sleep in the barn with him. He will help send him off. They dig out the food. They find chickens in the eggs, and the meat has gone bad. Jim says if he cannot stay, he will come at six the next morning to wake Pony.

Pony Gives Up Running Away

Pony finds Jim's changing plans very strange. But he does not say anything. He fears being called a coward. Pony does not want to run away, but feels stuck. On Friday, Pony looks at Trip by the barn doors. He rushes to the house. Trip jumps into his arms.

His mother calls him in. She asks why he is so quiet. She asks if he had a fight with Jim Leonard. She says she does not like Jim. At that moment, Pony realizes he does not like Jim much either. Pony sneaks out that night to the barn with a lantern.

In the loft, rats are everywhere, but they do not bother him. Pony cannot sleep and starts to cry. Pony's mother gets ready for bed. She realizes Pony is not in his bed. The lantern is missing. Pony's father goes to town to look for Pony. No older boys have seen him. They suggest Jim Leonard might know.

Pony's father goes to Jim's house. Jim's mother says he has been asleep for hours. Pony's father returns home. He and Pony's mother search the house. She fears the worst has happened. Finally, Pony's father goes to the barn. He hears Pony sobbing.

Pony's father brings Pony back to the house. His mother hugs and kisses him, crying. Pony explains what Jim Leonard made him do. At daybreak, Pony's father remembers leaving his candle in the barn. He rushes out to get it, hoping the barn has not burned down.

At the barn, he sees Jim Leonard sneaking toward the door. Pony's father grabs Jim. He takes him home and tells Jim's mother how Jim made Pony sneak away. Pony gets sick for a week. His father talks to him. He asks why Pony would want to run away from his loving home.

Pony explains how unhappy he would have been if he had run away. He hopes it teaches him a lesson. It also teaches Pony's parents a lesson. They let Pony do more things. His mother does not baby him as much. Pony thinks this is because she is trying to be a better mother. Also, she has a new baby brother to worry about. He was born a week after Pony tried to run off.

Main Characters in the Story

• Frank "Pony" Baker: The main character. He is a small, dark, and round boy with thick black hair. He is called "Pony" to avoid confusion with his cousin.
• Pony's mother: She is very protective of Pony. She thinks he is too young to take care of himself.
• Pony's father: His actions toward Pony often seem to be influenced by Pony's mother.
• Jim Leonard: Pony's closest friend. He constantly tries to convince Pony to run away from home.
• Frank Baker: Pony's cousin. He is a responsible and kind young man. He often takes care of younger boys. Pony's mother wants Pony to spend time with Frank instead of Jim.
• Jim Leonard's mother: Jim's mother.

What is a "Boy Book"?

A "boy book" is a type of story about a boy's life. It shows what a boy's life is really like. It does not try to teach what a boy's life should be. William Dean Howells helped define this type of book. He reviewed a book by Thomas Bailey Aldrich and noted this style.

Howells also helped Mark Twain write The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). He suggested it be "a book for boys, pure & simple." Howells later wrote his own "boy books." These include A Boy's Town (1890) and The Flight of Pony Baker (1902). These books are part of the realism style, showing life as it truly is.

How Pony Baker Connects to Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn

Jim Leonard, Pony's friend, is like a mix of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Chapters like "How Jim Leonard Planned for Pony Baker to Run Off On a Raft" show this connection. But Jim is an anti-hero. This means he is not a typical hero. He is a coward and a bully. His plans to run away always fail. He often leaves Pony in trouble. He even gets spanked by his mother.

The story's narrator wonders why Pony Baker would follow Jim so much. Pony's cousin, Frank Baker, is Jim's opposite. Frank is a good role model. He is not like Tom Sawyer's brother Sid, who is often made fun of.

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