In the first chapter of "Where the Red Fern Grows," the adult narrator, Billy, recounts a spring day where he encounters a dogfight, saves a redbone hound, and cares for it before realizing he cannot provide it the home it needs, thus setting the stage for his own childhood story of owning dogs

In chapter 2 of Where the Red Fern Grows, 10-year-old Billy, consumed by a deep longing for hunting hounds, is denied his wish by his parents due to their family's poverty, leading to his despondency and a period of moping and refusal to eat or play

In Chapter 3 of "Where the Red Fern Grows," Billy, longing for dogs, decides to earn the necessary $50 by selling bait, vegetables, and small game hides, and he finds an old baking powder can to store his earnings

In chapter 4 of "Where the Red Fern Grows," Billy, motivated by his grandfather's news and a desire for the dogs, secretly leaves home to travel to Tahlequah to buy the coonhounds, experiencing a mix of fear and excitement as he navigates the town and its people

In Chapter 5 of Where the Red Fern Grows, Billy arrives at the depot feeling apprehensive, but finds comfort in the friendly stationmaster who informs him he has a package from a boy named Billy Colman, revealing it contains the two redbone coonhound puppies Billy has been waiting for

In Chapter 7 of Where the Red Fern Grows, Billy, eager to train Old Dan and Little Ann to hunt raccoons, learns from his grandfather how to build a raccoon trap and uses it to catch a raccoon, which he then uses to train his dogs by dragging the hide along the ground and up trees.

In Chapter 8 of Where the Red Fern Grows, Billy, preparing for his first hunt with his dogs, is nervous and excited about the upcoming season, spending the day getting his equipment ready and receiving encouragement from his father.

In chapter 9 of "Where the Red Fern Grows," Billy, determined to cut down a giant sycamore tree where his dogs have treed a raccoon, asks for strength to finish the job, and the wind unexpectedly blows the tree down, leading Billy to believe his prayer was answered.

In chapter 6 of Where the Red Fern Grows, Billy, with the puppies in tow, journeys towards home, recognizing familiar terrain and deciding to name the dogs "Old Dan" and "Little Ann" after seeing those names carved in a tree. He then prepares to face his parents, who he fears will be angry, but is relieved to find they are supportive and proud.

In Chapter 11 of Where the Red Fern Grows, Little Ann falls through the ice into a freezing river while hunting with Billy and Old Dan, and Billy bravely rescues her by using a lantern hook and a long cane to pull her out of the water, with Old Dan's help.

In Chapter 12 of Where the Red Fern Grows, Billy, goaded by the Pritchard brothers, accepts a bet to prove his dogs can tree the legendary "ghost coon," leading to a challenging hunt where his dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, ultimately succeed in finding the elusive raccoon.

In Chapter 13 of "Where the Red Fern Grows," Billy, along with Old Dan and Little Ann, hunts the elusive "ghost coon" and, after a challenging pursuit, succeeds in treeing it, but Billy, moved by the coon's age and cleverness, decides not to kill it, leading to a confrontation with the Pritchard brothers.

In Chapter 14 of "Where the Red Fern Grows," Billy's grandfather tells him he's entered Old Dan and Little Ann in a coon-hunting championship and explains how he's been keeping track of Billy's raccoon skins to ensure qualification, and he's paid the entry fee.

In Chapter 15 of "Where the Red Fern Grows," Grandpa witnesses Old Dan and Little Ann's profound devotion to each other, and he is moved by their love, particularly when Old Dan refuses to eat before Little Ann.

In chapter 16 of "Where the Red Fern Grows," Billy, his dogs Old Dan and Little Ann, his grandfather, his father, and the contest judge head out for the qualifying round of the hunt, aiming to catch three raccoons to advance to the championship round.

In chapter 17 of "Where the Red Fern Grows," a storm approaches, and Billy, despite his father and grandfather's concerns, insists on following his dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, even as the storm intensifies and he loses track of their bawls.

In chapter 18 of Where the Red Fern Grows, Billy and his hunting party encounter a raccoon in a tree, and while Billy's grandfather is injured, they manage to kill the raccoon, securing Billy's championship win and a cash prize.

In Chapter 19 of Where the Red Fern Grows, Billy's dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, encounter a mountain lion, leading to a fierce fight where the dogs bravely defend Billy, but Old Dan sustains fatal injuries, and Little Ann is also badly hurt.

In chapter 20 of "Where the Red Fern Grows," Billy, before his family moves, visits the graves of Old Dan and Little Ann and discovers a red fern growing between them, which he recognizes as a sacred symbol from an Indian legend, signifying a blessing and the ongoing circle of life.