15. Lucy said that smart men like her father never had
to work hard because “they knew the world
owed them a living and there were easier ways to
get it than doing hard work.” From what you
know about Lucy’s father, what is wrong with this
thought? Why do you think Father because angry
when Ralph told him what Lucy said?
16.Ralph said about Father, “I always loved him
more after he scolded me than I did at any other
time.” Why do you think Ralph feels this way?
17. What did Ralph do to Fanny when she caught her
leg in the bridge? He said he did it because he
loved her, but how does that make sense?
18.Why is it beneficial that Ralph is away so much
from his family and feels homesick for his own
ranch?
19.Ralph keeps hearing Mother’s voice in his head
reciting, “So live that when thy summons comes.”
What does that line mean? What is it referring to?
20.Father said they needed to face the reality that
they weren’t going to make it at the ranch, so
they decided to move. Do you think their decision
to move had anything to do with the shooting?
21. Ralph overheard the nurse talk on the phone
about Father’s dying. Do you think the nurse was
inconsiderate in her approach or in the words that
she chose?
Book Discussion
Guide
About the Book
Ralph Moody was eight years old in 1906 when his family moved
from New Hampshire to a Colorado ranch. Through his eyes we
experience the pleasures and perils of ranching there early in the
twentieth century. Auctions and roundups, family picnics,
irrigation wars, tornadoes and wind storms give authentic color
to Little Britches. So do adventures, wonderfully told, that equip
Ralph to take his father's place when it becomes necessary.
Ralph Moody wrote about the adventures of his family in eight
books, starting with Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers.
Discussion Questions
1. On a scale of one to ten, how well do you think you know
your parents? What more would you like to know about them?
2. When Freddie Sprague punched Ralph in the face, Ralph
turned the other cheek as his mother told him too. Even
though he ended up getting punched in that cheek as well, do
you think Ralph did the right thing?
3. When Father reprimanded Ralph about lying, he compared a
man’s character to his house. When you do things that
damage your character, you pull boards off of your house. The
more damage you do, the more your own home is ruined. Do
you agree with this analogy?
4. Ralph and his family experienced a “big wind.” When they
finally got to safety, Ralph said, “I wasn’t frightened any
longer and nothing was hurting me, but I started to cry. I
didn’t know what I was crying for, but I couldn’t make myself
stop.” Why do you think Ralph was crying?
5. What was the event that caused Ralph’s family to go from
being immigrants to being ranchers?
6. Fred tells Father that he wouldn’t get much water and that
Father’s cousin should have told him. Would you say that
Cousin Phil had been very dishonest with Father?
7. Father told Ralph that he needs to learn to “make his head save
her [Fanny’s] heels.” What does Father mean by this?
8. Although Thompson and Two Dog were “blood brothers,”
Thompson doesn’t seem to care about him. Why do you think
Two Dog stays with Thompson despite being neglected by him?
9. Mrs. Corcoran says a lot of mean things to Ralph. Why do you
think she treats Ralph poorly and then always asks him back?
10.Ralph took a big risk when he searched for Two Dog as many
things could have gone wrong. Do you think he should have
gone? What could Ralph have done differently to accomplish
the same task?
11. Fred Autland seems to want to help Father out frequently. He
offered him horses for plowing, traded the bunkhouse to him,
gave him and Ralph work during haying, and now work with the
cows. Why do you think Fred wants to help Father?
12. What do you think about the “water hogs” that Ralph
mentioned who were taking more than their share of water?
Why do you think Father, Fred, Mr. Wright and the others chose
to fight the “water hogs”?
13. Ralph was upset that his father had killed the pigs. Do you think
Father explained the situation well? How is the idea of raising
livestock for food different now than it was in the past?
14.When Ralph realizes that there is a pheasant in his trap, he
becomes frightened after he remembers that Fred said it was
against the law to kill a pheasant. Have you ever been in a
situation when you realized you did something wrong? Did you
want to hide it too?
Courtesy of Bright Ideas Press