Editing The Yearling (1946 film) (section)

==Plot==
Ezra "Penny" Baxter, once a [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] soldier, and his wife Ora, are pioneer farmers near [[Lake George (Florida)|Lake George, Florida]] in 1878. Their son, Jody, a boy in his pre-teen years, is their only surviving child. Jody has a wonderful relationship with his warm and loving father. Ora, however, is still haunted by the deaths of the other children of the family she lost over the years, fearing that Jody will end up dying if she shows any love to the boy, leading Jody to find her unloving and unreasonable.

One morning, Jody and his parents discover that a bear has appeared and killed a calf and young pig from among their stock. They set out after the bear, accompanied by Penny's dogs Perk, Rip and Julia. They catch up with the bear, but it is able to escape after Perk flees, Penny's gun misfires, and Julia is badly injured.

Upset over Julia's injury and the broken gun, Penny decides to get a new shotgun in exchange for Perk.

One day, as Penny and Jody are tracking down their missing hogs that had been stolen by the Forresters, a [[rattlesnake]] bites Penny before he kills it. Penny kills a [[deer|doe]] and uses her liver to draw out the [[Snake venom|venom]]. Jody asks to adopt the doe's orphaned [[deer|fawn]]. Penny permits it but warns Jody that the fawn will have to be set free when it grows up.

When Jody goes to ask his friend Fodderwing, the youngest Forrester son, to name the fawn he discovers that Fodderwing has died. However, Buck Forrester tells Jody that Fodderwing had said that if he had a fawn he would name him Flag. Jody and his family attend Fodderwing's funeral, and at a generous request from the Forresters, Penny offers a eulogy about Fodderwing's kindness and wisdom with animals.

As months pass, Jody and Flag become inseparable. One year later, Flag has grown up and become a nuisance to the household and farm; causing damage to  the farm and crops. After Penny is injured while trying to clear another field to make up for lost crops, Penny tells Jody that he and his mother have agreed that for Jody to keep Flag, he must replant lost corn, and build a taller fence around the cornfield.

Jody works hard and even receives help from Ora with the fence, but during the night, Flag manages to jump the new fence and destroy the new corn. Penny orders Jody to take the deer out into the woods and shoot it. Jody takes Flag out but does not have the heart to kill it.  He orders the deer to go away and never return, but Flag comes back to their property, and again devours the corn crop. Ora shoots Flag with a [[double-barreled shotgun]], discharging one of the barrels, but only wounding the deer. Penny orders Jody to put the deer out of its "torment". Rather than let his pet deer suffer an agonizing death, he follows his father's orders and kills Flag with the remaining shell.

The loss of Jody's beloved pet deer proves too much for him to handle. Overwhelmed with anger and despair, Jody runs away from home. Three days later, he is unconscious and adrift on the river in a canoe when he is rescued by a friendly boat captain, who returns him home. Jody and Penny quickly reconcile, but Ora is still out searching for him.

Just before Jody goes to bed, Ora returns and sees that he is back. She becomes filled with joy, knowing that her fear of losing her last child is now over. She happily runs into Jody's room and showers him with more affection than she ever has before. She is no longer afraid to show her maternal love to him.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/2523/the-yearling#synopsis |title=The Yearling (1947) – Full Synopsis |publisher=Turner Classic Movies |access-date=December 18, 2012}}</ref>
[[File:Theyearlingtrailentrance2006.jpg|right|thumb|Trailhead of The Yearling Trail]]