History Literature / StoneFox

* AdaptationalHeroism: In the movie, Stone Fox doesn’t punch Willy in the for face getting to close to his Samoyeds. Stone Fox also doesn’t threaten to shoot the other mushers if they dared to cross the finish line before Willy, yet they complied out of grief for the boy. He even gives him a female puppy after the loss of Searchlight/Morgan.

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* AdaptationalHeroism: In the movie, Stone Fox doesn’t punch Willy in the for getting to close to his Samoyeds. He even gives him a female puppy after the loss of Searchlight/Morgan.

* AdaptationDistillation: The MadeForTVMovie has a few small changes. Searchlight is now named Morgan, Grandpa suffers a stroke instead, Stone Fox simply tells Willy to win the race so that Searchlight/Morgan doesn't die in vain, and in a case of AdaptationExpansion, drops by Willy's house to give him a new puppy.

* BittersweetEnding: Willy presumably wins the money to save the farm and Grandfather gets better, but Searchlight is dead. The TV movie has Stone Fox leave Willy a new puppy for him.

* EyeScream: After being hit in the face for going too close to Stone Fox's dogs, one of Willy's eyes is swollen shut for the rest of the story.

* RealityEnsues: Searchlight may still have had her youthful energy, but her body was still old. And she had never been properly trained as a competitive racing dog. It's no surprise that her heart would give out under the intense strain.

Little Willy and his dog Searchlight live in Wyoming, and Little Willy's grandfather, though otherwise perfectly healthy, has come down with a bad case of losing-his-will-to-live. The reason? He owes the state $500 in taxes, and they're threatening to take away his farm. So Little Willy and Searchlight, despite having absolutely no training, decide to sign up for a sled dog race with $500 dollars as the prize money. Their main competitor is Stone Fox, a Native American man who [[never ever talks to white people and has never lost a race with his trusty Samoyeds. Little Willy and Searchlight place all their hopes of saving Grandpa's farm on the race!

Little Willy and his dog Searchlight live in Wyoming, and Little Willy's grandfather, though otherwise perfectly healthy, has come down with a bad case of losing-his-will-to-live. The reason? He owes the state $500 in taxes, and they're threatening to take away his farm. So Little Willy and Searchlight, despite having absolutely no training, decide to sign up for a sled dog race with $500 dollars as the prize money. Their main competitor is Stone Fox, [[MagicalNativeAmerican a Native American man who never ever talks to white people and has never lost a race with his trusty Samoyeds.]] Little Willy and Searchlight place all their hopes of saving Grandpa's farm on the race!

* AntagonistTitle: The book is named after the man Willy has to beat in order to win the race.

* BittersweetEnding: Willy presumably wins the money to save the farm and Grandfather gets better, but Searchlight is dead.

* DesignatedVillain: Though a JerkAss, the tax man is only doing his job.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: The bank manager who refuses to let Willy take out his college fund early and repeatedly expresses his doubts about Willy being able to save the farm/survive on his own, is only doing something he, understandably thinks is best.

DesignatedVillain: Though a JerkAss, the tax man is only doing his job.

[[DeusAngstMachina Searchlight dies of a heart attack just feet away from the finish line.]] Then Stone Fox draws a new line in the dirt, [[WhatTheHellHero pulls his gun on the rest of the racers and threatens to shoot them]] [[NoFairCheating if any of them cross this line]], [[PetTheDog and allows Little Willy to carry Searchlight's body the rest of the way to the finish line.]]

* DeathByNewberyMedal

* MagicalNativeAmerican: The Stone Fox of the title.

* PetTheDog: Stone Fox conceding his victory to Willy. In a more literal sense, he's very caring towards his sled dogs.
* RaisedByGrandparents: Or so it seems.

* OldDog: Subverted by Searchlight, who was born on the same day as the ten-year-old protagonist yet is still just as reliable and energetic as a much younger dog would be.

* DeathByDespair: Willy's grandfather is close to this, having lost the will to live when faced with the prospect of losing his farm over a hefty tax fine. Luckily, he recovers and is able to come to the race to cheer for Willy.

* PetTheDog: Stone Fox's concession of victory to Willy.

* OldDog: Searchlight, who was born on the same day as the ten-year-old protagonist.

[[DeusAngstMachina Searchlight dies of a heart attack a hundred feet away from the finish line.]] Then Stone Fox draws a new line in the dirt, [[WhatTheHellHero pulls his gun on the rest of the racers and threatens to shoot them]] [[NoFairCheating if any of them cross this line]], [[PetTheDog and allows Little Willy to carry Searchlight's body across it.]]

* TheRival: Stone Fox, again.

* DeathByDespair: Willy's grandfather is close to this, having lost the will to live over a hefty tax fine.

[[DeusAngstMachina Searchlight dies of a heart attack just before Willy crosses the finish line.]] [[WhatTheHellHero Then Stone Fox pulls his gun on the rest of the racers and threatens to shoot them]] [[NoFairCheating if any of them cross the finish line before Little Willy finishes carrying Searchlight's body across.]]

As the description suggests, this short novel (written in 1980 by John Reynolds Gardiner) is very much one of ''[[DeathByNewberyMedal those]]'' books. It was, however, very popular. It's been read by millions of children (and assigned reading in many schools), and had a 1987 MadeForTVMovie adaptation. Produced by HannaBarbera, no less.

* IAmNotShazam: Those who haven't read the book in a while tend to remember Stone Fox as being the name of the ''dog.'' No, she's Searchlight. Stone Fox is TheRival.