Questions and Answers about Ginger Pye

Why does Rachel always say that Boston is more important than New York?

It sounds more important…At the beginning of the story Jerry wonders if Gracie, the family cat, would be jealous if he got a puppy. He asks his sister Rachel which was more important: a dog or a cat. Jerry and rachel often had these kind of discussions. One question they ask each other is “Which city is more important: Bpston or New York?” They live in town of Cranberry, which is between Boston and New York.

What is unsual about the puppy Jerry wants? The puppy doesn’t have a tail…Jerry tells Rachel that the dog he wants to buy from the Speedy’s barn had his tail cut off. Mama explains how fox terriers will be more beautiful if they don’t have tails.

What does Sam Doody ask Jerry and Rachel to do for him? Dust the church pews. The next day Jerry tries to find a way to earn a dollar to buy his dog. That afternoon the Pye’s neighbour, Sam Doody, comes over. He asks Rachel and Jerry to dust the church pews for him. It was Sam’s job, but he had to buy new suit that day.H says he will pay them a a dollar if they accept. Jerry, Rachel, and their three-year old Uncle Bennie have fun dusting the pews by sliding Bennie back and forth on the pews with a dust cloth tied around his waist. Later, Rachel climbs into Reverand Gandy’s pulpit and gives an immitation sermon. She stops when she thinks she sees the Reverand in the doorway, for fear she will be cast out of church.

What happens at the Speedy's farm right after Rachel and Jerry buy their puppy?

Jerry sees a man with a yellow hat running up the hill.. Just as they as leaving, Jerry notices a man with a yellow hat running up the hill. He thinks it is just someone coming to get milk. That night Jerry and Rachel hear footsteps behind them all the way home. Jerry tells his sister to sit on the curb in front of Judge Ball's house so the stranger can pass and they can be safe. The mysterious follower never shows. Whilst waiting for someone to come along whom they can walk beside to go home, Sam Doody comes up the street. He follows Jerry and Rachel the rest of the way. 

Who comes up with the name Ginger for the puppy?

Mama. Rachel rushes home from Sunday school hoping the others had not already named the puppy. Mama suggests the name Ginger, since it shares a similar colour, and it "acts like ginger", as she says. 

What does Ginger bring to Jerry at school?

Pencil. Ginger wonders where Jerry goes during the day. Ginger sees all of the children leaving home in the morning and is curious as to where they are. Ginger decides to find out, and traces Jerry scent throughout the neighbourhood, and into the woods. There Ginger find one of Jerry's pencils, and suspects that his young master has been climbing in the tree nearby. Next Ginger follows the scent to a candy store. Even though Jerry is not there, Ginger finds a paper from a piece of candy that Jerry had eaten. Finally Ginger tracks the smell to the school. Ginger climbs up the fire escape with Jerry's pencil, and goes into the window. Ginger finds Jerry and many other children. 

When did Ginger disappear?

Thanksgiving. Ginger is taken when the family is eating Thanksgiving dinner. Jerry and Rachel start going on searches every day trying to locate their dog. 

Why couldn't Jerry, Rachel, Dick, and Uncle Bennie enter Judges' Cave on West Rock?

There was a gate around it.. By the next spring, Ginger has still not been found. Jerry and Rachel had been to the police, asked all the neighbours, and even climbed to the top of East Rock in search of their dog. The family decides to go on a picnic on West Rock. One of the most famous places on West Rock is Judges' Cave, which is the spot that hid three on-the-run judges in the 19th century. Jerry and Rachel, Dick Badger, and Uncle Bennie have hopes of finding Ginger in the cave. Whilst the family is preparing the food, they find the remains of Judges' Cave. It is fenced off, with a very noticeable "Do Not Enter" sign on the gate. In disappointment, they return to the family. Papa tells them that Judges' Cave had been fenced off to keep artifact hunters from chipping it away. He also tells them that the cave had fallen in, so they probably couldn't have entered anyway. 

Who finds Ginger?

Uncle Bennie. On Jerry's birthday, he and Rachel go down near the train station to pick strawberries. Afterwards, they stand in the station and watch the Banker's Express go by. But to their surprise, the train headed for New York, stops. On the back of the last car is Wally Bullwinkle, a rude boy from Jerry's class. Wally is also wearing a yellow hat! As the train resumes its travel, the yellow hat falls off. Sure enough, the hat has the red mark in it. Jerry and Rachel hurry towards home, but on their way, they meet the police chief. They ask him to search Wally's house for their dog. Inside the Bullwinkle's house, Jerry and Rachel find posters advertising dogs needed for circuses and vaudeville shows. In the back yard, there is a bitten-through rope tied to a dog house. The police chief says that he will have the passengers from the Banker's Express searched when the train reaches New York. Sadly, the children start heading for home, thinking they were that close to finding their dog. But when they reach their house, they find a grown fox terrior playing with Uncle Bennie in their yard. Bennie is excitedly shouting about how he found Ginger. When he and Grandma were walking to the Pye's house, a fox terrior ran up to them. Uncle Bennie kept insisting that it was Ginger. Earlier, on the trolley ride, they had seen Wally Bullwinkle and his father heading to the station. Ginger had been on the side of the road. Wally shouted "That's my dog!", but before he could get Ginger again, the trolley had left. Ginger had come to Uncle Bennie and Grandma, because he recognized the sqeaking of Bennie's wagon.