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Doodle is Born
When "Brother" was six Doodle was born. He was a considered a disappointment because of his poor health. Almost no one thought he would survive to the extent that there was even a small coffin built for him. -
Doodle is Two Years Old
Doodle's brother realizes that Doodle IS "all there" when Doodle smiles at him. This is ironic because the brother had plans to smother him with a pillow and kill him. Doodle learns how to crawl and it is when his original name (William Armstrong) is changed to Doodle by his brother. He thought that the name William was only a name for smart people and that people wouldn't expect anything from a boy named Doodle. -
Doodle's Brother Sets Out to Teach Him How To Walk at Old Woman Swamp
When Doodle's brother first tells him that he was going to teach him how to walk his first reaction was why. His brother answered that it was so he wouldn't have to haul him around all the time. Doodle then told his brother that he couldn't because everyone would tell him that he couldn't. He helped Doodle stand up and would fall but his brother was persistent. They practiced for weeks and soon Doodle could
stand alone for a few seconds, but they wouldn't tell anyone till he could walk. -
Doodles Brother Takes on the Responsibility to Teach Him More
Doodle and his brother had bonded over the last few months thinking about and discussing thier futures. Winter goes by with Doodle suffering from many colds and when spring arrives Doodle's brother begins teaching him how to swim, climb trees and fight. He made him swim until he turned blue. row until he couldn't lift an oar and would purposely walk fast wherever they went. He told Doodle that if he didn't learn, he would be different from all the boys at school who would know these things. -
Doodle's Sixth Birthday
Doodle and his brother suprise the family on his sixth birthday when he shows them he can walk. Doodle told everyone that his brother had taught him. However his brother was crying through all this because he knew he did it out of his own pride, only because he was ashamed of having a crippled brother. -
Doodle Dies
Doodle's brother becomess tired and goes back to look for Doodle. He finds him huddle beneath a bush beside the road. He laid lifeless but graceful, similar to the Scarlet Ibis he had just buried. -
The Storm
After lunch, Doodle and his brother went to Horsehead landing; another swamp. A storm was moving in and Doodle was frightened. The brother started walking back. However the faster he walked, the faster Doodle walked, so he began to run. Doodle had fallen behind and started shouting for his brother. But his brother still continued to run and ignored him. Soon, his brother couldn’t even hear Doodle. -
A Dead Scarlet Ibis Is Discovered
Doodle and his family were having lunch when they were interrupted. A big red bird had ended up in thier yard because of a hurricane. It fell from thier tree, but even when dead it lay with grace and everyone was awed by its beauty. Doodle immediately feels a connection with the bird is buries it.
