Dour Davie's Drive
The story revolves around Davie, a young Scottish Highlander who becomes obsessed with acquiring a horse and cart to improve his family's economic situation. He works tirelessly to save money and eventually buys a horse named Dour, which he trains diligently. As Davie's entrepreneurial spirit grows, he starts a successful transportation business, earning the respect of his community.
By Edward William Thomson · First published 1893 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Drama · 4,392 words
First lines
Pinnager was on snow-shoes, making a bee-line toward his field of sawlogs dark on the ice of Wolverine River. He crossed shanty roads, trod heaps of brush, forced his way through the tops of felled pines, jumped from little crags into seven feet of snow -- Pinnager's men called him "a terror on snow-shoes. " They never knew the direction from which he might come -- an ignorance which kept them all busy with axe, saw, cant-hook, and horses over the two square miles of forest comprising his "cut."
What this Textopian page supports
Dour Davie's Drive is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edward William Thomson, dated 1893 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Edward William Thomson
- Date: 1893 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Drama, Literary Fiction, Romance
- Length: 4,392 words
- Structure: 1 section, 97 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Dour Davie's Drive by Edward William Thomson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Dour Davie's Drive?
- How does this short story by Edward William Thomson fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Historical Fiction first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — The plot is set in a specific historical period with accurate historical details.
- Adventure — The narrative focuses on exciting and risky undertakings.
- Drama — The story involves intense character development and emotional themes.
- Literary Fiction — The writing style emphasizes complex characters and thematic depth.
Tags
Adventure · Canadian Literature · Historical Fiction · 19th Century · Pioneer Life · Settler Stories · Frontier Tales · Wild West · Exploration · Discovery · Travelogue · Memoir