The Red Pony by John Steinbeck is a collection of four coming-of-age stories first published between 1933 and 1936, later compiled as a novella in 1937 and included in The Long Valley (1945). Set on the Tiflin Ranch in California’s Salinas Valley, the stories follow young Jody Tiflin as he learns painful lessons about life, death, and maturity. In “The Gift,” Jody receives a red pony named Gabilan, whose illness and death mark his first confrontation with mortality. “The Great Mountains” explores Jody’s longing for adventure and his encounter with an aging wanderer, Gitano. In “The Promise,” Jody anticipates the birth of a colt, only to witness Billy Buck sacrifice the mare to save the foal. The final story, “The Leader of the People,” highlights generational tensions and Jody’s growing empathy as he listens to his grandfather’s tales of westward expansion. The novella explores themes of growing up, the bond between humans and nature, and the emotional distances between adults and children. Steinbeck also wrote the screenplay for the 1949 film adaptation, with another adaptation released in 1973.