Daniel Ponder

Daniel Ponder is the main character of this story. He is Edna Earle's uncle and Sam Ponder's son. Daniel's parents have him very late in life and for this reason he is very pampered and indulged. He is only slightly older than his niece, Edna Earle. From his actions in the novel, Daniel appears to have some sort of mild mental retardation. He is able to function in life, but doesn't seem to understand the way that life works. He loves to talk to people and tell his stories. Daniel also loves to give things away, even things that don't belong to him. For this reason, Daniel is a great burden to his father. Grandpa Ponder, as Edna Earle calls him, is afraid that Daniel will give away property or something else important.

The basis of the story lies in Daniel's habit of giving things away. In...