James Hurst suggests in “The Scarlet Ibis” that the narrator sees the end of summer as likely to bring a valuable reward. The idea that summer will end with the discovery of a pot of gold also implies that the summer is not as enjoyable as its end is anticipated to be.

The anticipated reward is phrased as a simile, a comparison of unlike things for effect using “like” or “as.” This comparison suggests that the anticipated reward is a fantasy rather than likely to occur in real life. In Irish folklore, the imaginary being called the leprechaun is the guardian of a pot of gold at the rainbow’s end. The implicit reference to the rainbow further suggests that the summer does have some enjoyable qualities, like the bright colors that one sees in the sky after a rain.

Throughout the story, the first-person narrator refers several times to the seasons of summer and autumn. He twice mentions summer as being “dead” and autumn not having appeared as the period when most of the story is set. This timing is significant, because in the fall, the narrator’s younger brother, nicknamed Doodle, will start school. The successful end to the older brother’s campaign would be Doodle’s ability to run, which would build on his earlier success in learning to walk.