Copper Sun: Chapter 34 Summary & Analysis

Amari isn’t able to catch any more fish. Polly and Tidbit seem to have recovered from the mayapples, but Amari still feels nauseous and dizzy often. The forest begins to thin, which makes traveling unnoticed difficult. One evening, Amari stumbles over a log. While she’s on the ground, she looks under the log and finds a bunch of bugs. She grabs a handful of grubs, says they’re safe to eat, and tells Tidbit that they taste like chicken. Surprisingly, they join her in eating some. They continue to walk, occasionally crossing streams that yield crabs or clams. No one seems to be after them, and Amari wonders if Cato was right.

One morning, Tidbit cries out that Hushpuppy is gone. Amari and Polly assure him that Hushpuppy is just hunting mice and will come back soon. However, Hushpuppy hasn’t returned by evening. Tidbit refuses to go, but the girls insist he come. It starts to feel like rain, which both Amari and Polly are thrilled about—but Tidbit wails that Hushpuppy won’t find him now. Amari picks Tidbit up and carries him, wondering if they’re just going in circles. When she’s totally exhausted, they come upon a cave and decide it’s probably safe to start a fire. Amari mimics Mother’s way of starting a fire, but she realizes she’s never had to start one from scratch. After a while, smoke finally rises from the twigs and leaves.

Amari feels weak and dizzy. She suggests they use the gun for food, but Polly reminds her that they might miss and someone could hear them. Tidbit falls asleep in Amari’s arms and Amari sits close to Polly. She remembers the cooking fires from home and can almost smell fish stew. Suddenly, she hears an animal outside the cave and grabs Polly’s arm. They can’t tell what it is and they don’t have enough wood to keep the fire going—or a stick to defend themselves. The animal creeps forward and leaps over the dying fire. The girls scream, but Tidbit wakes up—it’s Hushpuppy with a fat rabbit in his mouth. Amari skins the rabbit while the others gather wood and they cook the rabbit on the fire. When they’re full, Amari holds Tidbit close and remembers her mother. Then, she focuses on what’s ahead.