The Bone Sparrow: Chapter 4 Summary & Analysis

When Subhi tells Eli what Queeny said about the sparrow, Eli scoffs: tents and houses aren’t the same thing. But since Subhi has only ever lived in a tent, he isn’t sure Eli is right. Subhi tells the Shakespeare duck too, and it asks Subhi to find him someone nice to take care of him when Subhi dies. Subhi says that nobody else will talk to a rubber duck, so the duck is coming with him if he dies. The duck is quiet after this. Subhi then tells Harvey, but he just wants to know what Subhi is doing to attract birds—they have a bad enough rat problem. Subhi doesn’t tell Maá, just in case she believes Queeny. It feels like now, the sparrows are always watching him.

Subhi and Eli are walking the fences when a sparrow hops right up to Subhi. Eli scoffs when Subhi points it out and says they have to get to work—Subhi has to earn his shoes. (Subhi has one of the 14 pairs of real shoes in the camp, though they’re still too big.) Eli and Subhi “run packages,” which means they run all over the camp trading supplies, and Subhi needs real shoes to do it. Eli keeps a list in his head of who’s trading shirts for flip-flops, or a mosquito stick for toothpaste, so nobody can find a written list and get them in trouble. Eli gives Subhi toothpaste, extra underwear, and pads for Maá and Queeny as compensation. Eli and Subhi know all the weak spots in the fences and the places the cameras can’t see. From Family Compound, they can pass supplies to every compound in the place except for Beta. Beta is where the Jackets put people they think are “trouble,” and the Jackets there have dogs. Those people live alone in containers and only get two walks outside per day.

Eli moves the stash almost weekly to avoid trouble with the Jackets. This week, it’s under the trash behind the kitchens. The rats glare at Eli and Subhi when they come to gather items. Eli hands Subhi a shirt, which has something hard and mysterious wrapped in it. It’s for Pietre in Alpha. The toothpaste from Pietre will then go to someone in Family Two. Eli says that Subhi will bring back a mosquito stick from Family Two—and Subhi, his “little bruda,” should watch his back. Eli used to have an actual little brother, and he keeps his little brother’s glove in his pocket for luck.

Subhi pokes at whatever’s wrapped in the shirt; Eli never opens packages, so it’s anyone’s guess what it is. He approaches the fence with Alpha and whistles. Pietre heads Subhi’s direction when suddenly, he stops and shakes his head. The scared look on Pietre’s face says there’s a Jacket behind Subhi. Slowly, Subhi turns and can tell immediately that it’s Beaver. Queeny was right, and the sparrow was a sign of death. Subhi is going to die.