The Sign of the Beaver: Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

Matt can’t stop thinking about the “bee tree,” a tree that he and his father found on the edge of a pond where some bees are nesting in a woodpecker hole. Matt’s father told Matt to leave them alone, but Matt craves something sweet (his mother knows he loves sweets, which is why she sent Matt with the keg of molasses). Deciding it’s worth it to get stung if he can taste some honey, Matt plans to climb the tree and take a cupful of honey. The tree is easy to climb, and the bees don’t seem to care when he reaches their hole. However, when Matt breaks off some wood to make the hole bigger, the bees attack. They sting him everywhere they can.

In a panic, Matt somehow gets down from the tree and races for the pond, shouting. He loses a boot in the mud and trips over roots, but he throws himself into the water. Matt comes up for air twice, but the bees are still there, circling. He can’t swim out farther because his legs are tangled in weeds, and when he tries to pull free, his leg feels like it’s on fire. Then, suddenly, someone lifts him, and strong arms carry him. Matt thinks it’s his father, though he knows this can’t be. The person puts Matt down and through his swollen eyelids, Matt sees that it’s two Native Americans—a man and a boy.

The man (later revealed to be Saknis) reaches for Matt’s throat, causing Matt to panic. But the man explains that he must get the bee stingers out, as they have poison in them. To Matt’s surprise, the man’s hands are gentle, and Matt’s panic slowly disappears. Still, Matt can’t think clearly. He can’t say anything when the man lifts him like a baby and carries him to the cabin, settling Matt in his own bed. A while later, the man returns with some bitter medicine that he helps Matt drink. Matt then falls asleep.