Chapter Thirteen Synopsis of Discussion
Week of September 30, 2007
Chapter 13 – Homeless Again
Miss Hickory has left her home in search of materials for a new spring wardrobe. She is happy. She loves her nest and realizes it is much nicer than her corncob house. However, disaster strikes as when she returns home, she finds it has been taken over by Robin and his family. She demands her home back but Robin says it is his. He supplied the twigs, he made it strong -- Miss Hickory is the one who stole it and lived in it. Miss Hickory knows he is right. She argues that she cleaned it. He tells her she paid no rent. He said the proper name for a person like her who settles into an empty nest that she did not build was “Cow Bird!” That sounded shameful to Miss Hickory. She was grief stricken as she realized all was lost: her view of Temple Mountain, the stars at night, the forest by day, her apple-tree housekeeping and, most of all, her safety.
Miss Hickory tried again and suggested Robin build a new nest. That didn’t work. Miss Hickory thought to herself that maybe after Robin and his family left the nest, she could move back in. But Robin was nasty. He flew at her pecking and told her to go away and don’t dare come up the tree again.
Miss Hickory felt really hopeless for the first time in her life. She didn’t feel Crow would help her as she should be able to settle her own affairs. Chipmunk would live in the ruins of the corncob house. Mr. T. Willard-Brown was too busy in the barn and too selfish to help. (Miss Hickory is proud and stubborn. I am sure if she asked her friends, they would help her out in some way.)
All of a sudden Miss Hickory had a plan. She hadn’t heard Squirrel
scampering about in his hole in the apple tree. She decided his home would be
a pleasant home for her, cool in summer and cozy next winter. She peered into
the hole, listened and stepped in to the darkness of Squirrel’s home.
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Poor Miss Hickory, out in the cold again. I'm not convinced that taking
over Squirrel's home is a good move either!
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Poor Miss Hickory! Just when things are looking up--she is finally happy with her nest, and has redone the inside--Robin has to come along.
And she is still quite vain! Nice foreshadowing, though, talking about how limber she is, and how plump her legs are. hehe!!
This chapter has a lot of action--and Miss Hickory is once again plunged into homelessness. But as we saw with her fixing up the nest after winter and making herself a new outfit, and also thinking about teaching--she is becoming quite self-sufficient. Her character is growing. Although, after her remarks to Crow about bathing, perhaps she has a way to go.