Chapter 24 Summary

The inevitable result of Cosimo's unforeseen abandonment by his dear Viola is that Cosimo takes leave of his senses for a time. He dresses himself in furs and elaborate head dresses like the "American aborigines" and takes on the mannerisms and bodily feathery coverings of the birds that surround him, boasting of riches when he is able to pull a worm with his teeth. He even becomes an outspoken advocate and ambassador for the birds, and people gather below while birds gather around to hear him speak. He also takes to hanging pages of poetry, women's clothes and various tools and other random objects from the trees. Finally, he put into simplistic publication a periodical entitled the Bipeds Monitor, full of the imprints of spiders and lizards that got on the page as it was being stamped.

When winter falls, he confines himself...