Summary

In Chapter 16, Rumpus wakes when Maggie splashes water on his face. He is in pain, but his paw is now out of the trap and wrapped in a bandage. Maggie tilts a bucket of water toward him, and Rumpus begins drinking. He senses that she is not a threat. Nevertheless, he does not want her to touch him. She calls out as he walks away. He makes it back to the oak in the clearing. He struggles to climb into the hollow because of his bad foot. He manages to get the bandage off and licks the wound. He wakes to the sound of something clattering against the oak tree. He raises his head and sees the girl. Rumpus detects a smell like meat. The girl leaves a pheasant on a plate. Rumpus decides it is “not as good as meatballs, but better...