Sam encountered some animals more than others, and he named a few select ones that were his favorites. Frightful, of course, was his trained falcon. The Baron was a weasel who seemed to think he owned the whole area. Jessie Coon James was a raccoon who liked to steal food. Jessie turned out to be a she-Jessie and had a litter of kits the following spring. The chattering chickadees were Mr. Bracket, Mrs. O’Brien, Mrs. Callaway, and Mrs. Federico. Barometer was a nuthatch. Sam considered these animals his closest friends.

Of course, Sam saw many more animals than just these few. He mentions a crow and a great horned owl. He regularly caught and ate frogs, turtles, crayfish, rabbits, and deer. You will find even more animals mentioned in two key chapters: “In Which We All Learn About Halloween” (Chapter 14); and “In Which I Learn About Birds and People” (Chapter 18).