Student Question
What happened when Sam noticed his trained falcon was sick in My Side of the Mountain?
Quick answer:
When Sam noticed his trained falcon, Frightful, was sick, he discovered that the lack of proper ventilation in his tree-room was the cause. The fireplace he built consumed all the oxygen, leaving Frightful affected by carbon dioxide fumes. Realizing this, Sam quickly opened the flap to let in cold air and later knocked out knotholes in the walls to improve ventilation. This incident highlights Sam's continuous problem-solving efforts while living in the wilderness.
Sam Gribley has successfully run away from home and is living off the land in the Catskill Mountains. He trains a falcon to help him hunt small animals for food. He names her Frightful. In the 13th chapter, titled “In Which The Autumn Provides Food and Loneliness,” Sam figures out a way to heat his tree-room: by adding a homemade fireplace. When Frightful begins to act as if she’s been drugged to an unconscious state, Sam realizes with alarm that he didn’t allow for proper ventilation. The fire was using up all the oxygen inside the tree, and the falcon was being affected by the carbon dioxide fumes. Sam opens the flap to let cold air in. Later he knocks out additional knotholes in the wooden walls to solve this problem. It seems as though he is always being challenged to figure out solutions to problems.
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