In My Side of the Mountain, why is the weasel named "The Baron"?
While living in the woods, Sam befriends several animals who live in the area. He and the animals maintain a healthy respect for each other, since Sam knows that wild animals can be dangerous and the animals understand how humans catch and kill them. One of these friends is a weasel who lives behind a large boulder near Sam's hollow tree. The weasel is not afraid of Sam, but playful, and with the others, gives Sam an outlet for conversation so he can keep his sanity. Sam calls the weasel "Baron" because he is dignified and protective of his habitat; the weasel also seems to live in harmony with the other animals, and because of the large boulder, almost has a protecting castle over his den.
...he darted right to my knee, put his broad furry paws on my pants, and looked be right in the face. I shall never...
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forget the fear and wonder that I felt at the bravery of that weasel.
[...]
Presently, down he climbed, as stately as royalty... And so the Baron and I met for the first time, and it was the beginning of a harassing but wonderful friendship.
(George, My Side of the Mountain, Amazon.com)
Some of the other characters meet the Baron Weasel and are enamored with his unafraid and playful nature. Sam also views the weasel as a sort of monitor for the safety of the woods; when the Baron hides, Sam knows that there is something either dangerous or unusual around that his human sense can't perceive.
In "My Side of the Mountain," who is The Baron?
The answer to this question can be found in the chapter entitled "In Which I Learn to Season My Food." When Sam checks a trap that he laid to see if he has caught anything he can eat, he discovers that he has struck lucky, and there is an animal moving around in it. As he opens it carefully, a weasel shoots out before Sam can try to stop him. Note how the weasel responds to being caught in Sam's trap:
He popped up about five feet away and stood on his hind feet to lecture me again. I said, "Scat!" so he darted right to my knee, put his broad furry paws on my pants, and looked me in the face. I shall never forget the fear and wonder that I felt at the bravery of that weasel. He stood his ground and berated me. I could see by the flashing of his eyes and the curl of his lip that he was furious at me for trapping him. He couldn't talk, but I knew what he meant.
Thus Sam meets The Baron, which is the name that he gives to the weasel that lives very close to his tree. The Baron is distinguished above all else by his curious lack of fear in the presence of humans. The Baron, like other animals, becomes a kind of companion and friend to Sam during his self-imposed exile from humanity.