My Side of the Mountain

One morning Sam encounters a young raccoon that he calls Jessie Coon James. (It is not until later in the story that Sam realizes Jessie Coon James is a female raccoon rather than a male.) Feeling sorry for the scrawny and cross-eyed critter, Sam invites Jessie Coon James into his tree home and feeds her. Jessie proves useful for Sam and Frightful, as she’s the best at digging up mussels. Sam notes that Frightful had become an expert hunter by this time, particularly of small game like rabbits and pheasants. This help allows Sam time to concoct interesting beverages using the roots of trees, such as sassafras and pennyroyal.

Sam and Frightful receive a momentary scare as they hear police sirens not far from their camp. The sirens go away quickly, though shortly afterward Sam notices a man sleeping. Rather than hide like he’d conditioned himself to do any time another human came around, Sam suddenly feels a desire to see another person and walks over to the sleeping man.

Because of the police sirens, Sam convinces himself that the sleeping man could be an outlaw, a thought that seemingly piques Sam’s curiosity further. Sam wakes up the man and briefly talks to him before extending an invitation for the man to come to Sam’s tree house and enjoy a meal of venison.