![]() Saidu continues to faint, and the boys decide to rest one day in the village so that he can recover. The marketplace is running, and people are dancing in the streets. When he wakes, they help him to a nearby village and are surprised to see how crowded and lively the village is. Later, Saidu falls ill and can't respond. Along the way, a crow falls from the sky, which they consider a bad omen, but they are hungry enough to eat the bird. They tell stories to each other and Ishmael recalls his name-giving ceremony. They sleep during the day in shifts so that someone is always on guard against attacks. The boys continue moving, walking at night and hunting for food during the day. The tales are horrific, including accounts of slaughter, torture, and rape, and Ishmael realizes why they so often rely on silence to protect themselves from their past. In this chapter, each of the other boys - Musa, Alhaji, Kanei, Jumah, Moriba, and Saidu - share their stories of the rebels attacking their village. They choose not to harm the dog, but they realize that the day may come when they will be desperate enough to do something completely uncustomary, like eat dog meat for survival. ![]() The meat is stolen and eaten by a stray dog and the boys blame each other. In one village, they are allowed to take part in a festival and given a bag of dried meat when they leave the next morning. They sleep a night, forage for food, and move on. Ishmael and the boys travel from village to village, often finding them abandoned. His thoughts return constantly to his family and his longing to see them and know their fate. He treasures the few moments of joy that bring relief from his constant sorrow. He worries that each time he faces death, a part of him dies a little. Ishmael's journey to survive continues in a state of misery.
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