At what moment do Wol and Weeps rise in Billy’s estimation and move from “pet” to “family” status? Support your answer by analyzing key examples from the text.

What do the final lines of the story reveal about Billy’s character growth since the beginning of the novel? Identify at least two specific attributes that his experiences have allowed him to gain.

Billy overhears his mom saying “until a woman had tried to bake a cake, with two horned owls looking over her shoulders, she hadn’t really lived at all” (76). What does this statement reveal about her role in the family and her attitude toward Billy’s tendency to collect wild animals as pets and companions?