Maggie ventures into Wildoak forest and finds the enormous ancient oak that, unbeknownst to her, is Rumpus’s recently vacated sleeping spot. She climbs up into the tree and sits dangling her feet over the hollow in its center, feeling strangely connected to the old oak, as if it were another living being. When she begins worrying again about being sent to Granville, she has the strange sensation that the tree is somehow speaking to her, telling her “Be gentle with yourself. It is hard to be human” (81).

However, Maggie is suddenly spooked by a snapping sound and a rippling motion at the clearing’s edge. She hurries out of Wildoak and back to Fred’s house. She finds that Fred has left her a plate of her favorite sandwiches and a note asking her to come find him, saying he has something to show her. She finds him in the shed that he uses as a workshop, and he proudly shows her one of his inventions: a sled pieced together from bike, car, and other parts. Fred takes Maggie out to try out the sled. The downhill run is terrifyingly fast but thrilling, and Maggie rides the sled over and over again.