FREE ONLINE PLOT SUMMARY - ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS

CHAPTER 10

Summary

Seasons passed and slowly Karana realized that the ship would not be returning to her. Loneliness overtook her. Karana decided to take a canoe and travel to the place to which Kimki had traveled the place from which their ancestors had come. She went to where the canoes were stored and found that they were still stocked with provisions. She decided to take the smallest canoe because it would be the easiest to handle, the easiest to maneuver into the water. She filled the water basket with fresh water.

As soon as she had the canoe in the water, she left on her voyage. Karana removed the water that splashed into the canoe. But, after a while she noticed that water was getting into the canoe through a hole in it. Then she noticed another hole. She was still closer to her island than she was to her destination. She decided to go back. A swarm of dolphins followed Karana as she returned to the island. This made her happy because dolphins, to her, were a good sign. As morning came she saw the island before her. Before noon she was home, lying on the sand.

Notes

Karana was brave to consider setting out in a canoe and traveling so far. And, she was wise to return when returning was the better choice.

CHAPTER 11

Summary

Although she had not reached her destination, Karana was happy to be home. As she approached the island, she had planned to repair the canoe and leave again. But, now she was inexplicably happy to be back on the island and she knew that she would not leave again.

As she accepted the idea that the island was to be her home, she knew that she needed to build a place that sheltered her from the wind. That became her next project. She analyzed what would be the best location for a permanent home. She wanted to be near a good source of water. She did not want to be near the site of the village, with its bad memories for her. She decided on a place near the sea elephants.

Notes

As she decided where to build her home, Karana knew that she was limited in what she could accomplish by what she herself could do. She had no one to help her. But, she was a very resourceful girl, as we learned when she maneuvered the canoe into the water in preparation for her voyage.

CHAPTER 12

Summary

Part of Karana's new home would be protected by a large rock, but she needed to build a fence for some of the perimeter. On the island were the ribs of two whales that had been washed up on the island in the past. Karana dug holes close to each other and put the whale ribs into the holes. The ribs were curved. She put them in the holes with the curves outward from the area she wanted to protect. That way, it would be more difficult, if not impossible, for any creature to get in. She bound the ribs together with strong kelp. The entrance of the fence was a hole under it. That hole could be covered with a flat rock so that no dogs or red foxes could get through.

Karana had difficulty finding enough suitable trees for her walls. She only needed two walls. The rock made one wall and she left one side open, the side where there was no problem with wind. Between the skinny trees that she bound together with sinew for her walls and roof she put broad leafed kelp.

Preparing the house took much time, but, finally it was as she wanted it. Then it was time to make weapons for the day she would kill the wild dogs. She already had a spear and a bow with arrows. She felt that she needed a heavier spear and a larger bow with sharper arrows. Just as collecting what was needed to build the house took much time, finding the right material for making these weapons also took much time.

At night for light to work by, Karana burned small dried fish. She called the small fish sai-sai. The way she describes them makes them seem similar to grunion. On nights with a full moon, the sai-sai come onshore in large numbers and cover the sand.

As Karana worked on her new weapons, she decided that the spear would benefit by having the tooth of a bull sea elephant. She did not know if she could succeed in killing a bull sea elephant because they were as heavy as thirty men. But, she was determined to try.

Notes

Karana shows a determination and willingness to test herself that is admirable.