It’s a night of eating, dancing, and storytelling. His community holds a feast, and Matt is invited. Attean quickly kills it with arrows and a knife.
On a hike, Matt and Attean encounter a large, angry bear. He also discloses that he tells his community Matt’s stories. Attean says his people have a tale similar to Noah’s ark, about a flood. They discover a fox in a leg trap Attean says the colonists ensnare creatures for their hides, which has caused important animal populations to decline.Īfter finishing Robinson Crusoe, Matt and Attean work through the most exciting Bible stories. Attean also shows Matt how to build his own bow and arrows for hunting.Īttean brings Matt to a beaver dam that’s under the protection of his people, and the latter begins to learn the hunting territories of the various local clans. In return, Attean teaches Matt basic skills for living in the forest: how to catch prey with snares, start campfires with ordinary stones, make hooks for fishing, mark trails, and find herbs. In exchange for food, Matt agrees to instruct Attean in reading English.Īttean doesn’t want lessons but enjoys listening to the book Robinson Crusoe. He’s saved by two Penobscot males, Saknis and his grandson Attean. Hungry for something other than fish, Matt tries to steal honey from a beehive, but the bees attack and nearly kill him.
Almost all the flour is gone, and there’s no more molasses or salt. Some days later, when returning from fishing, Matt finds that the cabin has been ransacked by a bear. In the morning, Ben is gone, and Matt’s rifle is missing. Matt obliges him, and the man, Ben, sleeps on the cabin floor that night. One day, a scruffy man appears and asks for a meal. It’s the summer of 1768, and Matt finds he loves the solitude as he hunts for food with the rifle given to him by his father, does household chores, and listens to the sounds of animals around him. Twelve-year-old Matt Hallowell must guard a cabin in the forests of Maine for several weeks while his father goes to fetch the rest of their family. This guide is based on the ebook version of the original 1983 edition. This guide also uses “Indian” when included in certain names (e.g., The French and Indian War Penobscot Indian Island Reservation). This study guide quotes the term “Indian” to follow the book’s terminology. Please note: The novel uses the term “Indian” to refer to Indigenous people.
Overall, Speare’s work received two Newbery Medals and a Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal (now the Children’s Literature Legacy Award). The Sign of the Beaver won a Newbery Honor and was made into a film for television called Keeping the Promise in 1997.
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