“Chapter 10” of A Single Shard begins with the author, Linda Sue Park, placing Tree-ear on the sixth day of his journey. Strategically, Tree-ear counts the days by making marks on his jiggeh. Every morning Tree-ear fulfills his morning routine of rising, washing in the stream, eating one of Ajima’s rice cakes, and finding a shady spot to rest and drink from the gourd. In addition to the rice cakes, Ajima had given him a haversack of food. At this time, Tree-ear is taking the time to be appreciative of his journey so far. No mishap had befallen him or his cargo. The journey has been very prosperous, therefore, Tree-ear’s trepidation has mounted. Once he was on the mountain path, he began to feel more and more at ease. Although the mountains were unfamiliar, the maple, oak, and wild plum trees reminded him of home. Finding ways to occupy his mind, Tree-ear found himself identifying the birds that he was seeing, and naming the plants that he recognized. As the day went by, he made accommodations in the forest for the night. Across a stream there were …show more content…
Tree-ear remembered one of Craneman’s insightful quotes. “Two things a man never grows tired of watching, fire and falling water. Always the same, yet always changing,” Tree-ear heard Crane-man say in his mind. As the darkness grew, Tree-ear began to fall asleep. Suddenly, he jerked wide awake, for he had heard a noise that was not of the fire. Nonetheless, Tree-ear knew that a creature was moving through the forest, nevertheless, he could not find out what it was. Notwithstanding his fear, he managed to quickly shove the jiggeh into the opening of the boulders and wiggle himself inside. Spontaneously, the creature appeared, it was a fox. Demoralized, Tree-ear’s steadfastness causes him to become unable to come from between the boulders. Daring not to move, he manages to find rest in this detrimental and perilous