| "I have been wondering how you would perform out here, beyond the Twolegplace. We patrol this border frequently, so I have often seen you sitting on your boundary, staring out into the forest. And now, at last, you have dared to place your paws here. You do seem to have a natural hunting ability. Sharp eyes. You would have caught that mouse if you had not hesitated so long." |
| — Bluestar to Rusty in Into the Wild, page 18 |
- Below contains in-depth information for chapter one of Into the Wild. If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article.
- Chapter Number: 1 (of 25)
- Page Numbers: 7-19
Chapter description[]
- Rusty scents prey, ready to hunt it. He sees a mouse, crouches and jumps, but misses his target. He tries again, but misses once more. He finally has it in his claws, but a loud noise startles him, allowing the mouse to escape. The sound continues as he turns around. He then awakes from his dream of hunting, realizing the sound was his food being poured into his bowl. He recalls the dream as he lies in his bed; it is the third time the dream has reoccurred. Rusty then gets up, eats some of the bland food and makes his dirt in the garden. He sits atop one of the fence posts, ignoring his owners calling him inside; instead he looks out into the forest, wondering what is out there.
- Smudge, one of Rusty's kittypet friends, then calls out to Rusty, telling him not to go into the woods. Rusty says that he is just going for a look, but Smudge tells him it is dangerous. Smudge then goes on to tell Rusty about another of their kittypet friends, Henry, who is said to have gone into the woods. Smudge says that Henry told him that wildcats live in the forest, and that they eat bones. Rusty ignores his friend's advice and heads into the forest. He sees a mouse and starts to hunt it, but is suddenly aware of another creature near him. Seeing the red, bushy tail, Rusty watches with curiosity and completely forgets about the mouse he was hunting. Prowling forward, he detects another noise, but this time from behind him.
- He then gets ambushed by another animal, and Rusty realizes that he is in danger as the creature hits him with a strong body. Rusty and the unknown attacker tussle and after a brief fight, Rusty is able to briefly overpower his attacker and knock the breath out of him. Taking this moment, Rusty attempts to flee home, but is followed by the attacker. Tired, but not wanting to give up, Rusty turns to face his attacker and is greeted by another kitty with shaggy gray fur.
- The attacker introduces himself as Graypaw, a ThunderClan Apprenticeapprentice. Graypaw and Rusty then have a conversation, in which Graypaw tells Rusty about his Clan, ThunderClan. He uses words that are unfamiliar to Rusty, such as 'intruder' and 'Clan'. Rusty is confused as to why Graypaw would want to live in the forest, and suggests that he becomes a kittypet. Graypaw is shocked at the suggestion, but then realizes that Rusty has never eaten a mouse, and he thinks that Rusty would not understand why being a warrior is so important to him. Graypaw then tells Rusty to run, as some of the other cats from his Clan are coming.
- It is too late, however. Graypaw introduces the other cats as Bluestar, the leader of ThunderClan, and Lionheart, his mentor. Bluestar reveals that they had been watching the two young cats fight, and she was impressed by Rusty's hunting and fighting abilities. Lionheart then reminds her that Rusty is a kittypet, and that they should send him home. Rusty tells them that he has only come to hunt a mouse or two, sure that there is enough for all the cats in the forest. Bluestar then becomes enraged, telling him that there is never enough. Lionheart and Bluestar then advance on Rusty, and Rusty thinks that they may be about to finish him off.
Characters[]
Major[]
Minor[]
Mentioned[]
Important events[]
- Rusty meets the forest cats for the first time.[5]
Trivia[]
- This chapter aligns with part one of The Prophecies Begin, volume 1.[6]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Revealed in Into the Wild, page 7
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Revealed in Into the Wild, page 10
- ↑ Revealed in Into the Wild, page 12
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Revealed in Into the Wild, page 17
- ↑ Revealed in Into the Wild, page 14
- ↑ Revealed in The Prophecies Begin, page 6
| Into the Wild chapters | |
|---|---|
| Prologue • Chapter 1 • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3 • Chapter 4 • Chapter 5 • Chapter 6 • Chapter 7 • Chapter 8 • Chapter 9 • Chapter 10 • Chapter 11 • Chapter 12 • Chapter 13 • Chapter 14 • Chapter 15 • Chapter 16 • Chapter 17 • Chapter 18 • Chapter 19 • Chapter 20 • Chapter 21 • Chapter 22 • Chapter 23 • Chapter 24 • Chapter 25 | |