Chapter Twelve Summary

By carefully rationing out food, Hank and Julie survive the winter, even without the benefit of fresh eggs from the chickens. At the first sight of spring, Julie heads into the woods in search of greens to boil into soup. As she is foraging, she feels a sharp pain in her stomach. Thinking it's gas because her baby isn't due for at least another six weeks, Julie continues picking. The pains come from time to time, but she manages to ignore them. When the pain becomes more severe, she goes home and tells Hank that she's suffering from terrible gas. She has trouble sleeping through the night, so Hank decides that it's time to fetch Ma Richards. The baby is coming, he says, whether or not Julie likes it. Determined to prove that Hank is wrong, Julie sets about her normal...