Chapter 2 Summary

By June, the fishermen have been stranded on the island for months. They use a cave for shelter, although it isn't very warm inside. They have plenty of birds to eat, but they are all sick of eating raw birds. They don't have any way to make a fire.

Manjiro thinks about the first day they arrived on the island. The boat hit the rocks, capsizing and splintering. After an earthquake, the opening of the cave they used as shelter was covered with rocks. Goemon, a boy the same age as Manjiro, talks with Manjiro about how Manjiro can never be a samurai now.

Goemon goes on to explain that samurais come from families of samurais, as fishermen come from families of fishermen. Since Manjiro comes from a family of fishermen that means he cannot be a samurai. They also discuss if they...