Summary

Little Flower’s usual impulse to “leap from branch to branch” (176) to escape the Bantus was replaced by an impulse to laugh. Little Flower laughed because she “loved that yellow explorer” (176). However, she knew that if she also mentioned her love for “the explorer’s boots” (176) and his ring, the explorer would be “deflated in disappointment” (176). However, Little Flower also knew that her love for the explorer and for his objects was equally powerful, because love did not have any “cruel refinements” (177) in the forest due to the forest’s life-threatening nature.

The explorer had learned some simple methods of communication so he could converse with the pygmy tribe. Therefore, he recomposed himself and began to take notes and ask questions. He asked Little Flower to assert whether she liked the fact that it was good to have her very own tree to...