How It All Goes Down
The Milk That Happens
- The new baby on the island needs milk. Despite what Greg Fokker says, Mau can't nurse the baby himself. He has to find milk.
- His plan goes something like this:
- (1) Track a mama pig through the forest; (2) ?; (3) Profit! Fresh milk!
- Surprisingly, this actually works pretty well. Mau has to get a little up close and personal with the pig, but he manages to save the baby.
- After that little adventure, Mau cleans himself up, while Daphne feeds the baby with the fresh pig's milk.
- Even though he's saved the little baby, the Grandfathers berate him for shaming the Nation. Loudly: "DOES THE WARRIOR ROLL IN THE MUCK WITH HOGS? YOU SHAME US!" (5.76).
- Back off the all-caps there, gramps.
- Mau also has to fight with a voice not in his head: the cranky ungrateful priest Ataba, who's still calling Mau demon boy and now making fun of him for milking pigs.
- More people arrive on Nation: brothers Pilu and Milo and Milo's wife, Cahle, who is actually in labor as we speak.
- They're a tad surprised that a boy as young as Mau is chief of the Nation, but Mau carries himself with authority. He takes them to the Women's Place, where Daphne will help Cahle give birth.
- This is news to Daphne, who don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies. (We think there's water involved?) She scrambles for the medical journals that were part of the Sweet Judy's cargo.