Jibby Jones · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Jibby Jones by Ellis Parker Butler.
Chapter 1
I: Oliver Parmenter Jones
The narrator introduces the Riverbank boys and their pride in the Mississippi River. A new boy, Jibby Jones, arrives at Birch Island and impresses Tad, Skippy, Wampus, and the narrator with his unusual stories and mechanical skill, eventually winning acceptance into their group.
Chapter 2
II: The Pearl-Diggers
The boys try to fool Jibby Jones with tall tales about pearl diving in the Mississippi, claiming that pearl mussels burrow deep in the mud and must be 'nosed out' by divers. Jibby takes them seriously, dives into the shallow water, and emerges with a mussel shell containing a large, valuable pearl. The boys feel ashamed of their deception, while Jibby calmly plans to use the money to let his father stay on Birch Island.
Chapter 3
The Climbing Rabbit
On a rainy day, the boys gather under a cottage and discuss various topics, including the possibility of rabbits climbing trees, which Wampus insists is true based on his Uncle Oscar's claim. Jibby Jones joins them and shares stories about a land pirate named M'rell (Murrell) and a hidden treasure map that mentions 'Riverbank,' sparking the boys' interest in treasure hunting.
Chapter 4
IV: Do Fish Climb Trees?
The boys attempt to fish in a muddy slough on Birch Island but struggle to reach deep water. Jibby Jones devises an ingenious method using a bent elm sapling as a giant fishing rod. When a large carp bites, the sapling snaps upright, flinging the fish high into the air. The carp lands in a maple tree near Orpheus Cadwallader's cottage, leading Orph to claim that carp climb trees. The boys know the truth but keep it to themselves, and Jibby uses the incident to rekindle Skippy's interest in the land pirate's treasure.
Chapter 5
The Fishing Prize
The boys form the Land Pirate's Treasure-Hunting and Exploration Company after Jibby shares more details about Murrell's treasure, including the key word 'Riverbank' and the significance of a lone pine tree. The next day, Rover returns, and the boys prepare for Uncle Oscar's annual fishing prize, though they expect Wampus to win again. Jibby demonstrates his unusual nose exercises and claims he can identify a bee's home tree by smell, leaving the boys uncertain whether he is joking or serious.
Chapter 6
VI: The Prize-Winner
Jibby Jones claims he will win the fishing prize, causing laughter among the boys. He performs odd behaviors like sniffing the air, grass, water, and fish scales, leading them to believe he is training his nose to smell fish underwater. On contest day, Jibby wins decisively, catching the most fish, the biggest fish, and the heaviest total weight. Afterward, he reveals his secret: he read Izaak Walton's book and learned to 'scour' worms by keeping them in wet moss, making them more attractive to fish. He also got advice from Orpheus Cadwallader about the best fishing spots.
Chapter 7
VII: The Tough Customer
After the fishing contest dinner and prize ceremony, the boys discover that the Tough Customer and the Rat have not left the island as ordered but have hidden their shanty-boat downstream. Jibby Jones leads the boys to spy on them, overhearing a conversation about a treasure map stolen from a redheaded man in a Helena jail. The map points to a location near Greenland, involving a creek and crossroads, and the Tough Customer convinces the Rat to abandon searching for stolen cider in favor of hunting the land pirate's treasure.
Chapter 8
VIII: The Redheaded Bandit
The boys discuss the Tough Customer and the Rat, and Wampus connects the stolen map to the Redheaded Bandit, a scarred man who tried to steal Rover the previous year. George recalls the events surrounding his sister May's wedding to Mr. Edwin Skreever, including the first encounter with the Redheaded Bandit on a government barge. The chapter also describes Mr. Jack Betts and his speedboat, the Skittery III, and the tension between Mr. Skreever and the boys over Rover.
Chapter 9
IX: The Abduction of Rover
The narrator and Wampus encounter the Redheaded Bandit, who claims Rover is his dog. They refuse to sell him and later nail down the barge cover to trap the bandit, but accidentally send Mr. Edwin Skreever down the river in the barge. After a night of fear, Mr. Jack Betts rescues Skreever, and the wedding proceeds.
Chapter 10
X: The Treasure Hunt
The boys hold a meeting of the Land Pirate's Treasure-Hunting and Exploration Company in the shaft-house of the Five Friends' Worm Mine. The Worm Mine was created after a failed attempt to dig worms in Mosquito Hollow, where mosquitoes were unbearable. Jibby Jones, who swells badly from mosquito bites, suggested mining for worms inside an old shack with a dirt floor and screens. Later, Jibby reveals a map he believes is a real land pirate map, pointing to treasure near Greenland. The boys plan a treasure hunt using the map and set out the next morning by motorboat, eventually spotting smoke near the creek.
Chapter 11
Where Is Greenland?
The boys follow Jibby to a ruined cellar they believe might be Greenland, but Jibby's careful pacing and map study reveal the location doesn't match. They spot the Tough Customer and the Rat digging at the true site down in the bottomland. Returning to their boat, they find it deliberately wrecked with an axe. Wampus's father refuses to pay for repairs, so Jibby suggests the Land Pirate Treasure-Hunting Company earn the money by mining the Five Friends' Worm Mine.
Chapter 12
XII: The Worm Mine
The boys work in their worm mine, planning to sell worms to fund repairs for Wampus's motorboat. They stake a claim, discuss a global worm-selling business, and the chapter reveals the backstory of a stolen cider barrel mystery involving Mr. Root's hard cider and molasses.
Chapter 13
XIII: The Viking Ship
The boys expand their worm mining operation but worry about flooding. Wampus discovers what they think is a Viking ship, but Jibby identifies it as a barrel of molasses, which bursts and covers them. They collect a reward for finding stolen molasses. Later, they encounter the Tough Customer and the Rat, who demand a missing paper, but Jibby cleverly deflects them, confirming the treasure map is still safe.
Chapter 14
XIV: Uncle Beeswax
The boys encounter Uncle Beeswax being chased by the Tough Customer and the Rat, who mistakenly believe he has their treasure map. Uncle Beeswax reveals he only has a map of a grape tree. Jibby Jones shows the map to the Tough Customer, satisfying them. Uncle Beeswax and Jibby bond over their prominent noses. Later, the boys investigate the Tough Customer's digging sites and find they have dug extensively but found nothing, making the treasure seem hopeless.
Chapter 15
XV: The Grape Tree
Two weeks after meeting Uncle Beeswax, Jibby Jones, the narrator, and Wampus are running a trotline when Uncle Beeswax excitedly arrives and reveals he has found a magnificent wild grape tree on Buffalo Island, hidden between two mud gullies. He draws a map and organizes a grape-gathering expedition, instructing the boys to get baskets, axes, and rakes while he fetches his own supplies.
Chapter 16
Congo Magic
Jibby Jones uses a mock Congo magic ritual to distract and delay the bullying Romer brothers, Cawl and Hen, from stealing Uncle Beeswax's wild grapes. By secretly attaching his trotline to the skiff's keel with screw eyes, he makes the boat nearly impossible to row, buying time for Uncle Beeswax to arrive and claim the grapes.
Chapter 17
Grains of Sand
As summer ends, the boys prepare to leave Birch Island for school. Jibby Jones shows them his unique collection of sand grains from around the world, inspiring them to start their own sand collections. When Skippy mentions green sand in Murrell's Run, Jibby becomes intrigued and joins them to investigate. On the way, Jibby spots a lone pine tree at a crossroads and interprets it as a signal pine linked to the land pirate John A. Murrell. He reinterprets the treasure map, suggesting 'Greenland' actually reads 'green sand' and that Murrell's Run is the hiding place for the treasure.
Chapter 18
XVIII: Pirate’s Treasure
The boys discover a hollow spot in the cellar floor of the old house and dig up an 1804 silver dollar, which they believe is worth a thousand dollars. Jibby Jones, however, remains fixated on thinking out the location of John A. Murrell's hidden treasure, bumping his head against a pine tree until he claims to have figured it out. He insists they must first collect a grain of green sand before digging for the treasure, prioritizing his collection over potential wealth.
Chapter 19
XIX: The Tough Customer Appears
The boys find an 1804 dollar in the dry well of the old Murrell farmhouse. Jibby Jones explains his theory that the treasure is buried at the foot of a signal pine tree, using imagination to deduce its location. The boys argue about the value of imagination, but Jibby convinces them it is essential for progress. Wampus takes the dollar home to brighten it, but the Tough Customer, a one-legged man claiming to be the hired girl's cousin, steals it. The chapter ends with the loss of the valuable coin.
Chapter 20
XX: Orlando
Jibby Jones uses a clever trick involving a cat named Orlando (pretending it is a skunk) to recover the stolen 1804 dollar from the Tough Customer, who has fallen into a dry well. Afterward, Jibby insists on finding the perfect place to think before the treasure hunt, eventually choosing Wampus Smale's woodshed. The chapter also reveals that Orlando is actually a pet skunk belonging to Jibby's father.
Chapter 21
Winged Enemies
After the Tough Customer is chased away, the boys prepare to dig for Murrell's treasure under the dead pine tree. Jibby Jones delays the dig by asking odd questions about Bill Catlin and insisting on collecting green sand from the creek. The other boys ignore his warnings and start digging, only to disturb a massive bumblebee nest, resulting in a chaotic retreat to the old brick farmhouse.
Chapter 22
A New Swimming-Hole
After a painful encounter with bees, the boys recover and learn from Jibby that the green sand is actually a mix of yellow and blue grains. They retrieve kerosene from Bill Catlin's wife, but upon returning, Jibby warns them that a group of treasure hunters—including a redheaded bandit—has arrived at the green sands. The boys devise a plan to spoil the hunters' food with kerosene and attempt to ignite it using Jibby's magnifying glass, but the fire ball falls short.
Chapter 23
XXIII: Treasure Trove
The boys prepare to dig for the land pirate's treasure, but Bill Catlin claims half under 'treasure trove' law. Jibby Jones cleverly argues that treasure belongs to the finder, not the landowner, defusing Catlin's claim. When a crowd of treasure hunters arrives, Jibby proposes charging them a dollar each to dig, with Catlin's permission, turning the situation into a profitable venture. The seven Arkansas men also pay to join, and the sheriff is enlisted to enforce the fee.
Chapter 24
XXIV: The Treasure
The boys collect admission fees from treasure hunters, including a group of Arkansas men claiming to be heirs of John A. Murrell. Jibby outwits the Tough Customer and the Arkansas men, digs up a box containing $1,000 in gold and a letter from Murrell, and keeps the money on the grounds that the original owner cannot be identified. The chapter ends with Jibby more concerned about preserving grains of green sand from his shoe than the treasure.
Chapter 25
List of Illustrations
A hand-drawn map depicts a building and a point of interest marked with an X near a river and creek, close to two intersecting roads, with the notations '2–3 miles' and 'Greenland' on the right side of the X.
