40 pages 1 hour read

Beverly Cleary

Runaway Ralph

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1970

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Chapters 7-9Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 7 Summary: “The Escape”

As predicted, Garf avoids the craft shop to escape further suspicion. Ralph’s food begins to wane, and he attempts to get out of his cage. Chum tries to help but can’t reach Ralph’s cage. Ralph becomes progressively more desperate as he watches the campers making mosaics and Lana cuddling Catso and listens to Garf in the bamboo patch playing with the motorcycle.

When Aunt Jill tidies the craft shop, Ralph shows her how hungry and desperate he is. She calls Garf over and points out that Ralph is hungry, and Garf had insisted that Ralph’s care was his responsibility. Garf hesitantly comes inside to clean the cage and feed Ralph. Aunt Jill leaves him alone in the craft shop, which gives Ralph the opportunity to try to talk to Garf at last.

Garf hears him and is delighted at the idea of a talking mouse. Ralph tells Garf the motorcycle is his, that he got it from a boy at the Mountain View Inn, and that he used to live at the hotel. He tries to convince Garf to release him from the cage, but Garf wants to keep him.

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