- That winter Karana doesn't leave her house much, but she does decide to catch another dog friend she saw once during the summer. There is a dog with yellow eyes that she's sure is the son of Rontu.
- Karana sets snares with fish bait, but no luck. She does manage to catch a fox who also becomes her friend. This is starting to sound like a Disney movie.
- Then she decides to put toluache weed in the well to make the dogs sleep, but that doesn't work either.
- Eventually she hits upon xuchal, which is made from "ground-up sea shells and wild tobacco" (26.8).
- The xuchal does the trick. She puts it in the dogs' spring and they all fall asleep. She then picks up the tiny Rontu dog and takes him back home with her.
- The dog howls all night tied to her fence, but eventually falls asleep. They become friends. She names him Rontu-Aru, which means "Son of Rontu" (26.12).
- The two fish and ride in the canoe, and he makes for great company. But, more and more, Karana thinks of Tutok and her sister Ulape. She sometimes hears their voices in the wind.