Scout’s finding of items in the tree is an interesting part of the novel. It all begins in chapter 4 when Scout finds gum in the tree knot. At first, she does not know what to do with it, but she winds up taking it. Here is the quote:
I stood on tiptoe, hastily looked around once more, reached into the hole, and withdrew two pieces of chewing gum minus their outer wrappers.
On the next day, Jem and Scout find something else. They are wrapped in velvet: Indian-head pennies. Later, they find a gray ball of twine. By this time, the children are really perplexed. Is someone leaving these things for them, or will someone come back for them? Here is what Scout says to Jem:
“Don’t take it, Jem,” I said. “This is somebody’s hidin‘ place.”
“I don’t think so, Scout.”
The gifts in the tree knot do not stop here. Jem and Scout also find carved soap figures that look like them. They also find more gum, a spelling medal, and a pocket-watch.
In the end, Mr. Radley comes and puts cement in the knot of the tree to end the exchange of gifts. There is a small inkling that Boo might be the one leaving these gifts, but no one can say for sure—certainly not the children
Jem and Scout find several small items in the knothole of the Radley tree. Boo Radley is the anonymous gift giver, who gives the children an entire pack of Wrigley's Double-Mint chewing gum, two scrubbed and polished Indian Head pennies, a ball of twine, two carved soap figures, a tarnished spelling bee medal, and a broken pocket watch on a chain. These small gifts are tokens of Boo Radley's friendship and appreciation. When Jem and Scout write a letter to the anonymous gift giver, Jem is unable to put the note into the knothole of the oak tree because Nathan Radley filled it with cement. Nathan Radley then lies to Jem by telling him that he was forced to fill the knothole of the tree with cement because it was dying.
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