Together, Stanley and Zero head out to the thumb-shaped mountain carrying some empty jars in a sunflower seed sack and the shovel Zero had from camp. Stanley keeps checking to see if they are getting closer to Big Thumb, but it’s “like chasing the moon” (161). They wonder who May Lou is for someone to name a boat after her. Zero keeps getting sick and clutching his stomach; Stanley continues with their reading lessons to keep him distracted. Stanley thinks that death would be a relief for him now, but that “for his parents, the pain would never end” (163). They reach the end of the lake and have to climb steep cliffs to get closer to Big Thumb.

As they approach the mountain, Stanley and Zero start to use weeds on the ground to help with their footing. Even though Stanley needs to rest, he’s “afraid they’d never get started again” (168). Zero throws up and gnats surround the puke, which helps Stanley realize they must be close to water if there are weeds and bugs around. After this realization, Zero collapses.