Island of Tangerina

Island of Tangerina is the crucial way station between the mainland voyage and Elmer Elevator’s approach to Wild Island. Reached through the port of Cranberry, it gives him food and a coastline from which to find the long chain of rocks connecting the two islands; its abundance of wild tangerines turns an accidental landing into the start of his overland search.

Setting and Connection to Wild Island

Island of Tangerina lies on the route to Wild Island, which Old Alley Cat had passed while sailing to Tangerina. The islands are joined by a long string of rocks extending out into the ocean. That connection makes Tangerina more than a destination: it is the shore from which a traveler can locate and attempt the difficult crossing to the much-feared island.

Wild Island is described as mostly jungle and inhabited by very wild animals, and people generally avoid it. The distinction between the two places shapes the journey: Tangerina is where Elmer can walk and gather provisions, while the rock route leads toward the dangerous territory he intends to enter.

Old Alley Cat’s Visit

Old Alley Cat’s knowledge of the route comes from travel. In the previous spring, after sailing to Island of Tangerina and stopping at the port of Cranberry, the cat missed the boat and had time to look around. Having noticed Wild Island on the way, the cat chose to cross the rocks and explore it. The visit made the cat want to weep at something seen there, a reaction that leads into the account of the dragon and gives Elmer a reason to consider the journey.

The cat’s accidental delay thus becomes consequential: missing a boat opens time for an exploration that supplies both the route and the knowledge behind Elmer’s rescue plan. Too old to accompany him, the cat can nevertheless help him prepare and tell him what is known about Wild Island.

Elmer’s Arrival and Search

Elmer’s route to Tangerina begins aboard a ship carrying wheat to Cranberry. After the ship leaves, he climbs out of the wheat sack in which he has hidden, folds the sack, puts it in his knapsack, and walks along the shore to sleep. In the morning, a tangerine falls on his head. He recognizes that he is on Island of Tangerina and discovers that tangerine trees grow wild everywhere there.

The fruit immediately becomes practical food for a traveler who wakes hungry. Elmer gathers thirty-one tangerines, taking as many as he has room for, and sets off along the shore to find Wild Island. The next day he sees the rock line leading out into the ocean and eats seven tangerines before continuing toward it. Near the rocks, he picks seven more and waits for dark, following the cat’s advice to approach when the wild animals are less likely to see him.

Narrative Function

Tangerina’s part in the story is defined by passage and provision. The missed boat first brought Old Alley Cat to the rocks; later, the port of Cranberry and the island’s shoreline let Elmer retrace the route with a purpose. The tangerine that strikes him turns an uncertain search into recognition, and the trees supply food for the walk that follows. From this comparatively accessible shore, the rescue story moves toward the exposed, difficult crossing and the dangers of Wild Island.