44 pages • 1 hour read
Ann Nolan ClarkSecret of the Andes
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1952A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 5-8Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 5 Summary: “The Steep Trail”
Cusi wakes up early, eager to begin the journey to the Salt Pits. He follows Chuto to the place of the Sunrise Call, where they greet the dawn in a ritual. After the ritual, they return for a quiet breakfast. The minstrel questions whether Chuto truly wants to leave their peaceful, secluded life for the unpredictable world beyond the valley. Chuto explains that he must go, despite his reluctance, due to a past decision that he now regrets.
As they prepare to leave, Chuto packs the essentials for their journey. Cusi is surprised to learn that Chuto has traveled mountain trails before, sparking curiosity about his past. They head toward the steep trail, leaving behind their llamas and the hidden valley. The trail takes them to the edge of a cliff, overlooking rapids below. Above the chasm hangs a swinging bridge made of vine ropes. Cusi is initially terrified at the thought of crossing it, but after watching Chuto make his way across, he finds the courage to follow.
They continue their climb up a narrow ladder made of tied branches, scaling a sheer granite cliff. Cusi finds the climb difficult, but he perseveres and reaches the top. On the other side, they enter a lush, green valley filled with vibrant plants and gentle rain.
Chapter 6 Summary: “The Long Way”
Cusi and Chuto continue their journey down the mountain. As they travel, Chuto teaches Cusi about the unfamiliar plants and animals of this new, lower-altitude environment. Cusi, however, struggles with the thick, hot air and the overwhelming greenery, feeling tired and sluggish in this unfamiliar world.
As they climb again, Chuto hurries, explaining that they must reach the mountain crest before nightfall for safety. They arrive at a small clearing with scattered huts, where a woman and a boy offer them water and goat’s milk. Though he wishes to speak with the boy, Cusi’s shyness keeps him silent. After a brief rest, they resume their journey, passing through narrow tunnels and steep rocky paths.
As night begins to fall, they reach the highlands. The wind picks up, making the ascent difficult. Cusi smells the familiar scent of burning llama dung and soon they arrive at the ancient ruins of Condor Kuncca, where they are warmly greeted by Chuto’s friends. The evening meal consists of roasted guinea pig and sweet potatoes, unfamiliar but enjoyable to Cusi. After the meal, the women and children retreat indoors, leaving the men to talk by the fire. Cusi, unable to understand their conversation, falls asleep.
Chapter 7 Summary: “Questions”
Cusi and Chuto continue their journey after leaving the friendly community of Condor Kuncca. They pass through a meadow and spot a distant hacienda, which Chuto explains is a Spanish settlement. The trail widens into a cobblestone road where they encounter both Spanish and Indigenous people, with the Spanish riding burros. Cusi is confused by their language, and Chuto explains that they are speaking Spanish.
At the Sacred Baths of the Inca, they rest and bathe in the cold water. Chuto directs Cusi to sit in the Inca’s throne, carved from stone, and Cusi begins to wonder about his own origins. The mention of his golden earplugs and his connection to the Inca stirs troubling thoughts within him, as he questions whether he has royal blood. Chuto, too, seems troubled and cryptically refers to someone who chose a different path in the past, hinting at another boy who had once been in Cusi’s place. Cusi presses Chuto for answers, wanting to know more about his identity, but Chuto hesitates, saying it is not yet time to reveal the truth.
Chapter 8 Summary: “Outside”
Cusi and Chuto reach the Valley of the Salt, a wide, flat area where men have been harvesting salt in the same way since ancient times. The two immediately begin working, with Chuto digging shallow holes and Cusi scooping the briny water into stone trays to dry. They finish their work in the evening and join the other salt diggers around a small fire. Chuto begins bartering the yarn he brought, impressing the men with its high quality. As night falls, Cusi is startled by the sight of a truck’s headlights approaching from a distant road, thinking at first that it is a creature from another world.
The next morning, Cusi and Chuto wait for the salt to dry. It takes longer than expected, but by midday they are packed and ready to leave. Before they depart, Cusi notices another boy about his age working in the pits. Although the boys exchange glances and Cusi feels a desire to connect, Cusi realizes that they would not be able to understand each other. That night, they return to Condor Kuncca, where Cusi hopes to make friends with the small children, but they are already asleep. He sleeps near the llama corral again, and the next morning, they head out early on the trail home. When they reach the place of the tree-tied ladder, Cusi hopes they can continue and reach home before dark, but Chuto decides to stop for the night, saying that the swinging bridge should be crossed in daylight.
Chapters 5-8 Analysis
A key theme in these chapters is the crossing of boundaries, both literal and symbolic, as Cusi leaves Hidden Valley. The swinging bridge symbolizes this transition. As Cusi approaches the bridge, he feels both fear and excitement, reflecting his emotional state as he steps into the unknown. The bridge is described in vivid detail, with the “frail-looking bridge” swaying and swinging, and the rapids below leaping upward in an “icy frenzy” (41). This imagery conveys the peril Cusi feels as he steps into this new phase of life, but also the exhilaration of leaving the familiar behind. The bridge marks the physical divide between Hidden Valley and the outside world, and it also symbolizes the emotional and psychological leap Cusi must make in his journey toward self-discovery.
This crossing also highlights the relationship between Cusi and Chuto. Throughout the narrative, Chuto acts as a quiet mentor, offering guidance but allowing Cusi the space to make his own decisions. When Chuto crosses the bridge first, leaving Cusi to follow, it symbolizes the gradual transfer of responsibility from the elder to the boy. This is a test of courage and a rite of passage that signals Cusi’s growing independence. Chuto’s patience contrasts with Cusi’s internal turbulence, but both characters understand the significance of this crossing, hinting at the larger, more complex challenges ahead.
As Cusi journeys through unfamiliar landscapes, the descriptions of the environment emphasize both wonder and disorientation. The rich, tropical landscape is full of vibrant colors and unfamiliar smells. The jungle, with its dense greenness and oppressive heat, contrasts sharply with the cold beauty of Hidden Valley. Cusi’s sense of displacement is evident as he navigates this new world, particularly when he comments that his feet feel like “two heavy somethings” that he picks up and puts down (45). This heaviness symbolizes Cusi’s difficulty in adjusting to a world that feels foreign and overwhelming. The unfamiliar flora reflect the richness of the outside world, but they also highlight the sense of unfamiliarity and estrangement that Cusi feels.
The encounter with the family in the clearing continues to explore this theme of displacement. Cusi’s reluctance to drink the goat’s milk, preferring the spring water he knows, illustrates his unease with the unfamiliar and his emotional attachment to the comforts of home, as he thinks it “tasted better. Besides, he knew what it was” (46). This small moment captures a larger struggle within Cusi—his desire for adventure and discovery is tempered by his connection to the known and familiar. He is curious about the people he meets, but his shyness and unfamiliarity with this world prevent him from engaging fully. This internal tension between curiosity and caution reflects Cusi’s larger journey of self-discovery, as he must navigate between the pull of tradition and the allure of the unknown.
The juxtaposition of the traditional world of the Andean people with the encroaching modernity of the outside world is illustrated in Chapter 8 with the arrival of the truck in the Valley of the Salt. The truck, described as a “thing that lived and moved but was not alive” (58), represents the intrusion of modern technology into Cusi’s world. Its unfamiliarity is terrifying to Cusi, who cannot reconcile the machine with the natural world he knows. The truck’s “eyes,” which Cusi describes as headlights, and its “evil-smelling blood” (58), create a sense of the unnatural, suggesting that Cusi’s worldview is about to be challenged by forces he does not yet understand. Chuto’s calm explanation of the truck points to the generational difference between them—while Chuto, who has been exposed to the modern world, accepts its oddities, Cusi is still coming to terms with this new reality.
The Salt Pits themselves are a reminder of the enduring power of tradition. The process of harvesting salt, unchanged from ancient times, links Cusi and Chuto to their ancestors. However, the arrival of the truck at the pits also symbolizes the tension between tradition and modernity. The men’s casual acceptance of the truck contrasts with Cusi’s fear, foreshadowing the inevitable clash between the ancient ways of life and the modern world’s influence. The brief encounter between Cusi and a Spanish boy at the salt pits further emphasizes the cultural divide. Cusi’s observation that “they were not Indian eyes; they were Spanish eyes” (60), makes him conscious of the differences and leads to the realization that he has never spoken to anyone outside his own community.
