The comfort he finds in his new animal friends in his Wilderness helps Billy able to outgrow his stutter. He remains in his foster home and continues to visit his friends in Wildnerness sometimes. This does not last long before others in his neighborhood begin to see the area as a danger and the wildlife within it as a threat. Billy eventually runs away with one of the young foxes. The two of them have several adventures and become very good friends. On one of these adventures, he meets a man who has a boat and cares for all the birds around the river. The man says that Billy can stay with him on his boat as they are going in the same direction. This is the first time Billy has somebody who allows him to be himself. The man also helping him understand some hard truths about life. The journey down the river on the boat begins a journey into young adulthood for both Billy and his beloved fox.Grace Dieu (ship)