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The boy was shy and weeping as he attended his mother’s funeral and was greeted by Siddhartha as his son as he entered Vasudeva’s hut. As the days progressed, he sat beside the dead woman’s corpse refusing to eat or sleep. Siddhartha honored the boy's grief by letting him do whatever he wanted, and letter learned that the boy was spoiled by the city life. As time passed, the boy remained a stranger to Siddhartha when he refused to work, displayed a proud and stubborn heart and lack respect for his elders. Siddhartha waited for a long time for his son to understand, accept, and even return his love. Vasudeva advised Siddhartha to return the boy to the city and with one of the servants or even his teacher but be in an environment he was used to. However, Siddhartha could not follow his friend's advice to give up his son. He, therefore, let his son order him around and do his chores.
One day, Siddhartha lost his patience when the boy turned openly against him. He had given the boy a task of collecting brushwood, but the boy refused and instead shouted his hatred and contempt to his father’s face. The boy later ran off and did not return until tale in the evening. The following morning the boy was gone and stolen the money and the boat. Siddhartha saw the boat on the opposite side of the shore, and he knew the boy had run away. Siddhartha and Vasudeva built a raft and crossed the river, and Siddhartha went after the boy. On reaching the main gate of the city, Siddhartha stood there recalling his first encounter with Kamala as she gave him his first kiss. Siddhartha was awakened by a hand touching his shoulder, and as he stood up, he saw Vasudeva, who had come after him. Without saying a word, he followed Vasudeva back into the woods, returned home to the ferry, and never spoke of the encounters of the day.
Siddhartha now saw people differently and as he ferried travelers across the river that had sons or daughters he could not help but feel envy. He thought about his son as he had grown to love him. Siddhartha was longing to see his son that one day he crossed the river to go back to the city but stopped midway. When he returned to the hut that evening, he told Vasudeva all his desires are ranging from the encounters he had when he went after his son so the envy and emptiness he feels. After a long talk and listening to the knowledge of the river, Vasudeva decided it was time to go and took off into the forest leaving Siddhartha.
In the company of other monks, Govinda once rested in one of his journeys where he had tales of a ferryman who was considered by many as a wise man. When he was ready to continue his journey, Govinda chose the path of the ferryman eager to him. Govinda went to the river and asked the old man to take him across the river. They got off and went to the opposite side of the shore. In the process, the two started to talk about the search for the right path. They both were searching for their place on earth and the different things that define them.