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Copywork
About This Passage
This is the quietest moment in a noisy, happy chapter: the mother goose knows exactly what her unborn goslings are feeling — desperately cramped, anxious to break out — and she answers them not with words but with stillness. Copying the pair gives practice with the word 'desperately' working hard in the middle of a long sentence, and with a short sentence that saves its surprise for the end: she talked less than usual. It is a small lesson in how love sometimes looks like sitting quite still.
She knew that they were in a desperately cramped position inside the shell and were most anxious to break through and get out. So she sat quite still, and talked less than usual.
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Tell the story of the hatching in order: what the goose knew before anyone else, who spotted the first gosling, what Charlotte announced, how many goslings arrived, and what happened to the egg that did not hatch. End by telling who took the egg away and what the gander warned him about.
Discussion Questions
- Fern sits quietly on her stool, and the animals treat her 'as an equal.' Why do they trust her that way? Use the words about her visits and the details of the sheep at her feet to explain what makes the animals welcome her.
- Charlotte says, 'Seven is a lucky number,' but the goose answers, 'Luck had nothing to do with this. It was good management and hard work.' Why does the goose correct her friend instead of just saying thank you? Use the goose's words and the details of her four weeks on the nest to explain what she wants everyone to know.
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Vocabulary
Item 1
A baby goose, new from the egg.
Item 2
Broke out of the egg and was born.
Item 3
A time of great joy and celebration.
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Critical Thinking
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