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Copywork
About This Passage
Charlotte is working on a plan to save Wilbur's life, and Wilbur has begged to help. These lines are part of her answer: the cheerful rule, then one job a pig can really do. The rule comes back at bedtime, when Wilbur starts to race to his trough and she calls, 'Slowly, slowly!'
Never hurry and never worry! Chew your food thoroughly and eat every bit of it, except you must leave just enough for Templeton.
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Tell the story of Wilbur's big try in order: his boast that he could spin a web, the first jump, Templeton's string, the second jump, and what Charlotte says he lacks. Then tell how the evening ends - the cozy sounds, the scary thought, Charlotte's promise to work on her plan, and all the good nights. Keep the two jumps in order and use your own words.
Discussion Questions
- Wilbur falls with a thump on his first try at spinning a web, but he cheerfully gets Templeton to tie a string to his tail and climbs up to try again. Charlotte watches and is 'proud to see that he was not a quitter.' Why is Charlotte proud even though the second jump fails too? Use the details of Wilbur's second try to explain what Charlotte sees in him that earns her pride.
- Charlotte tells Wilbur a hard truth: 'You can't spin a web.' A little later the lamb tells him, 'You're the smelliest creature in the place,' and Wilbur's eyes grow wet with tears. Why does Charlotte's truth feel so different from the lamb's words? Use the words Charlotte adds to cheer Wilbur up to explain what makes a hard truth kind instead of mean.
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Vocabulary
Item 1
To throw hard and fast with your whole body.
Item 2
The heavy sound of something landing hard.
Item 3
Someone who gives up when things get hard.
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Critical Thinking
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