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Copywork
About This Passage
This passage was picked because it is the saddest, quietest moment in the chapter. Dahl gives us a whole family going to sleep hungry, and one father who cannot sleep at all. The short sentences feel like the slow, tired rhythm of a night when something bad has happened. Notice how Dahl says only what is needed — 'no food,' 'dozed off,' 'pain in the stump' — and lets the reader feel the rest. Three vocabulary words appear here: glum, dozed, stump.
He looked very glum. There was no food for the foxes that night, and soon the children dozed off. Then Mrs Fox dozed off. But Mr Fox couldn’t sleep because of the pain in the stump of his tail.
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
In your own words, retell Chapter 4 from the moment Mrs Fox licks Mr Fox’s tail stump to the moment Mrs Fox says her husband is a fantastic fox. What happens in between, and what does the family do when they hear the shovels?
Discussion Questions
- Mrs Fox licks Mr Fox’s hurt tail and says, ‘It was the finest tail for miles around.’ What in the story makes you think Mrs Fox is kind to Mr Fox even when he is sad? How can you tell she loves him?
- When Mr Fox hears the shovels he says, ‘I’ve got it! A fox can dig quicker than a man!’ What in the story makes you think he has just had a big idea? How do you know he feels sure his plan will work?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
The short part of something left behind after the rest has been cut off or lost.
Item 2
Feeling sad, quiet, and low in spirits after something bad has happened.
Item 3
Fell into a light sleep, usually without meaning to.
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Critical Thinking
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