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Copywork
About This Passage
This passage captures the family's quiet reversal through understated dialogue and physical proximity. The parents' two short sentences compress a change of heart into minimal words, while the parallel 'climbed on' clauses show belonging enacted through bodies rather than declared through language. The final sentence — 'purred and purred' — answers every prior doubt with a sound.
Henry's mother said, 'Cats are nice.' Henry's father said, 'Even shabby ones.' Mudge climbed onto the couch to be with his new mother. Henry climbed on next. The happy cat purred and purred.
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Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
In your own words, tell the story of this chapter. What were the most important moments? What made them important — and how do you know?
Discussion Questions
- The cat arrives looking shabby, but the story calls it 'the happy cat.' At what point does the cat stop being shabby and start being happy? Does the cat change, or does the family's view of it change? What evidence from the text supports your answer?
- The cat 'became Mudge's mother' by washing him and teaching him manners. In the earlier books, Mudge was the one who protected kittens and comforted Henry. What does it say about Mudge that he accepts being mothered by a small cat? Is this strength or weakness?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
Worn, faded, and neglected in appearance, suggesting long use without care.
Item 2
Produced a continuous, soft, vibrating sound that cats make when deeply contented.
Item 3
Customary rules of polite behavior in social situations, like sharing and waiting.
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Critical Thinking
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