Hi! Fly Guy — Chapter 3

About This Passage

Selected because the chapter ends with a small grand statement: "And so began a beautiful friendship." The phrase echoes the famous closing line of the movie Casablanca. Tedd Arnold borrows the rhythm and gives it to a story about a boy and a fly. The copywork rewards careful punctuation and shows how a familiar phrase can be funny and tender at the same time when applied to an unexpected pair.

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

1. Tedd Arnold structures the chapter as a series of small failures (the judges laugh, then say flies can't be pets even after tricks, even after Fly Guy says Buzz's name) before the final breakthrough. Why does Arnold make Buzz fail so many times before succeeding?
2. Each time Fly Guy does something new, the judges acknowledge it but refuse to change their conclusion: "flies can do tricks BUT flies can't be pets," "the fly knows the boy's name BUT flies can't be pets." Argue what this pattern reveals about how the judges think and why it is so hard to change a category that someone is committed to.

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide