Preview
Copywork
About This Passage
Mr. Watson rewrites his own history at the moment of rescue. The repetition 'As have I. As have I.' is Mrs. Watson agreeing emphatically with a claim that is mostly false. The marriage agrees in public even when the facts are slippery. Kate DiCamillo lets the comedy do the moral work.
'I have always believed very firmly in the fire department,' said Mr. Watson. 'As have I,' said Mrs. Watson. 'As have I.'
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Summarize the chapter and explain what Kate DiCamillo wants you to notice about how the rescued speak about their rescue.
Discussion Questions
- Mr. Watson says he has 'always firmly believed' in the fire department. The reader knows he tried to handle the crisis himself and was confused. Is the post-rescue rewriting of history a kind of dishonesty, a kind of gratitude, or a kind of survival?
- The Watsons believe Mercy went for help on purpose. The reader knows she went for toast. The book lets both stories stand. What is being claimed about the relationship between true motives and true outcomes?
+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide
Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
with steady, unshaken conviction
Item 2
applied to events that have already happened
Item 3
warned of a danger or need
+ 5 more vocabulary words in the complete study guide
Critical Thinking
+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide
Get the complete study guide — free
Sign up and get your first book with every chapter included. Copywork, discussion questions, vocabulary, and critical thinking.
Sign up free