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Copywork
About This Passage
A composite passage joining the moment of Owl's mistake with the moment he discovers it cannot be undone by language. Notice how Owl uses words to negotiate with Winter throughout: he calls Winter "poor old," he labels Winter "my guest," he gives Winter rules of behavior. None of these words have any effect on Winter, because Winter is not the kind of thing words can govern. Lobel teaches that some mistakes cannot be corrected by talking — and that this discovery is one of the harder lessons children's books prepare us for.
"The poor old winter is knocking at my door," said Owl. "Perhaps it wants to sit by the fire. Well, I will be kind and let the winter come in." ... "You are my guest! This is no way to behave!" But wi...
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Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Summarize this chapter, then explain what you think the author most wanted the reader to notice or feel. What techniques did the author use?
Discussion Questions
- Owl opens the door twice and sees only "the snow and the wind" before deciding to invite Winter in like a person. Why does Lobel insist on the double confirmation of nothing-at-the-door before the personification can take place? What does this reveal about how Owl's mind moves from sensory data to invented company?
- Owl's mistake is to apply the rules of hospitality to a thing that cannot receive hospitality. Argue whether this is a category error (mistaking what KIND of thing Winter is), a moral error (offering kindness in a way that does no good), or a deeper failure of imagination (thinking that all relationships can be made by inviting). Which reading does the text most rigorously support?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
The literary device of treating a non-human thing as if it had the qualities of a person; what Owl does to Winter when he calls it "poor old" and invites it in as a guest.
Item 2
The friendly reception and treatment of guests; the practice Owl tries to extend to Winter, only to discover that Winter cannot receive it.
Item 3
Maybe, possibly; the hedging word Owl uses to guess at the meaning of a sound and to disguise the leap from observation to story.
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Critical Thinking
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