Owl at Home — Chapter 4

About This Passage

Selected because Owl's three short sentences hold the whole story's lesson. Lobel teaches dialogue punctuation and the rhythm of repetition. Notice that Owl figures out the truth by SAYING it out loud — the words come after the running, not before. The funny last sentence is a kind of joke and a kind of wisdom at once.

Narration Prompt

Tell someone what happened in this story in order. When you get to the most important part, slow down and tell it carefully — what happened, why it mattered, and what you think about it.

Discussion Questions

1. Owl wants to be upstairs and downstairs at the same time. He thinks that if he runs very, very fast, he can be in both places at once. Why does Owl think running fast would work? What in the story makes you think so?
2. Owl runs and runs. Each time he reaches the top, he calls down to himself — "Owl, are you downstairs?" — and there is no answer. Then he runs to the bottom and calls up. Still no answer. What does Owl learn each time the call goes unanswered? What in the story makes you think so?

+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide