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Copywork
About This Passage
This passage shows Rawls pausing the story to let an ordinary animal behave in an extraordinary way. The wren, normally loud and restless, sits perfectly still beside the fairy ring. Rawls chooses this small image to let the reader feel the uncanny silence of the scene without having to explain it.
A little wren flew in from the mountains and lit on a low branch of the red oak. I had never seen a wren that could sit still for very long. They seem to be such nervous little birds and are always ho...
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Retell Chapter 14 in three parts: Daisy discovering the fairy ring, Mama's story about Luann and Johnnie George, and the family making their silent wishes. Pay attention to how Jay Berry changes his mind about what he will wish for, and what Papa teaches him about how wishes work.
Discussion Questions
- Jay Berry knew exactly what his wish was going to be: a pony, a .22, and the monkey reward. But the moment he saw Daisy kneeling in the fairy ring with her crutch beside her, he changed his wish without telling anyone. What does the text show you about how fast love can change what a person wants?
- Every animal near the fairy ring goes silent — a squirrel, a wren, a chipmunk. Daisy says, 'Because the Old Man of the Mountains was there.' Mama says, 'I did have a strange feeling.' Papa says, 'I think we all felt something. I know I did.' How does the text handle a mysterious moment that three different family members describe in three different ways, and what does it teach about how families talk about things they cannot prove?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
Restless, jumpy, or easily upset.
Item 2
Moving in short quick jumps, usually on two feet.
Item 3
A loud noise, especially one made by many small sounds at once.
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Critical Thinking
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