Charlotte's Web

Summer is breaking upon the farm, and “the days grow warm and soft” (42). Avery has been busy fishing in the pond most days, and Fern spends her afternoons at the farm, sitting on her stool and watching Wilbur. In July, Mr. Zuckerman mows the fields, the others pitch and load, and hay is collected in the barn. Sometimes, Avery comes along to the farm, and he and Fern play in the barn together. Each bird sings a unique summer song, and nature is in full bloom all around.

In early summer, the goose’s eggs hatch and Fern witnesses the moment. The goose could hear their voices the day before and knew, but Charlotte is the first to spot a hatched gosling. She announces the goslings’ arrival, congratulating the goose on her persistence and effort. Wilbur shouts his congratulations too, and a total of seven goslings are born. Templeton, who is “not well trusted” (45) by the other farm animals, speaks up to ask what happened to the eighth egg. The goose says it must be a dud and resigns to let Templeton keep it for his collection of strange things. She presents a single condition: He must leave her goslings alone, lest he receive a beating from their mother goose. Later that day, the goose leads her goslings out to see the world for the first time. They are spotted by Mr. Zuckerman, who is delighted to see them.

As the summer days go by, Wilbur becomes fonder of Charlotte. He comes to understand her place as a bug-eating spider, noticing how much all the animals and humans seem to hate flies. Wilbur also comes to admire Charlotte’s organizational skills and her kindness for her victims. Wilbur grows bigger quickly, spending much of his days sleeping in the sun. One of the sheep notices Wilbur is gaining in size and warns him that the Zuckermans are fattening him up to eat him. Wilbur begins to panic at the thought of dying and being eaten. He asks Charlotte if it is true, and she replies that the sheep has likely seen many pigs come and go, so it likely is true, but also despicable. Wilbur starts crying, begging for someone to save him. Charlotte suddenly states, “you shall not die” (51), assuring Wilbur she will find a way to save him. She is not yet sure how she will accomplish this but demands that Wilbur quiet down as she works out her plan.

Fern is excited to tell her parents that the goslings hatched, and unwittingly reveals that she can hear the animals talk when she exclaims that the goose gave her dud egg to Templeton the mouse because she did not want it anymore. Fern refers to the barn animals and Charlotte as if they are her family, and her parents are confused. Fern tells them about Wilbur and Charlotte’s friendship, and how Charlotte announced the hatched goslings to the entire barn. Her parents assume she is making up stories and send her off to Sunday school. In Fern’s absence, her mother confides that she is worried about her daughter. Mr. Arable remarks that “maybe [animals] do talk” (54) before reminding his wife that children have strong imaginations. Mrs. Arable discusses the possibility of going to a doctor, and Mr. Arable comments that perhaps his and her ears just “aren’t as sharp as Fern’s” (54).