The
crickets sang in the grasses. They sang the song of summer's ending, a sad,
monotonous song. "Summer is over and gone," they sang. "Over and
gone, over and gone. Summer is dying, dying."The crickets felt it was
their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last forever. Even on the
most beautiful days in the whole year--the days when summer is changing into
fall--the crickets spread the rumor of sadness and change.
Everybody heard the
song of the crickets. Avery and Fern Arable heard it as they walked the dusty
road. They knew that school would soon begin again. The young geese heard it
and knew that they would never be little goslings again. Charlotte heard it and
knew that she hadn't much time left. Mrs. Zuckerman, at work in the kitchen,
heard the crickets, and a sadness came over her, too. "Another summer gone,"
she sighed. Lurvy, at work building a crate for Wilbur, heard the song and knew
it was time to dig potatoes.
"Summer is over
and gone," repeated the crickets. "How many nights till frost?"
sang the crickets. "good-bye, summer, good-bye, good-bye."The sheep
heard the crickets, and they felt so uneasy they broke a hole in the pasture
fence and wandered up into the field across the road. The gander discovered the
hole and led his family through, and they walked to the orchard and ate the
apples that were lying on the ground. A little maple tree in the swamp heard
the cricket song and turned bright red with anxiety.
Wilbur was now the
center of attraction on the farm. good food and regular hours were showing
results: Wilbur was a pig any man would be proud of . One day more than a
hundred people came to stand at his yard and admire him. Charlotte had written
the word RADIANT, and Wilbur really looked radiant as he stood in the golden
sunlight. Ever since the spider had befriended him, he had done his best to live
up to his reputation. When Charlotte's web said SOME PIG, Wilbur had tried hard
to look like some pig. When Charlotte's web said TERRIFIC, Wilbur had tried to
look terrific. And now that the web said RADIANT, he did everything possible to
make himself glow.
It is not easy to
look radiant, but Wilbur threw himself into it with a will. He would turn his
head slightly and blink his long eyelashes. Then he would breathe deeply. And
when his audience grew bored, he would spring into the air and do a back flip
with a half twist. At this the crowd would yell and cheer. "How's that for
a pig?" Mr. Zuckerman would ask, well pleased with himself. "That pig
is radiant."Some of Wilbur's friends in the barn worried for fear all this
attention would go to his head and make him stuck up. But it never did. Wilbur
was modest; fame did not spoil him. He still worried some about the future, as
he could hardly believe that a mere spider would be able to save his life.
Sometimes at night he would have a bad dream. He would dream that men were
coming to get him with knives and guns. But that was only a dream. In the
daytime, Wilbur usually felt happy and confident. No pig ever had truer friends
and he realized that friendship is one of the most satisfying things in the
world. Even the song of the crickets did not make Wilbur too sad. He knew it
was almost time for the County Fair, and he was looking forward to the trip. If
he distinguish himself at the Fair, and maybe win some prize money, he was sure
Zuckerman would let him live.
Charlotte had worries
of her own, but she kept quiet about them. One morning Wilbur asked her about
the Fair.
"You're going
with me, aren't you, charlotte?" he said.
"Well, I don't
know," replied Charlotte. "The Fair comes at a bad time for me. I
shall find it inconvenient to leave home, even for a few
days.""Why?" asked Wilbur.
"Oh, I just
don't feel like leaving my web. Too much going on around
here.""Please come with me!" begged Wilbur. "I need you,
Charlotte. I can't stand going to the Fair without you. You've just got to
come.""No," said charlotte, "I believe I'd better stay home
and see if I can't get some work done.""What kind of work?"
asked Wilbur.
"Egg laying.
It's time I made an egg sac and filled it with eggs.""I didn't know
you could lay eggs," said Wilbur in amazement.
"Oh, sure,"
said the spider. "I'm versatile.""What does 'versatile'
mean--full of eggs?" asked Wilbur.
"Certainly
not," said Charlotte. "'Versatile' means I can turn with ease from
one thing to another. I can turn with ease from one thing to another. It means
I don't have to limit my activities to spinning and trapping and stunts like
that.""Why don't you come with me to the Fair Grounds and lay your
eggs there?" pleaded Wilbur. "It would be wonderful fun."Charlotte
gave her web a twitch and moodily watched it sway. "I'm afraid not,"
she said. "You don't know the first thing about egg laying, Wilbur. I
can't arrange my family duties to suit the management of the County Fair. When
I get ready to lay eggs, I have to lay eggs, Fair or no Fair. However, I don't
want you to worry about it--you might lose weight. We'll leave it this way:
I'll come to the Fair if I possibly can.""Oh, good!" said
Wilbur. "I knew you wouldn't forsake me just when I need you
most."All that day Wilbur stayed inside, taking life easy in the straw.
Charlotte rested and ate a grasshopper. She knew that she couldn't help Wilbur
much longer. In a few days she would have to drop everything and build the
beautiful little sac that would hold her eggs.