介绍:
CHAPTER21
LastDay
Charlotte and Wilbur were alone. The families had gone to look for Fern.Templeton was asleep.
Wilbur lay resting after the excitement and strain of the ceremony. His medalstill hung from his neck;
by looking out of the corner of his eye he could see it.
"Charlotte,"said Wilbur after a while, "why are you so quiet?"
"I like to sit still," she said. "I’ve always been ratherquiet."
"Yes, but you seem specially so today. Do you feel all right?"
"A little tired, perhaps. But I feel peaceful. Your success in the ringthis morning was, to a small
degree, any success. Your future is assured. You will live, secure and safe,Wilbur. Nothing can
harm you now. These autumn days will shorten and grow cold. The leaves willshake loose from the
trees and fall.
Christmaswill come, then the snows of winter. You will live to enjoy the beauty of thefrozen
world, for you mean a great deal to Zuckerman and he will not harm you, ever.Winter will pass, the
days will lengthen, the ice will melt in the pasture pond. The song sparrowwill return and sing, the
frogs will awake, the warm wind will blow again. All these sights and soundsand smells will be
yours to enjoy, Wilbur - this lovely world, these precious days …"
Charlottestopped. A moment later a tear came to Wilbur’s eye. "Oh, Charlotte,"he said. "To
think that when I first met you I thought you were cruel andbloodthirsty!"
Whenhe recovered from his emotion, he spoke again.
"Why did you do all this for me?" he asked. "I don’t deserve it.I’ve never done anything for you."
"You have been my friend," replied Charlotte. That in itself is atremendous thing. I wove my
webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born,we live a little
while, we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with allthis trapping and eating
flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heavenknows anyone’s life can
stand a little of that."
"Well,"said Wilbur. "I’m no good at making speeches. I haven’t got your gift forwords. But you
have saved me, Charlotte, and I would gladly give my life for you - I reallywould."
"I’msure you would. And I thank you for your generous sentiments."
"Charlotte," said Wilbur. "We’re all going home today. The Fairis almost over. Won’t it be
wonderful to be back home in the barn cellar again with the sheep and thegeese? Aren’t you anxious
to get home?"
For amoment Charlotte said nothing. Then she spoke in a voice so low Wilbur couldhardly hear
the words.
"Iwill not be going back to the barn," she said.
Wilbur leapt to his feet. "Not going back?" he cried."Charlotte, what are you talking about?"
"I’m done for," she replied. "In a day or two I’ll be dead.
I haven’t even strength enough to climb down into the crate. I doubt if I haveenough silk in my
spinnerets to lower me to the ground."
Hearingthis, Wilbur threw himself down in an agony of pain and sorrow. Great sobsracked his
body.He heaved and grunted with desolation. "Charlotte," he moaned."Charlotte! My true friend!"
"Comenow, let’s not make a scene," said the spider. "Be quiet, Wilbur.Stop thrashing about!"
"But I can’t stand it," shouted Wilbur. "I won’t leave you herealone to die. If you’re going to stay
here I shall stay, too."
"Don’tbe ridiculous," said Charlotte. "You can’t stay here. Zuckerman andLurvy and John
Arable and the others will be back any minute now, and they’ll shove you intothat crate and away
you’ll go. Besides, it wouldn’t make any sense for you to stay. There would beno one to feed you.
The Fair Grounds will soon be empty and deserted."
Wilburwas in a panic. He raced round and round the pen. Suddenly he had an idea - hethought of
the egg sac and the five hundred and fourteen little spiders that would hatchin the spring. If Charlotte
herself was unable to go home to the barn, at least he must take her childrenalong.
Wilburrushed to the front of his pen. He put his front feet up on the top board and gazedaround.
In the distance he saw the Arables and the Zuckermans approaching. He knew hewould have to act
quickly.
"Where’sTempleton?" he demanded.
"He’s in that corner, under the straw, asleep," said Charlotte.
Wilbur rushed over, pushed his strong snout under the rat, and tossed him intothe air.
"Templeton!" screamed Wilbur. "Pay attention!"
The rat, surprised out of a sound sleep, looked first dazed then disgusted.
"What kind of monkeyshine is this?" he growled. "Can’t a ratcatch a wink of sleep without being
rudely popped into the air?"
"Listento me!" cried Wilbur. "Charlotte is very ill. She has only a shorttime to live. She cannot
accompany us home, because of her condition. Therefore, it is absolutelynecessary that I take her egg
sac with me. I can’t reach it, and I can’t climb. You are the only one that canget it. There’s not a
second to be lost. The people are coming - they’ll be here in no time. Please,please, please,
Templeton, climb up and get the egg sac."
Therat yawned. He straightened his whiskers. Then he looked up at the egg sac.
"So!" he said, in disgust. "So it’s old Templeton to the rescueagain, is it? Templeton do this,
Templeton do that, Templeton please run down to the dump and get me a magazineclipping,
Templeton please lend me a piece of string so I can spin a web."
"Oh,hurry! " said Wilbur. "Hurry up, Templeton!
But the rat was in no hurry. He began imitating Wilbur’s voice.
"So it’s ’Hurry up, Templeton,’ is it? he said. "Ho, ho. And whatthanks do I ever get for these
services, I would like to know? Never a kind word for old Templeton, only abuseand wisecracks
and side remarks. Never a kind word for a rat."
"Templeton,"said Wilbur in desperation, "if you don’t stop talking and get busy, allwill be lost,
and I will die of a broken heart. Please climb up!"
Templetonlay back in the straw. Lazily he placed his forepaws behind his head andcrossed his
knees, in an attitude of complete relaxation.
"Dieof a broken heart," he mimicked. "How touching! My, my! I notice thatit’s always me you
come to when in trouble. But I’ve never heard of anyone’s heart breaking on myaccount. Oh, no.
Who cares anything about old Templeton?"
"Getup!" screamed Wilbur. "Stop acting like a spoiled child!
Templeton grinned and lay still. "Who made trip after trip to thedump?" he asked. "Why, it was
old Templeton! Who saved Charlotte’s life by scaring that Arable boy away witha rotten goose egg?
Blessmy soul, I believe it was old Templeton. Who bit your tail and got you back onyour feet this
morning after you had fainted in front of the crowd? Old Templeton. Has it everoccurred to you that
I’m sick of running errands and doing favors? What do you think I am, anyway, arat-of-all-work?"
Wilburwas desperate. The people were coming. And the rat was failing him. Suddenly he
remembered Templeton’s fondness for food.
"Templeton,"he said, "I will make you a solemn promise. Get Charlotte’s egg sac forme, and
from now on I will let you eat first, when Lurvy slops me. I will let you haveyour choice of
everything in the trough and I won’t touch a thing until you’re through."
Therat sat up. "You mean that?" he said.
"I promise. I cross my heart."
"All right, it’s a deal," said the rat. He walked to the wall andstarted to climb. His stomach was
still swollen from last night’s gorge. Groaning and complaining, he pulledhimself slowly to the
ceiling. He crept along till he reached the egg sac. Charlotte moved aside forhim. She was dying, but
she still had strength enough to move a little. Then Templeton bared his longugly teeth and began
snipping the threads that fastened the sac to the ceiling. Wilbur watched frombelow.
"Useextreme care!" he said. "I don’t want a single one of those eggsharmed."
"Thith thtuff thticks in my mouth," complained the rat. "It’thworth than caramel candy."
But Templeton worked away at the job, and managed to cut the sac adrift andcarry it to the
ground, where he dropped it in front of Wilbur. Wilbur heaved a great sigh ofrelief.
"Thankyou, Templeton," he said. "I will never forget this as long as Ilive."
"Neitherwill I," said the rat, picking his teeth. "I feel as though I’d eatena spool of thread. Well,
home we go!"
Templetoncrept into the crate and buried himself in the straw. He got out of sight justin time.
Lurvy and John Arable and Mr. Zuckerman came along at that moment, followed byMrs. Arable and
Mrs. Zuckerman a nd Avery and Fern. Wilbur had already decided how he wouldcarry the egg sac -
there was only one way possible. He carefully took the little bundle in hismouth and held it there on
top of his tongue. He remembered what Charlotte had told him - that the sac waswaterproof and
strong. It felt funny on his tongue and made him drool a bit. And of course hecouldn’t say anything.
But as he was being shoved into the crate, he looked up at Charlotte and gaveher a wink. She knew
he was saying good-bye in the only way he could. And she knew her children weresafe.
"Good-bye!"she whispered. Then she summoned all her strength and waved one of her frontlegs
at him.
Shenever moved again. Next day, as the Ferris wheel was being taken apart and therace horses
were being loaded into vans and the entertainers were packing up theirbelongings and driving away
in their trailers, Charlotte died. The Fair Grounds were soon deserted. Thesheds and buildings were
empty and forlorn.
Theinfield was littered with bottles and trash. Nobody, of the hundreds of peoplethat had visited
the Fair, knew that a grey spider had played the most important part of all. Noone was with her when
she died.
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