Thursday, May 7, 2009

This Lovely World, These Precious Days…

We're one chapter away from finishing reading the little clowncars' first chapter book: Charlotte's Web. What a lovely book. I didn't remember much of it from my youth, so I'm sorta rediscovering it as we read it.

I read this paragraph to the girls last night and actually got choked up. Charlotte is speaking to Wilber. She is (spoiler alert) dying.

“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 will shake loose from the trees and fall. Christmas will come, and the snows of winter. You will live to enjoy the beauty of the frozen 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 sparrow will return and sing, the frogs will awake, the warm wind will blow again. All these sights and sounds and smells will be yours to enjoy, Wilbur—this lovely world, these precious days…”

Gorgeous prose. Simple, sweet, evocative.

6 comments:

Eric Shonkwiler said...

You give me hope for the world.

meno said...

One of my favorite books of all times. I wish i had someone to read it aloud to for the first time. Glad you are doing so and enjoying it.

Hilary said...

It is. I loved reading it with my sons too. I had to laugh at your spoiler alert for Charlotte's Web. :)

I suspect you'll enjoy White's Trumpet of the Swan too. Different, but wonderful.

Clowncar said...

Thanks E. What a nice thing to say.

It's weird I don't remember much about it from when I was a kid, meno. I suspect it is because there are no spaceships or killer robots in it. I quite enjoyed it this time around. Though killer robots would have made it even better.

Haven't read Trumpet of the Swan, Hil, but you can be sure we will. Alice In Wonderland is next. I LOVE Alice In Wonderland.

Wanderlust Scarlett said...

Isn't Elwin Brooks White just absolutely incredible.

The places he has taken us.

If the little clowncars liked that, I'd highly recommend his "Trumpet of the Swan".
Still a favorite of mine.

Scarlett & Viaggiatore

coolguy said...

I came across this Charlotte's Web quote about 4 hours ago in one of those "Bathroom Reader" books and it knocked me out. Just floored me. Minutes later I was going to be putting my daughters to bed and I wanted to read it to them, but I knew it was going to be difficult to do without getting emotional. I searched this quote on google and found this blog and wanted to comment...it moved me as it did you.