Charlotte's Web quotes

View Quote Avery Arable: Can I have a pig too, Pop?
John Arable: I only distribute pigs to early risers. Fern was up at daylight, trying to rid the world of injustice. [Avery's frog escapes his jacket and jumps all over the breakfast table] Seems to me you've already got more wildlife than you can take care of, Avery.

View Quote Avery: Why isn't that gosling with his mother?
[Jeffrey runs to Wilbur]
Fern: Because he likes Wilbur.
Avery: Shrimpy little thing. [Jeffrey oinks at Avery] Sounds more like a pig than a gosling.
[Jeffrey oinks and looks proud of himself]
Avery: [noticing Charlotte] Wow! Look at that big spider! I'm gonna catch it for my collection!
Fern: Avery, you leave that spider alone!
Avery: That's a fine spider and I'm catching it! What's the matter with you, Wilbur?
Fern:He doesn't like you in there. Now Get out.

View Quote Charlotte: Salutations.
Wilbur: What?
Charlotte: Salutations.
Wilbur: What are they? And where are you?
Charlotte: Salutations are greetings. It's my fancy way of saying hello.

View Quote Mrs. Fussy: Henry Fussy! You put that thing down! [Henry puts Wilbur down and the pig crashes into something and Mrs. Fussy tries to chase him out of the house with a broom from the hall closet] Shoo! Shoo! Get out! Shoo! Shoo! [tries to chase Wilbur out of the house with her broom. Wilbur jumps out of the window, Fern catches him, and Mrs. Fussy slams the window doors shut]

View Quote Wilbur: (singing) Isn't it great that I articulate?/Isn't it grand that you can understand?/I don't grunt/I don't oink/I don't even squeak or squawk/When I wanna say a-somethin', I open up and talk! I can talk! I can talk, talk, talk, I can...
Old Sheep: Why don't you keep it down?
Wilbur: I can talk!

View Quote Wilbur: [about Zuckerman raising him to be slaughtered] Is it true what the old sheep says? Is that awful thing true?!
Goose: It's a dirty-irty trick, but it's true.
Wilbur: I don't want to die! I want to stay here in my warm manure pile! I want to breathe the beautiful air, and lie in the beautiful sun!
Old Sheep: [dryly] You're certainly making a beautiful noise.
Wilbur: [breaking into tears] I don't want to die! I don't want to die!
Charlotte: [speaking for the first time, this time from an unseen location] Quiet, Wilbur! Now chin up!
Wilbur: Who said that?
Charlotte: Do you want a friend?
Wilbur: Yes, I want a friend. But I want to live, too!
Charlotte: Well, chin up. I'll be your friend and I'll try to save your life. I've been watching you, and I like you.
Wilbur: I can't see you. What do you mean "chin up"?
Charlotte: Now go to sleep. You'll see me in the morning, and I'll explain everything then.
Narrator: Wilbur's stomach was empty, and his mind was full. And when your stomach is empty and your mind is full, it's always hard to sleep. But sleep and Wilbur finally found each other.

View Quote Wilbur: [to a lamb] Wanna play?
Lamb: [to an old sheep] May I, Papa?
Old Sheep: Certainly not. In the first place, you can't get out of your pen. In the second place, sheep do not play with pigs.
Wilbur: Why not?
Old Sheep: Oh, it's a matter of status. Sheep, for instance, are highly regarded by Zuckerman, because we furnish him with good quality wool. With pigs, on the other hand, it's just a matter of time.
Wilbur: Time before what?
Old Sheep: Before they're fat enough to kill.
Wilbur: (incredulously) What did you say?!
Old Sheep: Oh, everybody knows that. In the fall, you'll be turned into smoked bacon and ham. And then, just as soon as the cold weather sets in, they'll kill you.
Wilbur: Ohh! (faints)
Goose: Templeton.
Templeton: Hmm.

View Quote (Wilbur asks the Goose if she would like to play with him)
Goose: I'm no flibberty-ibberty-gibbit! I'm staying here and hatching my goslings!

View Quote [After the goose's eggs have hatched]
Wilbur: Congratulations! How many are there?
Goose: There are seven.
Charlotte: Seven is a lucky number.
Goose: [proudly] Luck had absolutely nothing to do with it! It was really good management and hard work.
Templeton: [looking at a solitary unhatched egg] Why didn't, uh, this one hatch?
The Goose: [gloomily] It's a dud, I guess.
Templeton: What are you going to do with it?
The Goose: [sternly] You can have it! Roll it away and add it to that nasty collection of yours! Be careful! A rotten egg can be a regular stink bomb!
Templeton: [patting the egg] I know what I'm doing. I handle stuff like this all the time. [And with that, Templeton rolls the egg away.]

View Quote [Charlotte is looking for a new message to write in her web]
Lamb: How about "Pig Supreme"?
Charlotte: No good. It sounds like a rich dessert.
Goose: How about terrific, terrific, terrific?
Charlotte: Cut that down to one terrific and it will do nicely. I think terrific might impress Zuckerman.
Wilbur: But Charlotte, I'm not terrific.
Charlotte: You're terrific as far as I am concerned. (Templeton hits Wilbur in the face with his tail as he walks by; Charlotte glares at him) Does anybody know how to spell it?
Goose: I think it's T, double-E double-R, double-R, double-I, double-F, double-I, double-C-C-C.
Charlotte: What kind of an acrobat do you think I am? It would take me all night to write that.
Old Sheep: I would advise you not to consult geese in matters of spelling. The word is spelled T-E-R-R-I-F-I-C.
The Goose: [firmly] I still think it's prettier spelled: T, double-E, double-R, double-R, double-I--
Charlotte: Please! Let me spell it my way.