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Charlotte's Web Chapter 12 Summary

A Meeting

  • Remember how Charlotte can be bossy sometimes? Well, this is one of those times. It's been a few days since her message in the web went viral and she's called a meeting in the barn.
  • First thing on the agenda: roll call. Wilbur? Check. Gander and goslings? Check and seven little checks. Lamb? Present. Templeton?
  • Radio silence. But Charlotte thinks they can just move along even in Templeton's absence. She doesn't seem to have a high opinion of her not-so-friendly rat neighbor.
  • The main point of this meeting is to discuss new messages for Charlotte to weave into the web.
  • Turns out that Charlotte is a master at public relations, and she realizes that the visitors will soon tire of reading the same words over and over. So a new slogan is in order.
  • The goose suggests the word "terrific" and Charlotte is into this new idea. The only problem is no one is quite sure how to spell "terrific."
  • The old sheep has a suggestion: ask Templeton for help. Charlotte isn't sure the selfish rat will get in on their campaign to save Wilbur.
  • But Templeton could be helpful since he can fetch magazine scraps from the dump to help with spelling.
  • When Templeton enters the barn, the old sheep works to convince the rat to help out. At first, Templeton doesn't care a lick about saving Wilbur's life. But when the old sheep points out that the rat gets most of his meals from Wilbur's leftovers, Templeton gets on board.
  • So a plan is in motion: Templeton will collect some magazine scraps for spelling and inspiration.
  • And in the meantime Charlotte is going to write "Terrific" inside her web to give everyone in the county a new sensation to gab about.
  • Wilbur doesn't think he really is terrific, but Charlotte says he is so he's just going to have to go with it.