As summer ended, so did the excitement about the web.
Charlotte needed to think of something special.
Special enough to change the way people saw the world,
or at least one pig in the world, anyway.
The truth is, Charlotte feared she would never find a word that could do all that.
And she had to hurry. Time was running out for her.
But once a promise is made, it needs to be kept.
- Still no web, huh? - Nope.
I haven't seen one in, I'd say, at least a month.
Funny how you get used to all those people being around the place.
Kind of quiet without them, isn't it?
I noticed the hinge pin's busted on the damper in the smokehouse.
Want me to order a new one?
Suppose you better. That's a special order.
Better get a jump on that if we're going to smoke any ham before the holidays.
We may need another cord of wood, too.
I'm just going to throw this out here one more time. "Pig supreme."
Oh, Golly! Now you're just beating a dead horse.
- Hey! - Sorry.
Look, I don't come across many words in the field,
other than "Hyah!" or "Giddyup!"
But that rat's always dragging in trash with writing on it.
I agree.
It's about time Templeton started pulling his weight around here
instead of just eating it.
I bet he could bring us some choice words.
I've got a choice word for you. A little word called, "Uh-uh."
Well, that's two words.
And here's a few more. Negative. No way. Nothing doing.
I ain't breaking my back to try and save "some pig,"
no matter how "terrific" you think the little lunch meat is.
You'll sing a different tune when he's gone
and nobody brings around those scrumptious buckets of slop.
And three, two...
Cue the rat!
Let's get one thing straight.
I don't care about the pig.
- What I care about is the slop. - Of course.
And since I'll be at the dump anyway, and it won't take any extra effort,
maybe, maybe I'll pick something up.
You're very kind.
Don't go spreading it around.
What? What do you want?
You'll need your strength.
Thanks.
But, Dad, I heard them.
I heard them talking about the smokehouse!
He's not your pig anymore.
Well, I wouldn't have sold him in the first place
if I knew this is what they were gonna do to him.
That's what happens to a pig on a farm, Fern.
You know that.
I'll see about that.
I've got maybe two, three years before she can out-argue me.
Then I'm doomed.
And members of our own 4-H Club
will have the opportunity to enter livestock and poultry in the competition.
So, in addition to the rides and games,
make sure you show them your support, as well.
Any questions? Rita.
Miss Lewis, can I bring my chickens?
Your chickens, I'm sure. Pigs, chickens, horses and cows.
You certainly can, and I hope you win first prize.
How can he be in every cornfield?
It can't be the same guy. It can't be!
He's wearing the same hat.
I'm telling you, he is following us!
I hate that guy.
I have got to get some corn, Elwyn!
All right! All right! All right! This is crazy.
- There's two of us, right? - Yeah.
Trust me, there's two of us, and there's only one of him.
I don't know, man. He scares me. He really does.
- Just think about that corn. Corn. - Yeah.
- The corn. - Corn.
- All right, let's do it! - Let's do it! Let's do it!
- Abort! Abort! Abort! - Abort! Abort! Abort!
Man, he is good! I bet he's laughing at us.
Don't look at him! Don't even give him the satisfaction.
Just think about something else.
- Think about something else. - Anything.
I think I see a rat.
- That's good. - No, really, I see a rat.
The rat is stealthy. The rat is nimble. The rat is on the... whoa!
The rat is losing his touch.
- You want to go mess with him? - Oh, yeah! I've got to peck something.
Rat on three.
One, two, three!
The rat has been spotted!
The rat is not
enjoying this!
All this for slop?
The rat is desperate. The rat is trapped.
The rat needs to stop calling himself "the rat."
"Find some words." Yeah, right, the rat will never find words!
Hey, look. Words.
- Hey, is he still in the can? - He's in the can?
Maybe we should give him some privacy. Always helps me out.
No, no, genius, not that can.
Where did he go? I can't see him.
All I see is that fruit moving.
- What fruit? - The fruit with the tail!
They'll never get me now.
- Let's go get him! - Go get him!
The rat rules!
- We're pink! - Hey, what the... Pink?
But that's all right, isn't it? I mean, black pretty much goes with everything.
No, it's not all right. That rat is going to pay!
"Radiant."
- This might just work. - Might?
Oh, for the love of Lucy!
Here it comes. It did this yesterday.
Look that way, everyone! Right towards that cloud!
Good gracious. Has it always done that?
No, it can't have.
- Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! - Wow!
Oh, yes.
This word will work quite nicely.
Then my work is done.
And now for the fruits of my labor.
And the vegetables! And the gravy!
All right, now.
"R."
And stick.
And loop.
And...
Come on, Charlotte, you can do this.
Don't slow down yet.
Welcome to Zuckerman's! Thank you all for coming.
Well, the web says it better than I ever could.
That is some terrific, radiant pig!
And for that reason, I've decided to enter Wilbur into the county fair.
Did you hear what they said, Charlotte? I'm going to the fair!
Going to the fair!
Wilbur might just see Christmas after all.
Is it good? Did we do it?
Yes, Wilbur. It's very good.
Now, smile.
The fair, Homer? What's gotten into you?
I don't know, Sis. It just come to me.
He's a runt, Homer. He doesn't stand a chance.
Well done! Never had a doubt!
That spider did a heck of a job. She's a hard worker.
Thank you, Charlotte. You should take a little bow.
And have my beauty steal the show?
Now, go on and show them what a radiant pig can do.
What do you mean you're not going to the fair?
I'm going to get a prize. Don't you want to be there?
Of course I do, Wilbur, very much.
I'm just not up to traveling at the moment.
- Why not? - Because I'm expecting.
Expecting what?
"Expecting" means...
I'm expecting you to do fine without me.
You're getting to be a big pig, and you'll do just great on your own.
Okay. I'll miss you.
Come on, Homer, up and at 'em.
It's the big day.
- Fern? - Mom!
I'm not wearing that.
What the heck is she doing?
Bathed in buttermilk.
I've had this dream.
I've got to say he really is some pig.
That's my buttermilk working.
You sure you want to go through with this, Homer?
If you lose, you're out your entry fee.
He could win, though.
Stranger things have been happening around here.
If he doesn't win, though?
Well, the way I figure it, even if he does lose,
I can make it all back on the bacon alone.
Wilbur! Wilbur!
Do something, Homer.
- What happened? - I don't know. He just fainted.
It's all right, hon.
- Lurvy, get some water! - It's okay, Wilbur.
Charlotte, are you feeling-eeling okay?
Why is it so hard for that farmer to see what is right in front of his face?
Look what Wilbur has done for this farm. Isn't that better than ham?
Well, there's only one thing to do, and I have to be there to do it.
Charlotte, you have your babies to think about now.
Yes, I know. But I made a promise to my friend.
A big blue ribbon ought to finally get the point through that farmer's head.
- Easy, Lurvy. Easy. - Coming through! Coming through!
Here we go!
- There we go. - He's up.
Okay, let's see if he'll get in the crate.
- Buttermilk. - Templeton?
I need you to go with me. We'll have to find another word,
a really good one.
Sorry, lady.
Comes a time when the rat's got to ask himself, "What's in it for the rat?"
- He's right. We've been to the fair. - We have?
Remember? All that garbage there?
Oh, yeah! It's littered with hunks of chewed-on funnel cakes...
How's that?
And dribs of ice cream going sour in the sun.
And spitty little cotton candy bits ground into the mud.
Popcorn, moldy cheese, half-eaten sandwiches
and sticky-icky-icky candy apples.
Wait! Go back to the moldy cheese thing.
I've never seen so much disgusting trash!
Come on, Wilbur. Good boy.
Don't hurt him, Dad!
Nearly made me gag, the stink of it, especially that deviled egg.
You better hurry up, rat. They're gonna leave you!
Wait for me!
- Nice and easy. - Come on, Wilbur. Good boy.
More food than you'll see in a lifetime!
- Bye, Aunt Edith! - Bye.
Bye, Fern! Bye, Avery! See you at the fair, guys!
Hey, it worked!
I think we milked it a little there at the end, though.
All right. All right, John, I'll see you over there!
Charlotte, you're coming with me!
I wouldn't miss it for the world.
Thank you for coming.
- Good luck, Wilbur! Win that ribbon! - Go get 'em, Wilbur!
We're going to the fair!
Going to the fair! Going to the fair!
- I'm going on the bumper cars. - So fun!
The sign looks good, Homer. Nice and even.
All right, there we go.
There you go, Wilbur.
Okay, where's the filth?
Have you heard that good things come to those who wait?
No, good things come to those who find it and shove it in their mouth.
Don't think I don't know, Fern,
that we're all here because a determined little girl
made a promise to a pig.
- Wilbur. - Sorry.
I mean Wilbur.
I'm proud of you, honey.
Thanks.
Fern? Avery?
I'm going to give you each 10 tickets to do as you like out there.
And you have to make them last all day,
so don't go spending them all at once. Okay?
- Wow! - All right!
- I'll be right back. Okay. - Come on!
You're going to win the prize tomorrow. I know it.
- Everything will be all right. - Fern, let's go!
Okay.
Oh, my.
Is that what we're up against?
Excuse me. What is your name?
When someone wants to get your attention,
what is it they call out?
Uncle.
Tell me, Uncle, what is the date of your birth?
Your birthday?
For heaven's sake, all I want to know is if you're a spring pig.
Of course. What did you think I was? A spring chicken?
Huge and humorous. Aren't we talented!
Spring chicken.
Charlotte, who are you talking to?
- The pig next door. - Should I be worried?
Of course not. What good would that do?
Whoa! Have you seen the beast next door?
I think his mama was part hippo.
If I had to name five of the fattest pigs I've ever seen,
he'd be three of them. He's a shoo-in.
Please. That pig is not nearly as handsome as Wilbur,
or as harmoniously proportioned,
- and not nearly as clean. - There's a real tiebreaker.
We just have to prove that the finest pig is not necessarily the fattest.
And you can do your part, Wilbur, by getting some rest.
- I'm not tired, Charlotte. - Okay.
Well, could you excuse me for just a minute, please?
All right, Templeton, you're right. That pig over there is a shoo-in.
So, I need words that are even better than that pig is fat.
Special words, and lots of them.
How about "pushy" and "demanding"?
Templeton, please!
This is our last chance to save Wilbur's life.
You do realize I'm just here for the food, right?
Of course.
Enjoy the ride.
One, please.
Must be in the other pocket. Sorry.
- One second. - All right.
Two, please.
Is that Fern up there?
Well, I'll be.
- She's with a boy. - She is! She's with a boy!
Oh, no.
She's with a boy.
Manna from heaven!
I don't know what this is, but I love it!
One-stop slopping.
All right. Let's go get the spider off my back.
How come I'm not in a cornfield, Elwyn? How come?
Hey, hey. They got all kinds of corn right here.
You got your popcorn, caramel corn, candy corn.
Stop torturing me!
I'm starving here, and now I'm cross-eyed because of this pink stuff.
If I ever see that rat again...
Words, words, words.
"Pork rinds."
That'll draw a crowd.
This looks promising.
Hey! That rat!
I'm going to get me some rat!
Oh, not these birdbrains.
Let's get rid of them once and for all.
...and everything. Rat on three! Three!
Wait up, Brooksie! I'm coming with you!
Little flamingoes!
Come and get me!
- It's scary guy! - Abort! Abort!
Peck him! Peck him, Elwyn!
Wait a minute. His eyes are buttons, and his hair is straw.
This guy ain't real!
- He's not? - No!
Oh, yeah! The rat rules! Take that!
Do you know what this means?
- Yeah. - What?
We could've had corn!
Well, Your Highness, you satisfied or what?
'Cause I've got a spitty hunk of pineapple upside-down cake out there
with my name on it.
Yes, very satisfied.
Be careful. If you keep this up, someone might think you care.
Gee, I'm all choked up.
Charlotte?
If I don't win the prize tomorrow, they're gonna send me to the smokehouse.
You're going to win, Wilbur.
And you're going to see the snows of winter.
I told you, I never break a promise.
Mom?
Will you put these in for me?
You look like a girl!
And I still hit like one.
Well, what do you think?
It's a great word. It's just...
Just what?
Is it the right word? Is it true?
Because I don't really feel like
I deserve any of the things you've written about me.
Then it is the perfect word.
The web!
Hey, Wilbur!
"Humble."
Hey, Wilbur.
If that's not a prize-winner, I don't know what is.
He's going to win this thing, isn't he?
Oh, Homer, I can't go up to that grandstand looking like this.
Homer.
It's not fair.
Why didn't they tell us the judging was going to be so early?
We did our best.
I'll get the truck and take him home.
I really thought we had a shot.
It's okay. It'll be okay.
I told you. There it is! The web!
Mom...
What's going on?
It looks like it's "humble."
Excuse me. Thank you. Coming through. Excuse me.
Mr. Zuckerman! Could you come with me, please?
Oh, and bring the pig, too.
Homer.
Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the state of Maine,
it gives us great pleasure to present
Zuckerman's famous pig!
Folks! Folks!
I think we all remember the start of summer,
when the writing appeared on the web in Mr. Zuckerman's barn.
And now it has happened yet again!
Which is why the governors of the fair
are honored to present
this handsome medal.
A token of our amazement and our appreciation.
I love you, Wilbur.
Well, what can I say about this pig that hasn't already been said?
I know a lot of you folks have come out to the farm,
and you've seen the words.
A lot of you have asked me, "How could this have happened?"
I don't know.
But it has happened
in a time when we really don't see many miraculous things.
Or maybe we do.
Maybe they're all right there around us, every day,
and we just don't know where to look.
There's no denying that our own little Wilbur,
he's part of something that's bigger than all of us.
And life on that farm
is just a whole lot better with him in it.
He really is some pig.
Way to go, Wilbur!
Charlotte, look how happy she is!
Isn't that great?
Yes, it's wonderful.
Hey, what's that?
This is my magnum opus.
What's a magnet opus?
Magnum opus.
It means "great work." It's a nutrient-filled, waterproof egg sac.
Really? There's eggs in there?
My babies, 514 of them.
Wow! With 514 baby spiders all over the place,
it's going to be really radiant in the barn!
Wilbur, I'm afraid they're not going to make it back to the barn.
What?
What are you talking about?
You're not going to leave them here alone, are you?
I have no choice. I'm languishing.
What does that mean?
It means I'm dying.
What?
You can't die!
Wilbur, we're born, we live,
and, when our time comes, we die.
It's just the natural cycle of life.
No! No, just climb down.
I'll carry you the rest of the way.
We'll go back to the barn, and I'll take care of you.
No, Wilbur.
I don't even have the strength to climb down.
You have to.
You've done so much for me!
And it was my great pleasure.
Please come down, Charlotte.
Please. There must be something I can do.
No, Wilbur.
Don't you know what you've already done?
You made me your friend,
and, in doing so, you made a spider beautiful to everyone in that barn.
I didn't do anything, Charlotte. You did it all.
No. My webs were no miracle, Wilbur.
I was only describing what I saw.
The miracle is you.
Templeton!
Charlotte is very sick.
Yeah, and twisted.
She's dying! She can't go home with us.
So, I need you to help me take her egg sac with us.
Did you say eggs?
It's an egg sac. And it's right up there,
and it has her children in it.
And I can't just leave it here. What if something happened to them?
Now, I can't reach it, so I need you to get it for me.
And I need you to do it now.
I don't think I like your tone.
Can't you just once in your life think of someone other than yourself?
- A little further. Keep coming. - Once? Once?
Come on.
No, you come on!
Who got his hindquarters pecked to make you "radiant," huh?
Templeton, that's who.
And who interrupted the gorging of a lifetime so you could be "humble"?
Why, I think it was Templeton!
Templeton! Templeton! Templeton!
And do I get thanked?
No!
Well, has it ever occurred to you
that even a rat might like a little appreciation?
A little, dare I say, love?
Do it and you'll get dibs on my slop for the rest of my life.
Done.
Hurry! Up in the corner on the ledge.
Templeton!
Come on!
Thank you, Templeton,
for everything.
It's okay, just drop it. Hurry!
Here you go. Here's your medal.
- In you go. - Time to go home, Wilbur.
All right. Close her up, Lurvy.
Okay, easy now.
Goodbye,
my sweet, sweet Wilbur.
Goodbye, Charlotte.
I love you.
Is that our lovely-ovely-ovely little Wilbur?
- And he's got a medal! - Strong work, kid.
He looks so grown up.
- I always knew he could do it. - Never had a doubt.
Welcome home, Wilbur.
Wilbur?
Where's Charlotte?
I got a bad feeling, Bits.
Me, too.
Now, that isn't to say Charlotte was gone forever.
She lived on in the hearts of those that knew her,
and even those that didn't.
Something had changed in Somerset County.
It was as if people knew they lived in a special place now.
And, in small ways, they started being special people,
a little bit kinder,
a bit more understanding.
And the animals felt different, too.
Closer.
The warmth of their friendship carried them through the long, cold months.
They showed it in little gestures of kindness,
unusual patience,
and promises kept.
Even the hardest of hearts found themselves rising to the occasion.
And, finally, the greatest promise of all,
a spring pig saw his first snowfall.
It was as though Charlotte herself had shaken it out of the sky.
The stillness of winter continued to the first thaw, like it always does.
And then, the first buds of spring.
And, before you knew it, life had come full circle.
They're here! They're here!
They're here, everybody!
Hey, there. I'm Wilbur. I'm a friend of your mom's.
Boy, are we glad to see you!
So creepy!
And cute! Just like their mother.
They're so, so beautiful.
I just want to scoop them up and hug them all.
Wow, you can fly!
Look at you go!
Now that is something to follow.
Go, little spiders! Be free! I wish I could.
I'm kidding, honey. I think I got one inside my beak.
- Thanks, baby. - That's my Golly-olly-olly.
Wow!
I can't believe they're really here.
- So pretty. - Yeah, Bits.
You doing okay over there, lke?
I'm okay with it. I'm okay with it, Bets.
I'm okay with it.
Spiders are nice. Spiders are my friend.
Spiders won't hurt me.
Wait! What's happening? What are you doing?
- Bye! - Bye!
Please don't go.
- Goodbye! Bye! - Wait! Wait!
Goodbye!
Where are you going?
We're setting forth.
We take to the breeze. We go as we please.
We take to the breeze!
Bye!
But you can't go!
I had so much I wanted to tell you!
And someone I wanted to tell you about.
Salutations!
- Who said that? - I'm up here.
- So am I. - Me, too.
- We'd like to stay. - We like it here.
And we like you, too.
You're staying? Oh, that's great! That's really, really great!
Three friends! What are your names?
I'll tell you my name if you'll tell me why you're trembling.
Well, I think I'm trembling with joy.
- Then my name is Joy. - Joy? Perfect.
- What was my mom's middle initial? - A.
Then my name is Aranea.
Wow! Great name!
Why don't you pick my name for me?
Something sensible. Not too long, not too fancy.
And not too dumb.
Tricky. How about
Nellie?
Nellie? I like it. Well done!
Joy, Aranea, Nellie,
you have chosen a hallowed doorway in which to spin your webs.
This was your mother's doorway.
She was loyal, brilliant, beautiful,
and she was my friend.
I will treasure her memory forever.
So, to you, her daughters, I pledge my friendship.
I pledge mine!
- I do, too! - So do I!
Okay, I'd like to make a couple of announcements.
First of all,
if you gals are word-lovers,
and you need a few scraps of paper for inspiration,
don't look at me.
My word-fetching days are over.
I'm not the rat I used to be. I'm at least twice that.
So, if you need something to write, try this,
"Some rat." Some rat.
Think about it.
Slops! Oh, yeah!
And, in an ordinary barn,
an ordinary pig, a runt no less,
stood surrounded by friends,
welcoming his second spring.
And that spring was followed by many, many more.
All because someone stopped to see the grace
and beauty and nobility of the humblest creature.
That is the miracle of friendship.
It is not often that someone comes along
who is a true friend and a good writer.
Charlotte was both.