Charlotte's Web Chapter 17 Summary

Uncle

  • When the truck arrives at the fairgrounds, the place is already hoppin'. There's music blasting and rides spinning, so Fern and Avery waste no time heading off on their own.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Arable warn them to keep safe, but otherwise those kiddos have no supervision for the day. Freedom!
  • The adults load Wilbur into his pen, and then they head off to enjoy the fair, too.
  • Charlotte has found herself a perch in Wilbur's pen. She can see into some of the other pens and realizes that there's a huge pig next door to Wilbur.
  • Charlotte thinks this is bad news for her friend, so Charlotte sets out to meet this big pig. When she drops into his pen, the big pig says that he has no name but is just called "Uncle." Hmm, wonder where that name came from?
  • Charlotte thinks Uncle is pretty crass and noisy, while Wilbur is much nicer. But she does worry about how big Uncle is. When you're a pig getting judged at a fair, size is definitely important.
  • After this meet-and-greet, Charlotte is exhausted—even though the day has just begun. This has Wilbur pretty worried about how his friend is feeling.
  • Meanwhile, the Arables, the Zuckermans, and Lurvy all head back to Wilbur's pen. The children have clearly been having a lot of fun. Now it's time for some lunch and a little nap.
  • That sounds pretty good to us, too.