This is BBC Radio 4 and now our afternoon play.
Charlotte's plans to save Wilbur's life by writing words in her web seems to be working.
But to be certain, Farmer Zuckerman says he's got to win a blue ribbon at the county fair and Charlotte may not be able to go.
Listen.
Listen to the sound of the crickets singing the song of summer's ending, spreading the rumor of sadness and change.
Everybody heard the song of the crickets.
Fern and Avery Arable heard it and knew that school would soon begin again.
Charlotte heard it and knew she hadn't much time left.
Mrs. Zuckerman at work in the kitchen heard it and sighed at another summer gone.
And Lurvie, feeding Wilbur in the barn, heard it and knew that it would soon be time to take Wilbur to the county fair.
Charlotte's Web by E.B.
White.
With Sophie Thompson as Charlotte, Dominic Cooper as Wilbur, Ken Campbell as Templeton the Rat and Peter Marinka as the narrator.
Wilbur was now the center of attraction on the farm.
Good food and regular hours had made him a pig to be proud of.
One day, more than a hundred people came to stand in his yard and admire him.
Charlotte had written the word radiant in her web.
And Wilbur really looked radiant as he stood in the golden sunlight.
And when his audience grew bored, he would spring into the air and do a backflip with a half twist.
And Homer Zuckerman would say, That pig is radiant.
Isn't that so, Lurvie?
And Lurvie would say, Sure is, Mr. Zuckerman.
Did you ever see a more radiant pig?
Sure did not, Mr. Zuckerman.
Lurvie, I want you to start building a crate for Wilbur so we can take him to the county fair and make a sign.
Make it large and paint it green with gold letters.
What will the letters say?
They should say, Zuckerman's Famous Pig.
Some of Wilbur's friends worried for fear all this attention would go to his head, but it never did.
He did worry about the future and sometimes at night he would have a bad dream, but usually in the daytime he felt happy and confident.
He was looking forward to the trip to the county fair.
If he could distinguish himself there and maybe win some prize money.
Mr Zuckerman had said he would let him live and never turn him into bacon and ham.
And he was sure to win a blue ribbon if only Charlotte would go with him.
But she had worries of her own.
You're going with me, aren't you, Charlotte?
Well, I don't know.
The fair comes at a very bad time for me.
I shall find it inconvenient to leave home, even for a few days.
Why?
Oh, I just don't feel like leaving my web.
There's too much going on around here.
Please come with me.
I need you, Charlotte.
You've just got to come.
No.
I believe I'd better stay at home and see if I can't get some work done.
What kind of work?
Egg laying.
It's time I made an egg sack and filled it with eggs.
I didn't know you could lay eggs.
Why don't you come with me to the fairgrounds and lay your eggs there?
It would be wonderful fun.
You don't know the first thing about egg laying, Wilbur.
I can't arrange my family duties to suit the management of the county fair.
When I get ready to lay eggs, I have to lay eggs, fair or no fair.
However, I don't want you to worry about it.
You might lose weight.
Well, leave it this way.
I'll come to the fair if I possibly can.
Oh, good.
I knew you wouldn't forsake me just when I needed you most.
The night before the county fair, everybody went to bed early.
Fern and Avery were in bed by eight.
Avery lay dreaming that the ferris wheel had stopped and he was in the top car.
Fern lay dreaming that she was getting sick in the swings.
Mr. and Mrs. Zuckerman were in bed by nine.
Mrs. Zuckerman lay dreaming about a deep freeze unit.
Mr. Zuckerman lay dreaming about Wilbur.
He dreamt that Wilbur had grown until he was 116 feet long and 92 feet high, and that he had won all the prizes at the fair and was covered in blue ribbons.
Down in the barn, the animals, too, went to sleep early, all except Charlotte.
Every creature planned to get up in time to see Wilbur off on his great adventure.
Good morning, Wilbur.
Well, it's your big day.
Yes, it is.
Charlotte, are you going to... Morning, Wilbur.
Gently, Lurvie, gently.
Sure thing, Mr. Zuckerman.
Just here will do fine.
There you are, Wilbur.
Have a good look at this here crate.
You'll be going in it to the fair.
That's nice fresh straw Lurvie's put in there for you, isn't it, Lurvie?
Sure is, Mr. Zuckerman.
Bring Wilbur out here right now, will you, Lurvie?
What for, Edith?
Homer, I am going to give that pig a buttermilk bath.
A what?
A buttermilk bath.
My grandmother used to bathe her pig with buttermilk when it got dirty.
I just remembered.
Wilbur's not dirty.
He's filthy behind the ears.
He also has a smudge on one side where he lays in the manure.
He lays in clean straw.
Well, he's dirty and he's going to have a bath.
Oh, we'd better do as she says.
Sure thing, Mr. Zuckerman.
Let's go now, Wilbur.
Come on, pig.
Come on.
Good pig.
Good pig, pig.
Pig, pig, pig, pig, pig.
It's a good thing Wilbur likes buttermilk.
Please, please, please take us to the fair.
Please, please, please take us to the fair.
Children, we're staying quietly, idly, idly at home.
Only Wilbur, Wilbur, Wilbur is going to the fair.
I shall go too.
I have decided to go with Wilbur.
He may need me.
We can't tell what may happen at the fairgrounds.
Someone's got to go along who knows how to write.
And I'm going too.
If what the old sheep says is true, a fair is a rat's paradise.
Of course it's true.
Good.
I might need you, Templeton, to run errands and do general work.
Now, there is no time to be lost.
Templeton and I must get in the crate right now and hide ourselves.
I'll just bury myself in the straw.
And I'll hide in this knot hole.
What's that?
Hi, Uncle Homer.
Hi, Uncle Homer.
Hi, Aunt Edith.
Hi, Fern.
Hi, Avery.
Hi, kids.
Hi, Martha.
Oh, better not get too close.
I'm covered in buttermilk.
That is some pig.
He's terrific.
He's very radiant.
Well, he's clean anyway.
That's because I've just given him a buttermilk bath.
Pop, can I eat some of Wilbur's slop someday?
In a way, you already do.
What he eats is leftovers from what we eat.
Yeah, but it looks better in the bucket than it does in the table.
Well, thank you very much.
And you take your hands out of that bucket right now, honey.
Okay, everybody.
Let's go put him in the crate.
Lurvie, have you got the slop bucket?
Oh, sure have, Mr. Zuckerman.
Come on, Wilbur.
Come on, pig.
Come on, piggy, piggy, piggy, piggy, piggy.
Come on, come on.
Come on, Wilbur.
Here they come.
Watch me.
I'm a pig.
I'm a pig.
Ow.
Watch your feet.
What a mess.
Why did I let myself in for this?
I'm a pig.
Avery, you get out of that crate this instant.
What do you think you are?
I'm a pig.
Come out of that pig pen immediately.
Oh, mama.
The truck is rolling away.
Papa?
I must have left the handbrake off.
Come on, Avery.
You can help me and Lurvie get Wilbur into the crate.
Let's get him in position.
I got him.
Okay, not him.
Come on now, all together, boys.
Shut up!
There's nothing wrong with this pig.
Get him in there.
Good boy, Avery.
Nice job, Lurvie.
That'll hold him now.
Okay, now.
Yeah, that's tight.
All right, everybody.
Let's go see if John caught the truck in time.
Then we'll have some of Edith's apple strudel while we get ready for the fair.
Watch out, Wilbur.
You nearly sat on me.
Oh, hello, Templeton.
So you decided to come along for the ride?
And so did I. Charlotte, I knew you wouldn't let me down.
Now I know everything is going to be all right.
I wouldn't count your goslings before they hatched if I were you, Wilbur.
When the Arables and the Zuckermans pulled into the fairground, they could hear music and see the ferris wheel turning in the sky.
They could smell the dust of the racetrack, the hamburgers frying, and see balloons floating toward the clouds.
They stopped in the area where the livestock was going to be judged.
Attention, please.
Will the owner of a Pontiac car with license number H2439 please move your car away?
Here's some money.
Can I too?
I'm gonna win a doll.
I'm gonna crash a jet plane into another one.
Watch out, Avery.
Avery.
It's okay.
They're just excited.
Can I have a balloon?
Can I have a frozen custard and a cheeseburger and some raspberry soda puffs?
You'll have to wait until we get the pig unloaded.
Oh, no, Martha.
Let's let the children go off by themselves.
The fair only comes once a year.
Vern, here's some money.
Henry, here's some for you.
And remember, the money's got to last all day.
The judging's not till tomorrow.
And don't eat lots of stuff that's going to make you sick to your stomachs.
And be back here by 4 o'clock.
Yes, Papa.
And if you go on those swings, you hang on tight.
You hang on very tight.
You hear me?
Yes, Mama.
Yes, Mo.
Come on, Fern.
Bye, Mama.
Bye.
And don't get lost.
And don't get dirty.
John, come and give us a hand.
Sure thing.
Do you really think it's all right, John?
Well, they've got to grow up sometime, and the fair is a good place to start, I guess.
I guess.
Okay, John.
Lurvie, you ready?
One, two, three!
There we go.
Lurvie, let him out into the pen and give him a bucket of slops.
Sure thing, Mr. Zuckerman.
John, will you give me a hand to put this sign up?
Sure thing, Homer.
Here you go, pig.
Yeah, he likes that.
We'll set it right here so everybody will know this is the pig they've been hearing about.
Zuckerman's famous pig.
Thanks, John.
Thanks, Lurvie.
If we're finished for the time being, Mr Zuckerman, I think I'll go down to the fairground and meet some of my friends.
Sure thing, Lurvie.
Maybe I'll even win one of those Navajo blankets I've been hearing about.
Oh, it's great to be at the fair, isn't it?
I'm nearly as excited as the kids.
Let's go have a look at the new tractors, Edith.
Let me just dry him off.
Oh, look, he's asleep.
Martha, let's you and me wander over to the cattle barn and see the Holsteins and the Guernseys.
Okay, but let's try and keep an occasional eye out for Fern and Avery.
All finished.
Let's go then.
Meet you back here at four o'clock.
Okay.
Come on, Edith.
Let's go and see those tractors.
I thought they'd never leave.
Well, I think I'll do a little exploring.
Please bring back a word, Templeton.
I'll do what I can.
If I don't write something, I'm sure Wilbur will have a difficult time winning that blue ribbon.
He's a dear little pig and clever, but there'll be smarter and bigger pigs here, like that one in the next pen.
He's enormous.
I think I'll just drop down, take a closer look.
May I have your name, please?
No name.
Just call me Uncle.
Oh, very well.
Uncle, you're rather large.
Are you a spring pig?
Of course I'm a spring pig.
Would you think I were a spring chicken?
That was a good one, wasn't it?
Mildly funny.
I've heard funnier ones, though.
And are you hoping to win a blue ribbon?
Well, there's nothing to ruffle me feathers around here.
From what I've seen so far, I've got that blue ribbon all sewed up.
But I won't needle you about it.
You get it?
Glad to have met you.
And now I must be going.
So long, sister.
Come and see me at the prize giving.
Oh, dear.
Oh, dear.
Hello, Wilbur.
Hi, Charlotte.
Where is everybody?
Gone to the fair.
Did I hear you talking to someone?
A pig that's in the next pen.
Is he better than me?
I mean, bigger?
I'm afraid he's much bigger.
Oh, no.
He claims he's a spring pig, and perhaps he is.
One thing is certain, he has a most unattractive personality.
Also, he's not anywhere near as clean as you are.
Oh, he's going to be hard to beat, though, on account of his size and weight.
Oh.
But with me helping you, it can be done.
When are you going to spin your web?
Well, late this afternoon if I'm not too tired.
I just don't seem to have the energy I once had.
It must be my age.
I think I'll take a nap.
All day, people wandered past Wilbur's pen.
Dozens and dozens of strangers stopped to stare at him and read the sign.
And then they would go and look at the pig next door.
Toward the end of the day... Wow, here's a good looking fella.
Zuckerman's famous pig.
Look at his silky pink coat and his nice curly tail.
I think he's the finest pig we've seen today.
I think I've heard of you.
Aren't you that radiant pig who's supposed to be terrific?
He's not as big as this one here.
This one's called Uncle.
He's very big.
In fact, he's gigantic.
And he seems to be very confident.
Oh, I think he'll win the blue ribbon, don't you?
I reckon.
We'll mark Uncle for the spring pigs.
Let's go look at the horses and see if we can pick the winner over...
Oh, dear.
Did you hear that, Charlotte?
Chin up, young friend.
Those weren't the judges.
They were merely the spectators.
The judges are the ones who count.
Here's your order.
Well, I hope you brought a good one.
It is the last word I shall ever write.
Charlotte, what do you mean?
Oh, Templeton, my eyes seem to be going.
Having trouble reading this.
What's that word?
Humble.
H-U-M-B-L-E.
Humble has two meanings.
Not proud and close to the ground.
That's Wilbur, all right.
Well, I hope you're satisfied.
I'm not going to spend all my time delivering papers.
I've come to this fair to enjoy myself.
Oh, you've been very helpful, Templeton.
You may run along now.
I'm going to make a night of it.
The sheep was right.
This fair is a rat's paradise.
What eating?
What drinking?
So bye-bye, my humble Wilbur.
Fare thee well, Charlotte, you old schemer.
This will be a night to remember in a rat's life.
Charlotte, what did you mean when you said this would be your last word?
That's terrific.
Good for you, Lurvie.
Just lucky, that's all.
Hey, everybody, look what Lurvie won.
What is it, Nerfy?
A genuine Navajo blanket.
Wow, congratulations.
I do wonder where Fern is.
She'll be along.
Well, I suppose we ought to think about getting home.
Will the pig be okay?
Sure, Avery.
They have night watchmen to look after the animals when the people leave.
He'll be fine, won't you, Wilbur?
Get lots of sleep, Wilbur.
The judges come around first thing in the morning.
They may even get here before we do.
Look at the dolly one, everybody.
Well done, Fern.
Oh, isn't she beautiful?
It's a lucky day today.
Let's just hope it's as lucky for Wilbur tomorrow.
Come on, everyone.
Let's load up.
I'll be thinking about you tonight, Wilbur.
Good luck tomorrow.
Sleep well.
Fern, I've been worried.
Where were you?
I met Henry Fussy, and he invited me to ride with him on the Ferris wheel.
Henry Fussy?
He even bought a ticket for me.
Oh, my, my.
One time we stopped at the very top.
I pretended I was scared, and Henry pretended he wasn't.
Oh, my, my.
Well, I'd better be getting to work.
Is this really going to be your last word, Charlotte?
I think so.
I don't have much strength left.
And tonight I have another job to do.
Is it something for me?
No, it's something for me for a change.
Please tell me what it is.
I'll show you in the morning.
What's that?
It's the fireworks.
They are an important part of the fair.
This is the first night I've ever spent away from home.
I'm glad you're with me, Charlotte.
I never feel lonely when you're near.
Thank you.
That's what a friend likes to hear.
Charlotte?
Yes?
Even if I don't win the blue ribbon, and the worst happens, I will never forget you.
Oh, that's very nice of you to say.
Now, go to sleep.
Good night. even more exhausted than I thought.
But this has to be done.
It will be dawn before long and the judges will be making their rounds pretty soon.
Now, first, the web.
Touch.
Descend.
Pay outline.
Over to the right.
Easy now.
Oh.
Stand and tie it off.
The message is spun.
I've come to the end.
The job that I've done is all for my friend.
Humble.
Well, that's done.
Now for another very important task.
And I must hurry.
And while Charlotte was busy with her very important task, miles away at the Arable's house, the men sat round the kitchen table eating a dish of canned peaches and talking over the events of the day.
Upstairs, Avery was already in bed and asleep. and Mrs. Arable was tucking Fern into bed.
Did you have a good time at the fair?
I had the best time I ever had, anywhere or anytime in all of my whole life.
Well, isn't that nice?
Next morning.
When the first light came into the sky and the sparrows stirred in the trees, when the cows rattled their chains and the rooster crowed and the early automobiles went whispering along the road, Wilbur awoke and looked for Charlotte.
Oh, look!
There's a new word!
Charlotte!
Oh, good morning, Wilbur.
Yes, humble.
It fits you perfectly.
Thank you, Charlotte.
And what's that thing up there?
Looks like candy floss.
Did you make it?
I did indeed.
It's my egg sack.
The finest thing I ever made.
Well, what's inside it?
Eggs?
514 of them.
You're kidding.
No, I'm not.
I counted them.
I started counting, so I kept on, just to keep my mind occupied.
Are you really going to have 514 children?
Yes, if nothing happens, of course, and they're kept safe.
They won't show up till next spring.
What makes you sound so down-hearted?
Don't pay any attention to me.
I feel sad because I won't ever see my children.
Of course you will.
We'll all see them.
Oh, it's going to be simply wonderful next spring in the barn with 514 baby spiders running around all over the place.
And the geese will have a new set of goslings and the sheep will have their new lambs.
Wilbur, I don't feel good at all.
My eggs and I might not even make it back to the barn.
Charlotte, don't say that.
Now, now, you stop worrying about me.
This is your big day today.
Look at my web.
Doesn't it show up well with the dew on it?
What a night.
I'm back.
What a night.
What feasting and carousing.
I must have eaten the remains of 30 lunches.
Oh, it was rich, my friends.
Rich.
You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
It would serve you right if you had an attack of acute indigestion.
Don't worry about my stomach.
It can handle anything.
Wilbur's the one you should be worrying about.
What do you mean?
I've got some bad news.
As I came past that pig next door, the one that calls himself Uncle, I noticed a blue ribbon on the front of his pen.
That means he won first prize.
I guess you're licked, Wilbur.
You might as well relax.
Nobody's going to hang any medal on you.
Wait till Zuckerman gets hankering for some fresh pork and smoked ham.
He'll take the knife to you, me boy.
You be still, Templeton.
Don't pay any attention to him, Wilbur.
I bet he's so scared he's going to faint again.
No, I'm not.
Whatever will happen will happen.
I may not live as long as I'd like, but I've lived very well.
A good life is much more important than just having a long life.
So, starting now, I'm going to stop worrying about myself.
There are more important things than just thinking about yourself all the time.
Like you, Templeton.
You didn't even notice that Charlotte has made an egg sack.
Egg sack?
Up there.
She's going to become a mother.
For your information, there are 514 eggs in that little sack.
Oh, congratulations.
This has been a night.
I'm sorry about the blue ribbon, Wilbur, but you're being very brave about it.
Bravery is just one of the many things I've learned from you.
Charlotte, my friend.
Look, look, everybody.
Look at what it says in Charlotte's web.
Humble.
My goodness.
Humble.
Humble.
Humble.
Another miracle.
He's sure to win that blue ribbon now.
Ha-ha!
What is it, Avery?
That pig over there has already won first prize.
What?
Have the judges been already?
Oh, no.
I can't believe Wilbur didn't win.
This is terrible.
Oh, Wilbur.
It's not fair.
He won just because he's fat.
I'll bet the judges are fat, too.
Now hold on here.
What's everybody crying about?
Edith, you brought all the stuff.
Give the pig his buttermilk bath.
But he didn't win.
People are still going to come by and see him and what's written in the web.
Now let's get busy.
That's the spirit, Homer.
I'll give him his breakfast.
Oh, I'll help with the bath, Edith.
Give me one of those claws.
Thank you, Martha.
Vern, you and Avery tidy up the area.
Homer, I think our sign needs to be a little more prominent.
What's a prominent mean?
It means easy to see, more noticeable.
You're often very prominent yourself, Avery.
Attention please, attention.
We would like to ask as many of you as can to assemble in the livestock area, where we are about to present a special award.
Special award?
Must be for the cows or the horses.
When you arrive at the livestock area, please go to the section where the pigs are located.
It sounds like somebody around here is going to get another award.
That fat pig over there.
We will ask you to report directly to the pig owned by Mr. Homer Zuckerman.
The pig owned by Mr. Homer Zuckerman?
We've got no time to lose.
Finish up, Edith.
I'll get some more straw.
I'll get rid of the slop bucket.
Okay, Wilbur's finished.
Homer, does my hair look all right?
Looks fine.
You didn't even look at my hair.
You're all right, Edith.
Just keep calm.
Everyone who had visited the pig pen the day before had a good word to say about Wilbur, and they all turned up with their friends for the prize giving.
Everyone admired the web and nobody noticed Charlotte, who was resting behind her egg sack, or Templeton, who had woken up with the noise and was hiding in the straw in Wilbur's pen.
I'm scared to death.
Hundreds of people are looking at us.
Cheer up.
This is fun.
A lot of fuss about nothing, if you ask me.
Watch where you're sitting, Wilbur.
Oh, sorry, Templeton.
Coming through.
Coming through.
Let's open it up a little, please.
Thank you.
Yes, thank you very much.
Zuckerman.
Who is Zuckerman?
Uh, right here.
Ah. pleased to meet you.
Testing, testing.
Can everyone hear me?
Good, good, good.
Ladies and gentlemen, we now present Mr. Homer L. Zuckerman's distinguished pig.
Now, many of you recall when the writing first appeared mysteriously on the spider web in Mr Zuckerman's barn, calling the attention of all to the fact that this was some pig.
Then came the word terrific.
And he is, look at him.
Next, the word radiant appeared in the web.
And now, this very morning, the word humble.
Whence came this mysterious writing?
Not from the spider.
Needless to say, spiders can't write.
No, ladies and gentlemen, this miracle has never been fully explained.
We simply know that we are dealing with supernatural forces here, and we should all feel proud and grateful.
On behalf of the governors of the fair, I take the honor of awarding a special prize of 25 to Mr Zuckerman.
And this handsome bronze medal, which far outshines any blue ribbon, to this radiant, this terrific, this humble pig.
Wilbur!
What's wrong?
What's going on, Zuckerman?
What's the trouble with your pig?
He must have fainted.
He's so modest and he can't stand praise.
Well, we can't give a prize to a dead pig.
It's never been done.
He isn't dead.
He's just fainted.
Run for some water, Lurvie.
Sure thing, Mr. Zuckerman.
I'll deal with this.
This will teach him to put his tail in my face.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, the official awarding of the prizes.
Here is $25 for Mr. Zuckerman.
And if I can just tie this ribbon around his fine prize-winning neck the bronze medal for the star attraction of the county fair.
Now folks, if you proceed on to the grandstand, you'll be just in time for the first heat of today's hummus races.
Excuse me.
Coming through.
I've got to go call the first race.
Oh, Uncle Homer, isn't this wonderful?
Look at Wilbur and his new medal.
We're mighty pleased with you, boy.
I've got it, Mr. Zuckerman.
I've got the water.
Oh, sorry, Lurvie.
It's all over.
Oh.
Oh, well, at least Wilbur got his medal.
Let's have a look at it, boy.
Well, now that the excitement's died down, I guess it's time to be loading up.
Wilbur, let's all celebrate by taking one last look at the fair.
Sounds good to me.
Mother, may I have 40 cents?
It's my turn to take Henry on the Ferris wheel.
There you are.
How about me?
That's for you, Avery.
Thanks, Pop.
See you later.
Yeah, see you later.
Henry Fussy, imagine that.
Well, let's go.
Come on, Lurvie.
I'll buy you a frozen custard.
Oh, sure thing, Mr. Zuckerman.
We'll be back in a jiffy, Wilbur.
Wear that medal with pride, boy.
Charlotte?
Charlotte, did you hear?
Isn't it wonderful?
Charlotte, are you all right?
Yes.
Yes, a little tired perhaps, but I... I feel peaceful now that I know you all live safe and sound.
Oh, Charlotte.
Why did you do all this for me?
I've never done anything for you.
You have been my friend.
That in itself is a tremendous thing.
By helping you, perhaps I was lifting up my life a little.
Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that.
You have saved me, Charlotte, and I would gladly give my life for you.
I really would.
I'm sure you would.
Charlotte, we're all going home today.
Won't it be wonderful to be back in the barn again?
I will not be going back to the barn.
Not going back?
What are you talking about?
I'm done for.
In a day or two, I'll be dead.
Charlotte?
Charlotte, my true friend.
Come now, Wilbur.
Let's not make a scene.
Do stop thrashing about.
I won't leave you alone to die.
I shall stay too.
Oh, don't be ridiculous.
You can't stay here.
Zuckerman and Lurvie and John Arable and the others will be back any minute now.
And they'll shove you into that crate and away you'll go.
Besides, it wouldn't make any sense for you to stay.
There would be no one to feed you.
The fairgrounds will be empty and deserted.
This stall will be taken down.
I'm so tired.
I can't even crawl up to my egg sack.
And I need it.
I need it to be in a safer place.
I have an idea.
But we have to do it quickly.
Templeton!
Templeton, wake up!
Pay attention!
Oh, can't a rat catch a wink of sleep?
Listen to me.
Charlotte is very ill.
She's only a short time to live.
Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that we take her egg sack with us.
I can't reach it and I can't climb.
You're the only one that can get it.
There's not a second to be lost.
Zuckerman will be back any minute to take me back to the barn.
Please, please, please, Templeton, climb up and get the egg sack.
Oh, so.
So it's old Templeton to the rescue again, is it?
Templeton, do this.
Templeton, do that.
Templeton, please run down to the dump and get me a magazine.
Oh, hurry.
Hurry up, Templeton.
Oh, so it's hurry up, Templeton, is it?
Ho, ho.
And what thanks do I ever get for these services?
I would like to know.
Never a kind word for old Templeton.
Only abuse and wisecracks and snide remarks.
Never a kind word for a rat.
Templeton, if you don't stop talking, Zuckerman will be here to take me back to the barn, and I can't leave Charlotte's egg sack.
All her babies will die and I will die of a broken heart.
I have a broken heart.
How touching.
I've noticed that it's always me you come to when in trouble, but I've never heard of anyone's heart breaking on my account.
Oh, no.
Who cares anything about old Templeton?
Get up!
Stop acting like a spoiled child!
Who made trip after trip to the dump?
Why, t'was old Templeton.
Who saved Charlotte's life by scaring that arable boy with a rotten goose egg?
Bless my soul, I believe it was old Templeton.
And if I hadn't bitten your tail just now at the prize-giving, you'd be going home as a couple of ham shanks and a string of sausages.
Has it ever occurred to you that I'm sick of running errands and doing favours?
Templeton, I will make you a solemn promise.
Get Charlotte's egg sack for me, and from now on, I will let you eat first when Lurvie slops me.
You get first choice of everything in the trough, and I won't touch a thing until you're through.
You mean that?
I promise.
I cross my heart.
It's a deal.
Go on, then.
It's up there in the corner.
Use extreme care.
I don't want a single one of those eggs harmed.
What?
This stuff sticks in my mouth.
It's worse than treacle toffee.
Oh, thank you, Templeton.
I'll never forget this as long as I live.
Neither will I. Now take the egg sack and run to the truck and hide under the straw.
And hurry, you mustn't miss it.
Well, you think I'm going to miss the ride home now that I get first tick of the trough?
We'll take care of Wilbur, Edith.
You drop the tailgate of the pickup and get his crate ready.
Well, sir, it turned out to be a mighty fine fare.
Mighty fine.
Best one I've ever been to.
The very best one.
You two pick up the sign and take it to the truck.
I'll bring Wilbur.
Okay, Homer.
Ready, Lurvie?
Yeah, ready.
One, two, three.
Got it.
Let's go, Wilbur.
This will be a day you can tell your grandchildren about.
Come on, Wilbur.
Come on, boy.
Goodbye, Charlotte.
Goodbye.
Goodbye, Wilbur.
Thank you for saving my egg sack.
Thank you.
And goodbye, my friend.
Charlotte summoned all her strength and waved to Wilbur.
She went back to her web and never moved again.
Next day, as the ferris wheel was being taken apart and the race horses were being loaded into their vans and the entertainers were packing up their belongings and driving away in their trailers, Charlotte died.
The fairgrounds were soon deserted.
The sheds and buildings were empty and forlorn.
The fields were littered with bottles and trash.
Of the hundreds of people who had visited that fair, nobody knew that a gray spider had played the most important part of all.
No one was with her when she died.
Wilbur returned to his beloved barn.
The animals were delighted with his success at the fair, but everyone missed Charlotte very much.
Fern's visits grew less and less until the day came when she no longer visited the barn.
For the rest of the autumn and all through the winter, Wilbur watched over Charlotte's egg sack as though he were guarding his own children.
Patiently, he awaited the end of winter and the coming of little spiders.
I'm stuffed.
All right, Wilbur, it's your turn.
Wilbur hasn't eaten anything these past few days.
He keeps waiting for the eggs to hatch.
Templeton, you would live longer if you ate less.
Who wants to live forever?
I am pleased, pleased, pleased to announce that the Gander and I are expecting goslings.
Oh, again?
It must be spring.
Everything sprouts.
Including your stomach.
Something's moving.
No bigger than a grain of sand.
They're here.
They're here.
Who's here?
The spiders.
They've hatched.
All 514 of them.
Look.
They seem to be climbing up the rafters.
Hello.
I'm an old friend of your mother's.
Are you all right?
Is there anything I can get you?
Come back, children.
Where are you going?
We're going out into the world to make webs for ourselves.
But where?
Wherever the wind takes us.
We take the breeze and go where we please.
They're all leaving, floating away on little clouds of silk.
Happens every time.
Please don't go.
Wait, please.
Goodbye.
I'm glad they hatched, but I wish they would stay.
Some of them, anyway.
I'm being deserted by Charlotte's children.
There, there, there, Wilbur.
They have their own lives to live.
Yes, I know, but I was just hoping.
Oh, never mind.
Salutations.
Who said that?
Me.
I'm over here.
I'm over here.
And I'm over here.
Three of us are staying.
We like this place.
And we like you.
Oh.
My goodness.
Well, salutations to you too.
This is wonderful.
Wonderful.
What are your names, please?
Excuse me?
Are you trembling?
Yes, trembling with joy.
Then my name is Joy.
What was my mother's middle initial?
A. Then my name is Arania.
I need a name too.
Pick one out for me.
Not too fancy.
Not too dumb.
How about Nelly?
Fine.
I like that very much.
Joy, Arania, Nelly, welcome to your new home.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Your mother was very special to me.
I owe her my life.
She was brilliant, beautiful, skilful and loyal to the end.
I shall always treasure her memory.
To you, her daughters, I pledge my friendship forever and ever.
I pledge mine.
I do too.
And so do I. What's that handsome medal that you're wearing?
My medal?
Well, it's a long story, and I'll tell you about it.
But right now, I'm going to take off the medal.
Oh!
What?
Why?
What does he mean?
I'm putting the medal where it rightfully belongs.
Templeton?
Yes?
Please can you take the medal off me and hang it on the nail where Charlotte's web used to be?
I don't believe it.
Another favour?
This is the last one, I promise.
I know.
Till the next time.
Like this?
Perfect.
I hereby dedicate my medal to the memory of dear Charlotte, whom I will never forget.
Very thoughtful of you, Wilbur.
None of us will ever, ever, ever forget her.
I will love her children and her grandchildren dearly, but none of them will ever take her place in my heart.
It's not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer.
Charlotte was both.
In Charlotte's Web by E.B.
White, Adapted for radio by Chris Wallace from the play by Joseph Robinette.
Wilbur was played by Dominic Cooper, Charlotte by Sophie Thompson Templeton, Ken Campbell, Old Sheep, Angela Curran Goose, Colleen Prendergast Goslings, Dominic Curran Lurvie, Kerry Shale.
Homer Zuckerman, John Chancer.
Edith, Laurence Bouvard.
Martha Arable, Laurel Lefkoe.
Fern, Georgina Hagen.
Avery, Corbin Thomas-Smith.
And the narrator and John Arable, Peter Marinka.
The music was by Rick Dukes.
It was directed by Chris Wallace and is a Watershed Partnership production for BBC Radio 4.
