Shadowing Practice: 🐷🕷️ CHARLOTTE'S WEB Chapter 3 (Audiobook Full Text Read-along) 🕷️🐷 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Charlotte's Web Chapter 3 Escape
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The barn was very large.
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It was very old.
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It smelled of hay and it smelled of manure.
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It smelled of the perspiration of tired horses and the wonderful sweet breath of patient cows.
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It often had a sort of peaceful smell, as though nothing bad could happen ever again in the world.
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It smelled of grain and of harness dressing and of axle grease and of rubber boots and of new rope.
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And whenever the cat was given a fish head to eat, the barn would smell of fish.
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But mostly it smelled of hay, for there was always hay in the great loft up overhead,
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and there was always hay being pitched down to the cows and the horses and the sheep.
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The barn was pleasantly warm in winter when the animals spent most of their time indoors,
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and it was pleasantly cool in summer when the big doors stood wide open to the breeze.
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The barn had stalls on the main floor for the workhorses, tie-ups on the main floor for the cows, a sheepfold down below for the sheep,
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a pigpen down below for Wilbur, and it was full of all sorts of things that you find in barns.
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Ladders, grindstones, pitchforks, monkey wrenches, scythes, lawnmowers, snow shovels, sacks,
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handles, milk pails, water buckets, empty grain sacks, and rusty rat traps.
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It was the kind of barn that swallows like to build their nests in.
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It was the kind of barn that children like to play in.
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And the whole thing was owned by Fern's uncle, Mr. Homer L.
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Zuckerman.
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Wilbur's new home was in the lower part of the barn, directly underneath the cows.
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Mr. Zuckerman knew that a manure pile is a good place to keep a young pig.
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Pigs need warmth, and it was warm and comfortable down there in the barn cellar on the south side.
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Fern came almost every day to visit him.
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She found an old milking stool that had been discarded, and she placed the stool in the sheepfold next to Wilbur's pen.
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she sat quietly during the long afternoons, thinking and listening and watching Wilbur.
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The sheep soon got to know her and trust her.
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So did the geese who lived with the sheep.
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All the animals trusted her, she was so quiet and friendly.
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Mr. Zuckerman did not allow her to take Wilbur out, and he did not allow her to get into the pig pen.
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But he told Fern that she could sit the stool and watch Wilbur as long as she wanted to.
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It made her happy just to be near the pig, and it made Wilbur happy to know that she was sitting there, right outside his pen.
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But he never had any fun.
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No walks, no rides, no swims.
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One afternoon in June, when Wilbur was almost two months old, he wandered out into his small yard outside the barn.
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Fern had not arrived for her usual visit.
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Wilbur stood in the sun feeling lonely and bored.
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There's never anything to do around here, he thought.
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He walked slowly to his food trough and sniffed to see if anything had been overlooked at lunch.
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He found a small strip of potato skin and ate it.
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His back itched, so he leaned against the fence and rubbed against the boards.
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When he tired of this, he walked indoors, climbed to the top of the manure pile, and sat down.
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He didn't feel like going to sleep.
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He didn't feel like digging.
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He was tired of standing still, tired of lying down.
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I'm less than two months old, and I'm tired of living, he said.
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He walked out to the yard again.
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When I'm out here, he said, there's no place to go but in.
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When I'm indoors, there's no place to go but out in the yard.
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That's where you're wrong, my friend, my friend, said a voice.
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Wilbur looked through the fence and saw the goose standing there.
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You don't have to stay in that dirty little, dirty little, dirty little yard, said the goose, who talked rather fast.
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One of the boards is loose.
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Push on it.
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Push, push, push on it, and come on out.
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What? said Wilbur.
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Say it slower.
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At the risk of repeating myself, said the goose, I suggest that you come on out.
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It's wonderful out here.
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Did you say a board was loose?
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That I did, that I did, said the goose.
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Wilbur walked up to the fence and saw that the goose was right.
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One board was loose.
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He put his head down, shut his eyes, and pushed.
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The board gave way.
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In a minute, he had squeezed through the fence and was standing in the long grass outside his yard.
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The goose chuckled.
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How does it feel to be free? she asked.
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I like it, said Wilbur.
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That is, I guess I like it.
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Actually, Wilbur felt queer to be outside his fence, with nothing between him and the big world.
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Where do you think I'd better go?
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Anywhere you like, anywhere you like, said the goose.
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Go down through the orchard, root up the sod.
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Go down through the garden, dig up the radishes, root up everything.
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Eat grass, look for corn, look for oats.
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Run all over, skip and dance, jump and prance.
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Go down through the orchard and stroll in the woods.
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The world is a wonderful place when you're young.
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I can see that, replied Wilbur.
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He gave a jump in the air, twirled, ran a few steps,
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stopped, looked all around, sniffed the smells of afternoon, and then set off walking down through the orchard.
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Pausing in the shade of an apple tree, he put his strong snout into the ground and began pushing, digging, and rooting.
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He felt very happy.
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He had plowed up quite a piece of ground before anyone noticed him.
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Mrs. Zuckerman was the first to see him.
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She saw him from the kitchen window, and she immediately shouted for the men.
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Homer!
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She cried.
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Pigs out!
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Lurvie!
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Pigs out!
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Homer!
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Lurvie!
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Pigs out!
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He's down there, under that apple tree!
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Now the trouble starts, thought Wilbur.
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Now I'll catch it.
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The goose heard the racket and she too started hollering.
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Run, run, run, downhill!
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They'll make for the woods, the woods, she shouted to Wilbur.
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They'll never, never, never catch you in the woods.
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The cocker spaniel heard the commotion, and he ran out from the barn to join the chase.
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Mr. Zuckerman heard, and he came out of the machine shed where he was mending a tool.
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Lurvie, the hired man, heard the noise and came up from the asparagus patch where he was pulling weeds.
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Everybody walked toward Wilbur, and Wilbur didn't know what to do.
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The woods seemed a long way off, and anyway, he had never been down there in the woods and wasn't sure he would like it.
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Get around behind him, Lurvie, said Mr. Zuckerman, and drive him toward the barn.
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And take it easy, don't rush him.
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I'll go and get a bucket of slops.
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The news of Wilbur's escape spread rapidly among the animals on the place.
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Whenever any creature broke loose on Zuckerman's farm, the event was of great interest to the others.
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The goose shouted to the nearest cow that Wilbur was free, and soon all the cows knew.
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Then one of the cows told one of the sheep, and soon all the sheep knew.
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The lambs learned about it from their mothers.
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The horses in their stalls in the barn pricked up their ears when they heard the goose hollering, and soon the horses had caught on to what was happening.
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Wilbur's out, they said.
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Every animal stirred and lifted its head and became excited to know
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that one of his friends had got free and was no longer pinned up or tied fast.
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Wilbur didn't know what to do or which way to run.
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It seemed as though everybody was after him.
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If this is what it's like to be free, he thought, I believe I'd rather be pinned up in my own yard.
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The cocker spaniel was sneaking up on him from one side.
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Lurvie the hired man was sneaking up on him from the other side.
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Mrs. Zuckerman stood ready to head him off if he started for the garden, and now Mr. Zuckerman was coming down toward him carrying a pail.
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This is really awful, thought Wilbur.
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Why doesn't Fern come?
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He began to cry.
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The goose took command and began to give orders.
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Don't just stand there, Wilbur.
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Dodge about, dodge about, cried the goose.
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Skip around, run toward me.
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Slip in and out, in and out, in and out.
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Make for the woods, twist and turn.
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The cocker spaniel sprang for Wilbur's hind leg.
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Wilbur jumped and ran.
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Lurvie reached out and grabbed.
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Mrs. Zuckerman screamed at Lurvie.
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The goose cheered for Wilbur.
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Wilbur dodged between Lurvy's legs.
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Lurvy missed Wilbur and grabbed the spaniel instead.
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Nicely done, nicely done, cried the goose.
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Try it again, try it again.
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Run down here, suggested the cows.
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Run toward me, yelled the gander.
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Run up, evil, cried the sheep.
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Turn and twist, honked the goose.
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Jump and dance, said the rooster.
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Look out for Lurvie, called the cows.
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Look out for Zuckerman, yelled the gander.
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Watch out for the dog, cried the sheep.
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Listen to me, listen to me, screamed the goose.
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Poor Wilbur was dazed and frightened by this hullabaloo.
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He didn't like being the center of all this fuss.
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He tried to follow the instructions his friends were giving him, but he couldn't run downhill and uphill at the same time,
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and he couldn't turn and twist when he was jumping and dancing, and he was crying so hard he could barely see anything that was happening.
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After all, Wilbur was a very young pig, not much more than a baby, really.
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He wished Fern were there to take him in her arms and comfort him.
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When he looked up and saw Mr. Zuckerman standing quite close to him, holding a pail of warm slops, he felt relieved.
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He lifted his nose and sniffed.
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The smell was delicious.
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Warm milk, potato skins, wheat middlings, Kellogg's cornflakes, and a popover left from the Zuckerman's breakfast.
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Come, pig, said Mr. Zuckerman, tapping the pail.
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Come, pig.
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Wilbur took a step toward the pail.
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No, no, no, said the goose.
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It's the old pail trick, Wilbur.
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Don't fall for it.
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Don't fall for it.
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He's trying to lure you back into captivity.
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He's appealing to your stomach.
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Wilbur didn't care.
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The food smelled appetizing.
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He took another step toward the pail.
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Pig, pig, said Mr. Zuckerman in a kind voice, and began walking slowly toward the barnyard,
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looking all about him innocently as if he didn't know that a little white pig was following along behind him.
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You'll be sorry, sorry, sorry, called the goose.
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Wilbur didn't care.
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He kept walking toward the pail of slops.
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You'll miss your freedom, honked the goose.
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An hour of freedom is worth a barrel of slops.
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Wilbur didn't care.
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When Mr. Zuckerman reached the pigpen, he climbed over the fence and poured the slops into the trough.
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Then he pulled the loose board away from the fence so that there was a wide hole for Wilbur to walk through.
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Reconsider!
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Reconsider! cried the goose.
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Wilbur paid no attention.
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He stepped through the fence into his yard.
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He walked to the trough and took a long drink of slops, sucking in the milk hungrily and chewing the popover.
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It was good to be home again.
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While Wilbur ate, Lurvie fetched a hammer and some eight-penny nails and nailed the board in place.
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Then he and Mr. Zuckerman leaned lazily on the fence, and Mr. Zuckerman scratched Wilbur's back with a stick.
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He's quite a pig, said Lurvie.
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Yes, he'll make a good pig, said Mr. Zuckerman.
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Wilbur heard the words of praise.
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He felt the warm milk inside his stomach.
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He felt the pleasant rubbing of the stick along his itchy back.
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He felt peaceful and happy and sleepy.
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This had been a tiring afternoon.
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It was still only about four o'clock, but Wilbur was ready for bed.
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I'm really too young to go out into the world alone, he thought as he lay down.
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Hello, my name is Josh Cashel, and thank you so much for watching this video.
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I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude for tuning in and being a part of this wonderful community.
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Your support means the world to me, and it's what keeps this channel going strong.
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It's what keeps me going strong.
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So first and foremost, if you enjoy the content and want to see more, please consider the simplest acts of support.
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Whether you choose to like, subscribe to the channel, become a YouTube member, become a paid lifetime member on my website,
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or donate, please know that your support is what keeps the creativity flowing.
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And I could not do this without you.
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Thank you for being an essential part of this community and for sharing in my passion and what I love doing.
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I look forward to bringing you more exciting content in the future.
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So please stay tuned, stay awesome, stay classy.
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And as always, thank you for watching.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “🐷🕷️ CHARLOTTE'S WEB Chapter 3 (Audiobook Full Text Read-along) 🕷️🐷”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Wilbur, goose, Zuckerman, pig, barn. This video has 213 sentences and 2243 words to shadow. The speech runs for 17:32. The speaker talks at a steady 128 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 76% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| goose noun | /ɡus/ | Any of various grazing waterfowl of the family Anatidae, which have feathers and webbed feet and are capable of flying, swimming, and walking on land, and… |
| barn noun | [ˈbɑɹn] | A building, often found on a farm, used for storage or keeping animals such as cattle. |
| fence noun | /fɛns/ | A thin artificial barrier that separates two pieces of land or forms a perimeter enclosing the lands of a house, building, etc. |
| sheep noun | /ˈʃiːp/ | A woolly ruminant of the genus Ovis. |
| cow noun | /kaʊ/ | An adult female of the species Bos taurus, especially one that has calved. |
| pig noun | /ˈpɪɡ/ | Any of several mammalian species of the family Suidae, having cloven hooves, bristles and a snout adapted for digging; especially the domesticated animal Sus… |
| twist verb | /twɪst/ | To turn the ends of something, usually thread, rope etc., in opposite directions, often using force. |
| shout verb | /ʃaʊt/ | To utter a sudden and loud cry, as in joy, triumph, exultation or anger, or to attract attention, to animate others, etc. |
| dodge verb | /dɑd͡ʒ/ | To avoid (something) by moving suddenly out of the way. |
| indoors adverb | /ɪnˈdɔɹz/ | Inside, into, or within a building. |
| orchard noun | /ˈɔɹ.t͡ʃɚd/ | A garden or an area of land for the cultivation of fruit or nut trees. |
| stool noun | /stuːl/ | A seat for one person without a back or armrests. |
| stomach noun | /ˈstʌmək/ | An organ in animals that stores food in the process of digestion. |
| hire verb | /ˈhaɪɹ/ | To obtain the services of in return for fixed payment. |
| grass noun | /ɡɹɑːs/ | Any plant of the family Poaceae, characterized by leaves that arise from nodes in the stem and leaf bases that wrap around the stem, especially those grown as… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go down verb | To descend; to move from a higher place to a lower one. |
| root up verb | To dig or pull up by the roots. |
| come down verb | To descend, fall down, collapse. |
| dig up verb | To excavate something. |
| following along | Keeping up with; understanding. |
| get around verb | To move to the other side of (something, such as an obstruction) by deviating from a direct course or following a curved path. |
| lie down verb | To assume a horizontal position. |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Did you say a board was loose?
- Where do you think I'd better go?
- The world is a wonderful place when you're young.
- They'll never, never, never catch you in the woods.
- I'll go and get a bucket of slops.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was given · being pitched · was owned |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was sitting · was standing · was mending |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the nearest · the simplest |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | started hollering · kept walking |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 34 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, don't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/, warmth /wɔɹmθ/, trough /tɹɔθ/, scythe /ˈsaɪð/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: sheep /ˈʃiːp/, shout /ʃaʊt/, rush /ɹʌʃ/, passion /ˈpæʃən/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/
- Long words — get the stress right: reconsider /ˈɹiːkənˌsɪdə/, creativity /kri.eɪˈtɪv.ᵻ.ti/, captivity /kæpˈtɪvɪti/, appetizing /ˈæp.ə.taɪz.ɪŋ/, asparagus /əˈspæɹ.ə.ɡəs/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like goose, barn, fence.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.