To fully understand what is happening in a story, we need to have a good understanding of the vocabulary used.
In our story, Arty mentions chest thumping. To understanding this, first we need to know that the chest is the front part of your body between your neck and stomach.
We also we need to know that to thump is making a fist (when your fingers are cured up and held tightly) and striking something really hard.
When we know both of these words, we can work out that chest thumping means to hit the chest with a clenched fist.
Let's have a look at another example. Beneath the bridge, Arty makes pine needle tea.
For this, we might have to use our experience from walks in the park or books we have read.
Which of these do you think is a pine needle?
Your first task today is to work out the meaning of these two words from the story.
I hopped atop the bridge and said, "WHO'S TRIPPING ACROSS MY BRIDGE?"
"Yes!" I hollered. "And I'm going to GOBBLE YOU UP!"
Write the words atop and hollered in your book and write what you think each one means next to the word.
Your next task is to go back through the story and write a list of any words or phrases (a couple of words that do not make a sentence) that you find exciting and would like to use in your own writing.