The Snow Spider
Author: Nimmo, Jenny
Main Characters: Gwyn, Nain, Alun, Eirlys The Lloyd Family, Mr. and Mrs. Griffiths
Setting: the story takes place in a rural area of Wales.
Summary:
On his ninth birthday, Gwyn found out that he might be a magician, just like his ancestors had been.
On his ninth birthday Gwyn received a strange present from his grandmother. "It is time," she said, "to find out if you are a magician." But a piece of seaweed, a yellow scarf, a tin whistle, a twisted metal brooch, and a small, broken horse seemed like strange tools to use to find out if he was a magician, but he put them away and wondered how to use them. All his grandmother had said was "Give them to the wind."
Three weeks later, the winter wind arrived, and when Gwyn opened his dresser drawer to study his gifts, a ray of sunlight fell on the brooch, and it began to change. It became a star, then a snowflake, then a creature with glittering eyes, and then went back to its original shape. Someone or something wanted him to use the brooch! He climbed the highest mountain on the farm, took shelter from the wind beside the highest rock, opened the hand that held the brooch, and held it up. Instantly, the wind snatched it away before Gwyn could see where it went. The wind slowly died away, and it began to snow. When the snow too died away, Gwyn started back down the mountain. Nearing the house, he began to dust off his jacket, and felt something icy cold on his shoulder. It was a sparkling snowflake, that slowly changed into a tiny, glowing white spider. Gwyn was sure it had come in place of the brooch, but what did it mean? Had he done it? Was he really a magician? Only one person could tell him. The next day, he went to visit his grandmother, and when he showed her the spider, she confirmed it. He was a magician. He'd called out the names of his ancestors during the snowstorm, and they had sent the spider to him. Her name was Arianwen, which means white silver.
His adventures had begun. But his grandmother warned him, "A magician can have his heart's desire if he truly wishes it, but he will always be alone, for he cannot tell anyone who he is or what he is wishing and working for." Can Arianwen help him find his sister, who'd vanished four years before, heal his family, and make his heart's desire come true?
Questions:Please list three questions and answers. Read what has been written already. Do not duplicate an question. Please correct or add information to an answer.
1. What gifts did Gwyn get from his grandmother for his 9th birthday? She gave him a piece of seaweed, a yellow scarf, a tin whistle, a twisted metal brooch, and a small, broken horse.
2. What did his grandmother tell him to do with his gifts? She said “give them to the wind.”
3. What was the first gift that Gwyn gave to the wind and what came back in its place?
The brooch was first and it came back as the snow spider, Arianwen
4. What were Gwyn’s gifts supposed to prove? They would prove if he was a magician.
5. What does Arianwen mean? It means white silver.
6. What did Gwyn do when he through the brooch to the wind? He called the names of his ancestors who were magicians.
7. What warning did Gwyn get from his grandmother? His grandmother warned him, "A magician can have his heart's desire if he truly wishes it, but he will always be alone, for he cannot tell anyone who he is or what he is wishing and working for."
8. Which gift caused a major storm, destruction and loss of life when it was released to the wind? The horse. It was linked to something evil. Gwyn’s grandmother had warned to protect it and keep it.
9. What is the main thing the Gwyn wants? He wants his sister back. She disappeared on the mountain during a storm while trying to find Gwyn’s black sheep.
10. What is another name for a sheep? A ewe.
11. Who is Eirlys? She is a girl who came from an unknown place. She is just like Gwyn’s sister Bethan only paler. Her presence changed Gwyn’s father. He acted nicer to Gwyn.
12. What could Arianwen do? She could weave webs that were huge and depicted a whole town and its people. The scenes in the webs seemed so real.
13. How did Gwyn lose Arianwen? His mother flushed it down the toilet, so when he realized she was missing he went to the area of the septic tank and called her name.
14. How did Gwyn stop the chaos that started when the horse went to the wind? Eirlys and Gwyn looked at his grandmother’s black book. It held the legends of Wales. When he read that he knew what he had to do.
15. Who was on the mountain and got caught in the trap that was meant for the crazy prince? Alun, Gwyn’s friend who knew that Gwyn said he was a magician.
16. What did Eirly’s try to do when the ship came to take her back? She tried to take Gwyn back with her, but he did not want to go and shouted out Gwydion liver HERE.
17. What was the significance of the yellow scarf that was one of his gifts? It had been his sister’s and he wanted more than anything else to see her.
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