Student Question
What steps does the narrator take after realizing there's a fire in The Leap?
Quick answer:
After realizing there's a fire, the narrator, then seven years old, follows fire safety instructions learned at school. She does not open the door immediately, instead testing it for heat. Finding it hot, she stuffs a rug under the door, wears a flannel robe, and waits calmly. Her mother, using trapeze skills, climbs a tree, leaps to the window, and they both jump into a firefighter's net for safety.
The narrator remembers when the farmhouse caught fire. Seven years old at the time, she wakes up and smells smoke in the room. The steps she takes follow the fire safety instructions she had learned at school. She knows not to immediately open the door or hide. Instead, she touches the door to test it. It is hot, so she rolls up a rug and stuffs in under the door. She puts on a flannel robe and sits to wait for rescue.
Although she is a child, the narrator is able to stay calm and think logically. She remembers what she had been taught, which allows her to wait in the room while outside her mother comes up with a plan for her rescue. The mother's trapeze skills help her climb a tree and leap to the window, hanging on to the gutter with her feet. From there, they jump into the firefighter's net.
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