There are examples of both literal and non-literal language in the story, such as:
- “He’s bursting with news.”
- “needles soft like a quilt”
- “gravel jumping up and dancing”
Literal language means exactly what it says, while figurative (non-literal) language uses similes, metaphors, hyperbole and personification to describe something often through comparison with something different. Lead a discussion about the types of non-literal language shown in the examples, and then ask students for examples of others.