If a family like the Bumpuses moved next door to you, what would be your reaction? Why? If there were legal recourse would you use it? If not, what could you do?

Why is the ham debacle so spectacular? Would it have been as big a deal to the Old Man if the hounds had come in and stolen a meatloaf? Explain.

Discuss tradition and the ham incident. Do you have a similar tradition with as much pomp and circumstance attached? Describe it.

Describe your most memorable day at a fair. Is it memorable because it was the best day you ever had or because something specific happened? Explain.

Discuss the parenting skills of the narrator's parents while at the Fair. What would you have done differently? Why?

Discuss the narrator's approach to the battle of the tops with Scut Farkas. What prompts the...