After young Fern Arable pleads for the life of a “runt of the litter” piglet, her father gives it to her to nurture. She names the lively piglet Wilbur. Fern treats Wilbur as a pet, but a month later, no longer small, Wilbur is sold to Fern's uncle, Homer Zuckerman. In Zuckerman's barnyard Wilbur yearns for companionship but is snubbed by the other animals. He is befriended by a barn spider named Charlotte, whose web sits in a doorway overlooking Wilbur's enclosure. When Wilbur discovers that he is being raised for slaughter, Charlotte promises to hatch a plan that is guaranteed to spare his life.
As the summer passes, Charlotte ponders the question of how to save Wilbur. At last, she comes up with a plan, which she sets about implementing. Reasoning that Zuckerman would not kill a famous pig, Charlotte begins to praise Wilbur with words she weaves into her web. The spider’s miraculous word weaving results in making the Zuckerman barn, and its evermore famous pig, a popular tourist attraction.
Thanks to Charlotte’s genius plan, Wilbur finally arrives at the fair to compete for the prized blue ribbon. Will the wise spider’s scheme be enough to save her friend Wilbur and, even if it is, will she live long enough to see fruits of her labors?