Darnell Wants a Dog
Matthew Ramirez
1Darnell wanted a dog, but his mother didn't think he was old enough to care for a pet. She told him that owning a dog took a lot of hard work. He would have to train it, feed it, clean it, and walk it. Darnell thought that his mother was wrong. He thought that he could care for a dog on his own. His mother told him to take on more responsibility, and she would think about letting him have a dog.
2One day Darnell saw his elderly neighbor, Mr. Jones, walking his dog, Shelby. Mr. Jones walked slowly and had a hard time holding onto Shelby's leash. Darnell saw Mr. Jones struggling, so he walked over to help him.
3Mr. Jones smiled as Darnell asked if he could help. "Thank you, Darnell. Shelby loves to go for walks, but it is hard for me to go fast as she does." As Darnell took the leash, he felt Shelby pull hard on the leash. Darnell realized how hard it was for Mr. Jones to walk Shelby. He wanted to help.
4Mr. Jones, I wouldn't mind walking Shelby for you. I've always wanted a dog of my own," Darnell said. "I will come to walk her every day after school."
5"That would be very nice of you, Darnell! I'm sure Shelby would be happy to have you take her for a walk," Mr. Jones told him. Mr. Jones smiled and patted Shelby's head.
6Every afternoon Darnell took Shelby for a walk. Although Darnell enjoyed walking Shelby, it was hard work. Darnell was hot and tired when he got home. Also, he had to sometimes give up doing things he liked to do. One day Darnell's friends asked him to go with them to a baseball game. Darnell wanted to go, but he couldn't. He told Mr. Jones that he would walk Shelby and give her a bath. He sighed and kicked at the dirt. "Sorry, guys. I can't come today," he said. Taking care of a pet was harder than Darnell thought!
Which sentence best describes the resolution of this story?
a
Darnell decided that he would continue to take care of Shelby before getting his own dog.
b
One day Darnell's friends asked him to go with them to a baseball game.
c
One day Darnell saw his elderly neighbor, Mr. Jones, walking his dog, Shelby.
d
Every afternoon Darnell took Mr. Jones' dog named Shelby for a walk.
