Michael begged his dad to let him have a guinea
pig as a pet. His father said yes and made Michael promise that he would
look after it.
"I will'" promised Michael. "Remember
to be very careful with it and never pick it up by its tail."
"I won't," said Michael. "Will that hurt it?"
"Not only that," said his father solemnly. "Its eyes will drop out!"
"Really!" said Michael. He was astonished. "I'll be very careful then."
Michael made a bed of wood shavings for the guinea pig. He went to the pet shop and chose a brown guinea pig.
"I won't," said Michael. "Will that hurt it?"
"Not only that," said his father solemnly. "Its eyes will drop out!"
"Really!" said Michael. He was astonished. "I'll be very careful then."
Michael made a bed of wood shavings for the guinea pig. He went to the pet shop and chose a brown guinea pig.
The pet shop owner said' "You can give
him fruit, raw vegetables and cornflakes. Oh, and by the way, don't
hold him up by his tail or his eyes will fall out."
"I know that," said Michael. On the way home he wondered how a guinea pig's eyes could fall out.
Carefully he picked up the small animal and looked at its face. Its eyes seemed quite ordinary and normal. He was very careful and felt a little scared in case he touched its tail by accident. Where was this dangerous tail?
"I know that," said Michael. On the way home he wondered how a guinea pig's eyes could fall out.
Carefully he picked up the small animal and looked at its face. Its eyes seemed quite ordinary and normal. He was very careful and felt a little scared in case he touched its tail by accident. Where was this dangerous tail?
He looked at the guinea pig carefully. He couldn't
find any tail at all!
At last, Michael ran inside the house. "There is something wrong with my guinea pig," he said to his mother. "It doesn't have a tail!"
At last, Michael ran inside the house. "There is something wrong with my guinea pig," he said to his mother. "It doesn't have a tail!"
His mother laughed and laughed. "Guinea
pigs don't have tails," she said. "It's an old joke".
"You were all teasing me," said Michael, feeling a little foolish.
But then he managed to laugh at himself, and lovingly carried
his pet back to its new home to play with it.
Adapted from ANA exemplars.
"You were all teasing me," said Michael, feeling a little foolish.
But then he managed to laugh at himself, and lovingly carried
his pet back to its new home to play with it.
Adapted from ANA exemplars.
Who is the main character in this story?
What pet does he have?
What promise did he make to his father?
What joke did his father make about guinea pigs?
Why was it funny?
Imagine you are Michael. Write a diary entry summarising what happened that day. Say how you felt when you received your new pet.
What pet does he have?
What promise did he make to his father?
What joke did his father make about guinea pigs?
Why was it funny?
Imagine you are Michael. Write a diary entry summarising what happened that day. Say how you felt when you received your new pet.
