Annika and the Hamster
Kathleen Berlew
1On Monday morning, Annika could not wait to go to school. It was her week to take care of the classroom hamster, Squirmy. When Annika arrived at school, she first refilled Squirmy's water bottle. Next, she emptied the old food from Squirmy's bowl. But when Annika reached for the box of hamster food, she realized that the shelf was too high.
2Peter saw Annika standing on her toes and offered to help. But Annika didn't want help. She wanted to take care of Squirmy by herself. Peter reached the box of hamster food easily and gave it to Annika. Annika’s face turned red. She grabbed it and didn't even thank Peter. When Annika finished feeding Squirmy, she left the box of food on Squirmy's table, so she would be able to reach it the next day.
3On Tuesday, Annika once again refilled Squirmy's water bottle and emptied his food dish. But when Annika looked for the hamster food, she saw someone had put it back on the shelf. Once again, Annika tried to reach the shelf. Once again, Peter offered assistance. "Please let me get it for you, Annika," he said. "I'd really like to help. Don’t get mad at me."
4Annika realized that Peter was trying to be kind. "Thank you, Peter," Annika said. "I guess we can take care of Squirmy together."
Which characters are ungrateful