Narrative - Because of Winn-Dixie

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Because of Winn-Dixie

by Kate DiCamillo

(1) Winn-Dixie was not allowed to come inside the store (there was a big sign on the door that said NO DOGS ALLOWED), so I held the collar and the leash up to the window. And Winn-Dixie, who was standing on the other side of the window, pulled up his lip and showed me his teeth and sneezed and wagged his tail something furious; so I knew he absolutely loved that leash and collar combination. But it was very expensive.

(2) I decided to explain my situation to the man behind the counter. I said, “I don’t get a big enough allowance to afford something this fancy. But I love this collar and leash, and so does my dog, and I was thinking that maybe you could set me up on an installment plan.”

(3) “Installment plan?” said the man.

(4) “Gertrude!” somebody screamed in a real irritating voice.

(5) I looked around. It was a parrot. She was sitting on top of one of the fish tanks, looking right at me.

(6) “An installment plan,” I said, ignoring the parrot, “you know, where I promise to give you my allowance every week and you give me the leash and the collar now.”

(7) “I don’t think I can do that,” said the man. He shook his head. “No, the owner, she wouldn’t like that.” He looked down at the counter. He wouldn’t look at me. He had thick black hair, and it was slicked back. He had on a name tag that said OTIS.

(8) “Or I could work for you,” I said. “I could come in and sweep the floors and dust the shelves and take out the trash. I could do that.”

(9) I looked around Gertrude’s Pets. There was sand and sunflower-seed shells and big dust bunnies all over the floor. I could tell that it needed to be swept.

(10) “Uh,” said Otis. He looked down at the counter some more.

(11) “Gertrude!” the parrot screamed again.

(12) “I’m real trustworthy,” I said. “But the only thing is, Winn-Dixie, my dog, he would have to come inside with me; because if we get separated for too long, he starts to howl something terrible.”

(13) “Gertrude doesn’t like dogs,” said Otis.

(14) “Is she the owner?” I asked.

(15) “Yes, I mean, no, I mean… “ He finally looked up. He pointed at the fish tank. “That Gertrude. The parrot. I named her after the owner.”

(16) “Gertrude’s a pretty bird!” screamed Gertrude.

(17) “She might like Winn-Dixie,” I told Otis. “Almost everybody does. Maybe he could come inside and meet her, and if the two of them get along, then I could have the job?”

(18) “Maybe,” Otis mumbled. He looked down at the counter again.

(19) So I went and opened the door, and Winn-Dixie came trotting on inside the store.

(20) “Dog!” screamed Gertrude.

(21) “I know it,” Otis told her.

(22) And then Gertrude got real quiet. She sat on the top of the fish tank and cocked her head from one side to the other, looking at Winn-Dixie. And Winn-Dixie stood and stared back at her. He didn’t hardly move. He didn’t wag his tail. He didn’t smile. He didn’t sneeze. He just stared at Gertrude and she stared at him. And then she spread her wings out real far and flew and landed on top of Winn-Dixie’s head.

(23) “Dog,” she croaked.

(24) Winn-Dixie wagged his tail just a little tiny bit.

(25) And Otis said, “You can start on Monday.”

(26) “Thank you!” I told him. “You won’t be sorry.”

(27) On the way out of Gertrude’s Pets, I said to Winn-Dixie, “You are better at making friends than anybody I have ever known.”

In paragraph 4, what does the word irritating mean?

(4) “Gertrude!” somebody screamed in a real irritating voice.

• Low

• Curious

• Nervous

• Annoying

The conversation between Opal and Otis in paragraphs 10 through 18 suggests that Otis is -

(10) “Uh,” said Otis. He looked down at the counter some more.

(11) “Gertrude!” the parrot screamed again.

(12) “I’m real trustworthy,” I said. “But the only thing is, Winn-Dixie, my dog, he would have to come inside with me; because if we get separated for too long, he starts to howl something terrible.”

(13) “Gertrude doesn’t like dogs,” said Otis.

(14) “Is she the owner?” I asked.

(15) “Yes, I mean, no, I mean… “ He finally looked up. He pointed at the fish tank. “That Gertrude. The parrot. I named her after the owner.”

(16) “Gertrude’s a pretty bird!” screamed Gertrude.

(17) “She might like Winn-Dixie,” I told Otis. “Almost everybody does. Maybe he could come inside and meet her, and if the two of them get along, then I could have the job?”

(18) “Maybe,” Otis mumbled. He looked down at the counter again.

• disappointed that he is not going to sell anything

• uncertain about whether to hire Opal

• ashamed of the mess in the pet store

• worried about what Opal will do next

In paragraph 25, the most likely reason Otis says “You can start on Monday” is that he --

• realizes that Gertrude is not bothered by the dog

• wants to spend more time with Winn-Dixie

• knows that he needs help keeping the store clean

• does not want Opal to suggest more ideas

What is the main message of the story?

• People who have courage will find that there is nothing to fear.

• People who want to work for others must always keep their promises.

• People who do not give up are more likely to get what they want.

• People who work hard are more successful in life than those who do not.

Which of these events from the story causes Otis to consider giving Opal a job?

• Opal finds a leash and a collar that Winn-Dixie likes.

• Otis explains that the parrot does not like being around dogs.

• Otis learns that Winn-Dixie howls when he is away from Opal.

• Opal mentions some chores that she could do at the pet store.

What is the best summary of the story?

• A girl finds a collar and a leash that she likes in the pet store, but she realizes that they cost too much money. She asks the worker if she can make a plan to pay for them. He tells her that the owner wouldn’t like that idea. A parrot keeps interrupting their conversation, but the girl continues talking to the worker.

• A girl wants to buy a collar and a leash at a pet store, but she does not have enough money. She asks if she can pay over time, but the worker says no. Next she asks if she can pay by working in the store, but the worker is not sure. He agrees at last after he sees how well her dog and the store parrot get along.

• A girl takes her dog to a pet store one day. She leaves her dog outside and goes into the store to find a leash and a collar. The girl meets a worker and the store parrot named Gertrude. The parrot does not like dogs, but the girl thinks it will like her dog because her dog is nice.

• A girl chooses a leash and a collar that she likes and shows them to her dog. She wants to buy them, but she doesn’t have enough money. The girl notices that the store needs cleaning, so she offers to clean the store to earn money to buy the items for her dog.