Question

the birthday list ▲
1
cole wrote items as quickly as they popped into his head—remote control race car, a pogo stick, glow - in - the - dark football, and more. the list included things he really wanted and things he kind of wanted. it also included things he wasn’t sure he wanted but could imagine being awesome. cole’s birthday was one month away. he was turning ten. he thought that hitting the decade mark might mean he’d get more gifts than usual. he wanted to be sure to make the most of it.

“cole, we’re going to be late for the movie,” his dad called from downstairs. cole blew on the ink to make sure his carefully made list wouldn’t smudge. he placed it in his desk and ran downstairs. they left for the short walk to cinemaking theaters only a few blocks away.

cole was talking on and on about how excited he was to see snake boat 2. as they neared the theater, he suddenly stopped. he heard a strange noise coming from an alleyway. it sounded almost like whining. “dad, do you hear that?” he asked.

they turned toward the sound. then they spotted a dirty white puff sticking out from behind a garbage can. they tiptoed closer and came upon a thin, shaking dog. cole could see the dog’s ribs. when it tried to stand, it fell back down. something was clearly wrong with one of its legs. “dad, he’s hurt,” cole whispered. “we need to get him help.”

dad agreed and called the local shelter. two shelter workers arrived. they gave the dog a quick check. they said he was malnourished and likely had a broken leg. they thanked cole and dad for the call. if they hadn’t called, the dog wouldn’t have lasted much longer. finally, the workers carefully lifted the dog into the van. they promised to take good care of him and find him a good home.

that night, cole returned to his birthday list. he crossed out everything there with a big “x.” he flipped over the paper and started again. the next day, cole handed the list to dad, who read it aloud. “dog food, dog toys, dog mat,” he said with a sigh. “cole, you know we can’t get a dog. your mom’s allergic.”

“i know, dad. i want to donate this stuff to the shelter. that’s what i want for my birthday. i want to help the dog we found and all the other homeless animals.” dad patted cole on the shoulder. he smiled wider than cole had ever seen.

Explanation:

Since no specific question is provided about this text, it's not possible to give a targeted answer. If you have a question related to this passage, such as a comprehension question (like asking about Cole's change of heart, the dog's condition, etc.), or a question about literary analysis (like theme, character development), please share it so that I can assist you.

Answer:

Since no specific question is provided about this text, it's not possible to give a targeted answer. If you have a question related to this passage, such as a comprehension question (like asking about Cole's change of heart, the dog's condition, etc.), or a question about literary analysis (like theme, character development), please share it so that I can assist you.