The Wallet

Jenny stared at the store window longingly. There was nothing in this world that she wanted more than a Happy Hannah doll and all that currently separated her from the hottest doll of the holiday season was a thin piece of glass and $29.95 plus tax. Unfortunately, Jenny didn't even have the 95 cents, so she let out a deep sigh and continued walking home.  

As she stomped across the slushy sidewalk, she considered her options. She thought about taking over her brother's chores. If she shoveled the driveway, washed the dishes all month, dusted, and vacuumed… she fidgeted with her fingers as she added it up… she would have eleven dollars. Just as she was concluding that this would not be enough, something caught her eye. It was a small, pink triangle poking out from the snow on the roadside.

Jenny walked over to the triangle and removed it from the snow, whereupon she realized that it was not a triangle at all but a rectangle. More importantly she realized that the rectangle was a fashionable leather wallet. She unzipped the bulging wallet to find a thick wad of folded green bills. Jenny gasped and nearly dropped it. She gathered herself and went to close the snap on the wallet when she saw some plastic cards. One was a credit card and the other an ID.

Jenny stared at the old woman in her driver’s license photo. The woman had a beautiful smile that reminded Jenny of her grandma. Jenny sighed and then she shoved the wallet into her purse. She turned around and walked in the direction from which she came. 

Jenny’s heart beat quickly as she entered the store. She had long dreamed about this moment, but something didn't feel right about it. As she approached a stack of Happy Hannah dolls, she pushed away her feelings. She grabbed one of the dolls off of the stack.  She felt electricity surging through her body as she began walking toward the checkout.   

As Jenny approached the register, the Happy Hannah Show theme song began playing. Jenny looked around startled, and then realized that it was her mobile phone. She checked the caller ID and saw that it was her grandma. In one hand she held the Happy Hannah doll and in the other she held the phone on which her grandma was calling. Jenny heart filled with love and appreciation as she thought of her sweet old grandma. She put the doll down and picked up the phone call.

"Hi, Grandma? I'm going to be a little bit late tonight. I've got to drop something off… Yeah, it was good… O.K… Alright… I love you too." Jenny left the store and walked through the slush all the way to the other side of town. She thought of her grandma as she rang the bell at 301 West Street. The women who answered the door had been crying recently and looked distressed. Jenny recognized her from the ID. "Here, I found this in the snow," Jenny said as she handed her the wallet. The woman face glowed with joy and relief.  

"Oh, good God! This is the money for the orphanage! Now we can bring the children the puppies for Christmas! It's a miracle!" The woman took the wallet smilingly.  She was so appreciative that she gave Jenny a cookie and a ride home. Jenny had sort of hoped that she would reward her good deed with a Happy Hannah doll, but Jenny did get a chocolate chip cookie, and chocolate chip cookies were her favorite. 

After doing her brother's chores for three months, Jenny finally got a Happy Hannah doll. She hated doing all of that extra work, but she knew that she had made the right choice when she was done because she could play with her Happy Hannah doll and look her grandma in the eyes.
The Wallet - Reading Skill Sheet

1. Author’s Purpose:	 entertain			inform				persuade
Why did the author write this?
2. Genre: ____________________________ Subgenre: ______________________________
Ex: Nonfiction, fiction, or folklore			 Ex: Autobiography, science fiction, fable, informational writing, etc.

3. Narrator’s Point of View: ______________________________________________________
1st-person, 2nd-person, 3rd-person objective, 3rd-person limited, or 3rd-person omniscient

4 & 5. Summarize the text: 
Five key events from beginning, middle, & end.

 

	

6. Exposition

A. Setting:_______________________________________________________________________
When and where does the story take place? 	
B. Conflict: ___________________________________________________________________
Describe the conflict in the story.
 
7. Rising Action: List some events that occur before the climax.

1. _________________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________________ 

Climax: 
The turning point

Falling Action: List some events that occur after the climax.

1. _________________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________

Resolution: 
When the conflict is solved 	

Inciting incident: Jenny finds a wallet.
Rising Action: Jenny walks to the store, takes a doll of the shelf, and lines up to buy it.
Climax: Jenny receives a call from her grandmother and reconsiders her actions.
Falling Action: Jenny puts the doll down and returns the wallet, getting a cookie in return.
Resolution: Jenny works hard and eventually gets the doll.  She feels good about her actions.