Papa's Parrot · choosing penny candy fro m the giant bins or to sampl Mre Tillian'. s lates t batch of roasted peanuts Mr. Tillia. looken d forwar d to seeing his son and his son's

Papa's Parrot

by Cynthia Rylant

T hough his father was fal and merely owned a candy and nut shop,

Harry Tillian liked Iris papa. Harry stopped liking candy and nuts

when he was around seven, but, in spite of this, he and Mr. Tillian

had remained friends and were still friends the year Harry turned twelve.

For years, after school, Harry had always stopped in to see Ins father

at work. Many of Harry's friends stopped there, too, to spend a few cents

choosing penny candy from the giant bins or to sample Mr. Tillian's latest

batch of roasted peanuts. Mr. Tillian looked forward to seeing his son and

his son's friends every day. He liked the company.

When Harry entered junior high school, though, he didn't come by the

candy and nut shop as often. Nor did his friends. They were older and they

had more spending money. They went to a burger place. They played video

games. They shopped for records. None of them were much interested in

candy and nuts anymore.

A new group of children came to Mr. Tillian's shop now. But not Harry

Tillian and his friends. The year I larry turned twelve was also the year Mr.

Tillian got a parrot. He went to a pet store one day and bought one for more

money than he could really afford. He brought the parrot to his shop, set its

cage near the sign for maple clusters and named it Rocky.

Harry thought this was the strangest thing his father had ever done, and

he told him so, but Mr. Tillian just ignored him.

Rocky was good company for Mr. Tillian. When business was slow, Mr.

Tillian would turn on a small color television he had sitting in a corner, and

he and Rocky would watc h the soap operas. Rocky liked to scream when the

romantic music came on, and Mr. Tillian would yell at him to shut up, but

they seemed to enjoy themselves.

The more Mr. Tillian grew to like his parrot, and the more he talked to

it instead of to people, the more embarrassed Harry became. Harry would

stroll past the shop, on his way somewhere else, and he'd take a quick look

inside to see what his dad was doing. Mr. Tillian was always talking to the

bird. So I larry kept walking.

Papa's Parrot PAGF 1

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At home things were different. Harry and his father joked with each

other at the dinner table as they always had—Mr. Tillian teasing Harry-

about his smelly socks; Harry teasing Mr. Tillian about his blubbery

stomach. At home things seemed all right.

But one day, Mr. Tillian became i l l . He had been at work, unpacking

boxes of caramels, when he grabbed his chest and fallen over on top of the

candy. A customer had found him, and he was taken to the hospital in an

ambulance.

Mr. Tillian couldn't leave the hospital. He lay in bed. tubes in his arms,

and he worried about his shop. New shipments of candy and nuts would be

arriving. Rocky would be hungry. Who would take care of things?

Harry said he would. Harry told his father that he would go to the store

every day after school and unpack boxes, lie would sort out all the candy

and nuts. He would even feed Rocky.

So, the next morning, while Mr. Tillian lay in his hospital bed, Harry-

look the shop key to school with him. After school he left his friends and

walked to the empty shop alone. In all the days of his life, Harry had never

seen the shop closed after school. Harry didn't even remember what the

CLOSED sign looked like. The key stuck in the lock three limes, and inside

he had to search all the walls for the light switch.

The shop was as his father had left it. Even the caramels were still spilled

on the floor. Harry bent down and picked them up one by one, dropping

them back in the boxes. The bird in its cage watched him silently.

Harry opened the new boxes his father hadn't gotten to. Peppermints.

Jawbreakers. Toffee creams. Strawberry kisses. Harry traveled from bin to

bin, putting the candies where they belonged.

"Hello!"

Harry jumped, spilling the box of jaw-breakers.

"Hello, Rocky:"

Harry stared at the parrot. He had forgotten it was there. The bird had

been so quiet, and Harry had been thinking only of the candy.

"Hello," Harry said.

"Hello, Rocky!" answered the parrot.

I larry walked slowly over to the cage. The parrot's food cup was empty.

Its water was dirty. The bottom of the cage was a mess.

Harry carried the cage into the back room.

"Hello, Rocky!"

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"Is that all you can say, you dumb bird?" Harry mumbled. The bird said

nothing else.

Harry cleaned the bottom of the cage, refilled the food and water cups,

then put the cage back in its place and resumed sorting the candy,

"Where's Harry?"

Harry looked up.

"Where's Harry?"

Harry stared at the parrot.

"Where's Harry?"

Chills ran down Harry's back. What could the bird mean? It was like

something from "The Twilight Zone."

"Where's Harry?"

Harry swallowed and said, "I'm here. I'm here, you stupid bird."

"You stupid bird!" said the parrot.

Well, at least he's got one thing straight, thought Harry.

"Miss him! Miss him! Where's Harry? You stupid bird!"

Harry stood with a handful of peppermints.

"What?" he asked.

"Where's Harry?" said the parrot.

"I 'm here, you stupid bird! I'm here!" Harry yelled. He threw the

peppermints at the cage, and the bird, screamed anil clung to its perch.

Harry sobbed, "I'm here." The tears were coming.

Harry leaned over the glass counter.

"Papa." Harry buried his face in his arms.

"Where's Harry?" repeated the bird.

Harry sighed and wiped his face on his sleeve. He watched the parrot.

He understood now: someone had been saying, for a long time, "Where's

Harry? Miss him."

Harry finished his unpacking, then swept the floor of the shop. He

checked the furnace so the bird wouldn't get cold. Then he left to go visit

his papa.

Reprinted with the permission of Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an

imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division from Every

Living Thing by Cynthia Rylant. Copyright £> 1985 Cynthia Rylant.

Papa's Parrot PAGF 3

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Interpreting Characters: The Heart o f the Story Grade 4: Fiction, Unit 1

Readers, today you AS ill read a story called ' Papa's Parrot. After Y O U read die story, Y O U will be

asked to stop and answer a lew questions. Write your answers on a separate sheet <>l paper.

1 What k ind of person is Mr. Tillian?

When describing a character, remember to :

• show that you know the character is compl icated (for example, tell about more than one trait}

• tel l about the character's motivation(s)

• give details f rom different parts of the story that support your understanding of the character.

Inferring about Characters and Other Story Elements: Character Traits, Supporting Thinking with Text Evidence

2. Reread the lines below. These lines represent a turning point for Harry. How did Harry change f rom the beginning to the end of the story and why?

"I'm here, you stupid b i rd! I'm here!" Harry yelled. He threw the peppermints at the cage, and the bird screamed and c lung to its perch.

Harry sobbed, "I'm here."The tears were coming.

Harry leaned over the glass counter.

"Papa." Harry buried his face in his arms.

"Where's Harry?" repeated the bird.

Harry sighed and w iped his face on his sleeve. He watched the parrot. He understood now: someone had been saying, for a long time,

"Where's Harry? Miss him."

When discussing character change, remember to; • describe onp or two ways the character

changes

• explain what caused the change

• include how different story elements (other characters, setting, key events) contr ibuted to the change.

Character Response/Change

3. Reread the lines below. How is this part of the story important to the whole story?

At home things were different. Harry and his father joked wi th each other at the dinner table as they always had—Mr. Tillian teasing Harry about his smelly socks; Harry teasing Mr. Tillian about his blubbery stomach. At home things seemed all r ight.

When wr i t ing how one part fits w i th the whole story, remember to :

• name the story element that is h ighl ighted in this part of the story

• explain how this part fits wi th other parts of the story

• use words like tension, resolution, setting, or other words that show what you know about story elements or narrative craft.

4. Write about a theme (or l i fe lesson) that this story develops. Use details f rom the story to support your answer.

When wr i t ing about themes, remember to:

• wr i te about how a t heme comes th rough in different parts of the story

• discuss parts f rom early and late in the story that show this theme

• explain how those parts f rom across the story support this theme.

Analyzing Parts of a Story in Relation to the Whole Determining Themes/Cohesion

N a m e Date

Papa's Parrot by Cynthia Rylant

Pre-Test

a .

Interpreting Characters: The Heart of the Story Grade 4: Fiction, Unit 1

Readers, today you wil l read a story called "'Papa's Parrot." After you read the story, Y O U vvi.l be

asked to stop and answer a lev. guestions. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

1 What kind of person is Mr. Tillian?

Inferring about Characters and Other Story Elements: Character Traits, Supporting Thinking with Text Evidence

3. Reread the lines below. How is this part of the story important to the whole story?

At home things were different. Harry and his father joked wi th each other at the dinner table as they always had—Mr.Til l ian teasing Harry about his smelly socks; Harry teasing Mr. Tillian about his blubbery stomach. At home things seemed all r i gh t

2. Reread the lines below. These lines represent a turning point for Harry. How did Harry change from the beginning to tne end of the story and why?

"I'm here, you stupid b i rd! I'm here!" Harry yelled. He threw the peppermints at the cage, and the bird screamed and d u n g to its perch.

Harry sobbed, "I'm here."The tears were coming.

Harry leaned over the gtess counter.

"Papa."" Harry buried his face in his arms.

"Where's Harry?" repeated the bird.

Harry sighed and wiped his face on his sieeve.

He watched the parrot. He understood now:

someone had been saying, for a long t ime,

"Where's Harry? Miss him."

Character Response/Change

4. Write about a theme (or life lesson) that this story develops. Use details f rom the story to support your answer.

Analyzing Parts of a Story in Relation to the Whole

Interpreting Characters: The Heart of the Story Grade 4: Fiction, Unit 1

Prcasscssment Sample Responses

1 olimving are sample responses for ea< h question, al :i range ol levels. I hese samples •••• :'l help students notice il tin v have clone similar work in their

responses, and thus wil l be a helptul part ol ibeii self-assessment. Ihcsecau Is<i serve as mentor texts UJ help your studenls to k lcni ih specific ways

lhe\ can lift their work to the 110X1 level.

Ques t ion Level Z Level 3 Level f

1. What k ind of person is Mr, lillianr"

inferring About Characters and Other Story

Elements: Character Train, Supporting

Thinkmq with Text Evidence

Mr ii!"ian is upset.

Or

Mr. T i t ian is k ind.

Responses at this level may contuse traits

with feelings. Or Students could supply

a trait, especially if the trait is explicitly

named in the text.

Mr. Ii l l ian is k'nd He doesn't get mad at

his son for not com ing to the sto^e w i th

his friends.

Responses (Jt this level tend to identify

a character trait and to use evident e HI

support this thinking.

Mr iiHian seems very uncerstanding,

He doesn't make Harry feel bad for not

visit ng the store now that he is older. He

makes the best of things But he •••> really

lonely so he gets a bird named Rocky

who keeps h.rr company.

Responses at this level tend to show how

characters are c ompitcated. They discuss

more than one trait and/or motivation.

Students also use and discuss details from

different parts of the text to support their

answers.

2. Reread the lines below. These lines

represent a tu rn ing po in t for Harry.

How d id Harry change f rom the beg in­

n ing to the end of the story and why?

"I'm here, you stupid bird! I'm

here!*' Harry yel led. He threw the

peppermints .it the cage, and the

bird screamed and c lung to its

perch

Harry sobbed. T i n here: vThe tears

were cominq.

Harry leaned over the glass counter.

l'Pa pa* Harry bur ied his face in his

arms.

"Where's Harry?" repeated the bird

Harry sighed and w iped his face on

his sleeve. He watched the parrot.

He understood now: someone

had been saying, for a long t ime,

"Where's Harry? Miss him."

Character Response/Change

Harry feels sad bec ause his dad is sick

and the b i rd keeps saying. "Where's

Har ry ' "

Or

Harry feels sad so he cries. He didn' t cry

before.

Responses at this level tend to mention a

change in feelinqs or actions and provide a

surface-level reason for the change.

Harry feels bad when he hears the bird

say his name and say that he misses h im.

Har 'y knows his Dad must have missed

h im even though he d<dn't say anyth ing

Or

Harry t houqh t his dad was weird tor

talk ing to a bi rd But when he hears the

bird say, "Where's Harry? Miss him." he

gets that his dad has been saying that to

the bird. And he feels bad.

Responses at this level may focus on

changes in character feelings, actions, or

traits. They typically point to one key event

from earlier in the story to explain the

change.

When Harry hears the bird s*jy, 'Where's

Harry? Miss hinVover and Over he reaM/es

that his Dad must have asked for h im

ove r and over, this makes Harry realize

how much his Dad missed h im. Tnis is

a big change for Harry because at the

beg inn inq he d idn ' t really th ink about his

dad's feelings and now he does.

Responses at this level address change

across the whole story. They often include

discussion of how other story elements

/other characters, setting, problem, key

events) play a part in causing the change.

In cases where the character changes

bet ause he or she has learned a life lesson,

student responses may talk about the

lesson or theme

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