Pearl and Wagner: Two Good Friends

"Pearl and Wagner: Two Good Friends" by Kate McMullan

Student Edition Unit 3, pp. 320-337

This story is an animal fantasy. Pearl is a rabbit and Wagner is a mouse, but they act like people.

Ms. Star's class was talking about the science fair. Pearl said she wanted to make a robot. Wagner said he would win a prize.

Pearl got busy. She took a big box and a shoe box lid. She cut holes in the top. She glued them. Wagner held them together. He said he might make a walkie- talkie. Or maybe a rocket. But he didn't start anything.

Pearl kept working. She punched a hole in the shoe box. She tied string in a knot and put it through the hole. She drew eyes and a nose on the box. Then she glued it to the big box. When she pulled the string, the robot opened its mouth. When she let go, it closed.

Later the children talked about their projects. Wagner had nothing to say. When it was Pearl's turn, she said that she had made a trash-eating robot. She looked at Wagner. He looked very sad. She said, "Wagner and I made him together." Wagner was happy again.

Pearl showed how the robot worked. "Watch this!" she said. But she pulled too hard, and it broke. "I guess Wagner and I will fix this together," she said. Wagner said, "Uh-oh."

The day of the science fair, they were still working. One boy had an ant village. Other children made other projects. When the judge came by, Pearl broke the robot again. She went to get things to fix it.

Wagner waited. The judge would be back any minute. He opened the back of the big box and stepped inside. When the judge came, Wagner told her she had pretty eyes. The judge said, "A robot that talks!"

Just then Pearl came. The judge asked her how the robot worked. The judge looked inside and saw Wagner. This time Pearl said, "Uh-oh." Other students won the prizes. But Pearl was happy Wagner was her friend.