Filologo

SHORT STORY

What Do fish Have to Do with Anything?
by Avi

Read with a Purpose
Read this story to find out what its unusual title means. Preparing to Read for this selection is on page 507.

Build Background
The “fish” of the title are a strange kind of creature called “cave fish.” In the United States, these fish are found mostly in eastern and southern states, but they are also foundall over the world. In fact, dozens of different species have been identified so far. The uniform traits they all share are a whitish or colorless appearance (some of the fish seem nearly transparent) and a lack of eyes!

very day Mrs. Markham waited for her son, Willie, to come out of school when it was over. They walked home together. If asked why, Mrs. Markham would say, “Parents need toprotect their children.” One Monday afternoon as they approached their apartment building, she suddenly tugged at Willie. “Don’t look that way,” she said. “Where?” “At that man over there.” As they walked, Willie stole a look back over his shoulder. A man Willie had never seen before was sitting on a red plastic milk crate near the curb. His matted, streaky gray hair hung like a ragged curtain over adirty A Read and Discuss What are you learning about
Mrs. Markham?
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face. His shoes were torn. Rough hands lay upon his knees. One hand was palm up. “What’s the matter with him?” Willie asked. Keeping her eyes straight ahead, Mrs. Markham said, “He’s sick.” She pulled Willie around. “Don’t stare. It’s rude.” A “What kind of sick?” Mrs. Markham searched for ananswer. “He’s unhappy,” she said. “What’s he doing?” “Come on, Willie; you know. He’s begging.” “Did anyone give him anything?” “I don’t know. Now come on, don’t look.” “Why don’t you give him anything?”

“We have nothing to spare.” B When they got home, Mrs. Markham removed a white cardboard box from the refrigerator. It contained poundcake. Using her thumb as a measure, she carefully cut ahalf-inch-thick piece of cake and gave it to Willie on a clean plate. The plate lay on a plastic mat decorated by images of roses with diamondlike dewdrops. She also gave him a glass of milk and a folded napkin. Willie said, “Can I have a bigger piece of cake?” Mrs. Markham picked up the cake box and ran a manicured pink fingernail along the nutrition information panel. “A halfinch piece is a portion,and a portion contains the following nutrients. Do you want to hear them?” “No.” “It’s on the box, so you can accept what it says. Scientists study people and then write these things. If you’re smart enough, you could become a scientist. Like this.” Mrs. Markham tapped the box. “It pays well.” C Willie ate his cake and drank the milk. When he was done, he took care to wipe the crumbs off his faceas well as to blot the milk moustache with the napkin. His mother said, “Now go on and do your homework. You’re in fifth grade. It’s important.” B Read and Discuss What’s the author letting us know about
Mrs. Markham and Willie?

Willie gathered up his books that lay on the empty third chair. At the kitchen entrance he paused. “What kind of unhappiness does he have?” “Who’s that?” “That man.”Mrs. Markham looked puzzled. “The begging man. The one on the street.” “Could be anything,” his mother said, vaguely. “A person can be unhappy for many reasons.” “Like what?” “Willie . . .” “Is it a doctor kind of sickness? A sickness you can cure?” “I wish you wouldn’t ask such questions.” “Why?” “Questions that have no answers shouldn’t be asked.” “Can I go out?” “Homework first.” Willie turned togo. “Money,” Mrs. Markham suddenly said. “Money will cure a lot of unhappiness. That’s why that man was begging. A salesperson once said to me, ‘Maybe you can’t buy happiness, but you can rent a lot of it.’ You should remember that.”

C Reading Focus Author’s Purpose What point might
the author be making by showing us how Mrs. Markham reacts to Willie’s request for more cake?

A cave fish....