Who Wants Harold?

Patricia Andjelković

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Who Wants Harold? Author Patricia Andjelković Original title Pravi ljubimac za mene ■

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Translator Patricia Andjelković Illustrated by Sonja Paunović Editor Anđelka Ružić Proofreader Mirjana Delić Graphic designer Dušan Pavlić Tehnical editor Tatjana Valjarević Published by: Kreativni centar, Gradištanska 8, Beograd telefoni: 011/ 38 20 483, 38 20 464, 24 40 659 e-mail: info@kreativnicentar.rs www.kreativnicentar.rs For the pubisher Ljiljana Marinković Printed by KLIK PRINT Year of printing 2019 Print-run 300 copyright©Kreativni centar 2019 ■

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ISBN 978-86-529-0743-4

CIP – Каталогизација у публикацији Народна библиотека Србије, Београд 821.163.41-93-32 ANĐELKOVIĆ, Patricia, 1948 Who Wants Harold? / Patricia Andjelković ; illustrated by Sonja Paunović. – Beograd : Kreativni centar, 2019 (Beograd : Klik print). – 21 str. : ilustr. ; 24 cm Prevod dela: Прави љубимац за мене / Патриша Анђелковић. – Tiraž 300.

ISBN 978-86-529-0743-4 1. Paunović, Sonja, 1986- [илустратор] COBISS.SR-ID 281306636

Patricia Andjelković

Who Wants Harold? ted a r t s u l Il

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“What a great day’s rest I’ve had!” said Harold the hamster one evening as he crawled out of his nest. “Anyone want to play?” he shouted.

But the pet shop where Harold lived was very still. All the animals were sleeping.

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Like all hamsters, Harold slept in the daytime and woke up at night. Harold hadn’t minded this backward sort of life when his brothers and sisters were around, but they had all been sold. Now Harold was lonely. He missed playing with his brothers and sisters and cuddling up next to them when they slept.

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“Oh, wow! Look at that!” Harold exclaimed. In the far corner of his cage hung a shiny, metal wheel. “Wonderful,” Harold exclaimed. “Now I’ll have something to do!”

Harold crept over to the wheel and pushed it gently with his paw.

It made a little squeaking sound. “Exercise time!” he shouted. Harold scampered up on the wheel and started to run. The wheel squeaked and rattled as he ran faster and faster. “Wheee!” he cried.

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“Crash!” The wheel tumbled to the cage floor and Harold fell out.

“Good heavens!” he exclaimed. “Did I run that fast?” “No, you silly furball! I unhooked it,” chattered the monkey in the next cage. “That wheel makes such a racket I can’t sleep!”

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“Neither can I,” bubbled the goldfish in the aquarium on the other side of his cage. “You make my water shake and I can’t get any rest. Please stop!” “They’re right,” squawked the parrot from the shelf above. “When you run on that thing, my whole perch trembles! I hope someone will buy you soon so we won’t have to listen to you anymore!” “No one will buy him,” scoffed the goldfish. “He makes too much noise at night!”

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“That’s right,” mocked the monkey. “Nobody will be able to sleep with a pet like you!”

What will become of me? thought Harold sadly. I can’t stay awake in the daytime to play like the others. All that night Harold lay quietly in his cage, watching the other animals sleep and wondering what to do.

Towards dawn, he fell asleep.

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Harold woke up earlier the next evening when the other animals were still awake. He saw that the shop owner had hooked his wheel back up.

They can’t possibly complain if I run just a little bit while they’re still awake, he said to himself. He climbed up on the wheel, and then stopped as the pet shop door squeaked open. An old man entered and removed his hat, revealing a bush of wispy gray hair.

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“I’m looking for a pet,” he said hopefully, glancing at the cages and aquariums. “Been looking all day, but no luck.” He nervously jingled the keys on the large key ring he held and then continued doubtfully, “I’m not sure you’ll have the right pet for me.”

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“Have a quick look around,” replied the shop owner, nodding toward the clock on the wall. “It’s nearly 8 and I’m getting ready to close.” He took his jacket off a hook and began to put it on. “I’ll be quick,” the old man replied apologetically, smoothing his wild hair with one hand while still jingling his keys in the other. “You’re off home, but I’m on my way to work now myself.”

Harold the hamster was very worried about his future. All his relatives had already found a new home, and only he remained in the pet shop, eagerly waiting his future owner. What’s more, the other animals constantly scolded him because at night he made so much noise that they couldn’t sleep. Who will want to adopt a pet that runs all night on its wheel?

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