Jasmine’s Big Idea
Meeting Madison
The next Saturday, Jasmine and her mom drive to the animal shelter as normal. But this time, Keiko and Sofia are joining them. The three girls giggle and talk excitedly in the backseat about their plans for the carnival. As they pull into the shelter parking lot, Keiko’s face grows worried. Maybe she should stay in the car. But shaking her head, Jasmine says she can’t stay in the car! She needs inspiration for her drawings by meeting the animals. Groaning, Keiko climbs out of the car.
On their way inside, Jasmine exclaims that she’s excited to show her friends the new kittens, and they can help her name them. Jasmine gives her friends a brief tour, and ends when she reaches the doorway that separates the kennels from the rest of the room. The door is usually kept closed so the girls can peek into the room. Keiko peers through the window, and backs away nervously. Jasmine says they don’t have to go through there, and instead can go to where the younger cats are kept. She twists the knob and pushes the door open.
But to her surprise, Jasmine sees Mrs. Wallace with a girl she doesn’t recognize crouching with the kittens. Mrs. Wallace smiles, and introduces the newest volunteer who is coming over all the way from Greenville. The girl stands up. She has wavy red hair pulled into a messy ponytail, and grayish-blue eyes. She introduces herself as Madison Rosen. Jasmine introduces herself and her friends. Keiko immediately warms to Madison, complimenting her dress. Mrs. Wallace says Madison volunteered at the shelter in her town in the past, and has been great so far with the kittens.
Jasmine peers into the cardboard box, where the five kittens are batting neon orange plastic balls around. Sofia says it looks like they’re playing soccer. Madison nods; their long tails help them balance. Mrs. Wallace points to the kitten Jasmine named Tiger. She says that Madison has come up with names for the others. Madison points to one whose fur is sticking out, and says he’s Leo. The one with black specks is named Pepper.
While everyone else crowds around the box to look at the kittens Madison named, Jasmine can’t help but feel disappointed. She had been hoping she and her friends could finish naming them. But Madison seems nice, and she clearly loves animals as much as Jasmine does. And the names Madison came up with were good! Jasmine swallows her disappointment and squeezes in next to Madison to pet the kittens.