The Fish or the Turtle

Wade's class gets some money for a class pet. The teacher says, "We can buy one pet. It can be a fish or a small turtle."

Kelas Wade mendapat sejumlah uang untuk hewan peliharaan kelas. Guru berkata, "Kita bisa membeli satu hewan. Bisa ikan atau kura-kura kecil."

The class makes small groups. Each group makes a list. Wade wants the turtle. His group writes on the board.

Kelas membuat kelompok-kelompok kecil. Setiap kelompok membuat daftar. Wade ingin kura-kura. Kelompoknya menulis di papan tulis.

"A turtle lives a long time," says Wade. "It is fun to watch." His friend adds, "A turtle can wait for food. A fish needs food every day."

"Kura-kura hidup lama," kata Wade. "Seru untuk ditonton." Temannya menambahkan, "Kura-kura bisa menunggu makanan. Ikan butuh makanan setiap hari."

"That helps on holidays," says Wade. "Nobody comes to school then."

"Itu membantu saat libur," kata Wade. "Waktu itu tidak ada yang datang ke sekolah."

Another group stands up. "A fish costs less money," a girl says. "We can buy a bigger tank. And it is easy to clean."

Kelompok lain berdiri. "Ikan lebih murah," kata seorang anak perempuan. "Kita bisa membeli akuarium yang lebih besar. Dan mudah dibersihkan."

Wade looks at the list. The fish has good reasons too. But he still wants the turtle.

Wade melihat daftar itu. Ikan juga punya alasan yang bagus. Tetapi ia tetap menginginkan kura-kura.

Now the class votes. Everyone puts up a hand. The teacher counts. "Twelve for the fish. Nine for the turtle," she says.

Sekarang kelas melakukan pemungutan suara. Semua orang mengangkat tangan. Guru menghitung. "Dua belas untuk ikan. Sembilan untuk kura-kura," katanya.

The fish wins. Wade is a little sad. He looks at his friends, and they look sad too.

Ikan menang. Wade sedikit sedih. Ia memandang teman-temannya, dan mereka juga tampak sedih.

Then Wade stands up. "The fish is a good pet," he says. "I can feed it on Monday. And I can take it home on holidays."

Lalu Wade berdiri. "Ikan itu hewan peliharaan yang bagus," katanya. "Saya bisa memberinya makan pada hari Senin. Dan saya bisa membawanya pulang saat libur."

The teacher smiles. "Thank you, Wade. You are the first helper."

Guru tersenyum. "Terima kasih, Wade. Kamu penolong pertama."