Dad: Hi! Did you have a good day?

 

Jasmine: Yes, I did. Dad, may I have a pet?

 

Dad: Why do you ask that?

 

Jasmine: My friend Sophy got a puppy for her birthday.

 

Dad: That was nice. But you have to look after a puppy.

 

Jasmine: I could look after a pet. I would do everything.

 

Dad: A puppy makes a lot of work. Mom doesn't have the time to take him for walks.

 

Jasmine: I would take him for walks.

 

Dad: In the rain? Every day? I would have to come with you. But I have to work hard at the office.

 

Jasmine: Oh, Dad, Sophy's puppy sounds so lovely. He is brown and white and she loves him very much.

 

Dad: Jasmine, we live in an apartment. Sophy lives in a house with a big garden. There is not so much room

here. I do have an idea, though.

 

Jasmine: What is it?

 

Dad: You could have a hamster or a guinea-pig. They are much easier to look after and they can be great fun.

 

Jasmine: Some of my friends have hamsters and they like them too. But I would like a guinea-pig. They are

bigger.

 

Dad: Yes, they are. And they can be very friendly. You must be careful about what you give them to eat because their stomachs are sensitive. But a guinea-pig will be your friend for a long time.

 

Jasmine: Dad, can we go to the pet-shop?

 

Dad: I'll ask Mom first, but yes, I expect so. We could make a little home for her, or him, in the storeroom.

 

Jasmine: There's Mom now. I'm going to ask her.

 

Dad: Oh dear, what have I done now?