My Job at the Pet Shop

Hi! I'm Kenji, and I'm sixteen. I have a new job at a pet shop in the mall. Today is my first Sunday here. I want to do everything right.

First, I clean the bird cages. Then I give the rabbits fresh water. At eleven, I help customers.

My boss is Mrs. Ortega. She shows me the fish tanks. In the last tank, there's a long black fish. His name is Ghost. "Ghost is new," Mrs. Ortega says. "He doesn't eat, and I don't know why."

At twelve, I put food in all the tanks. The other fish eat fast, but Ghost doesn't. He stays behind a rock. At three, I try again, but the food just falls to the sand. Is he sick? I'm a little worried.

At six, the shop closes. I turn off all the lights and go to get my jacket. Then I see something in the dark tank. Ghost is out! He swims to the food on the sand and eats it all.

Mrs. Ortega comes and reads the small card on the tank: "Black ghost knifefish. Eats at night." She laughs. "We never read the card!"

Now my job has one more task. Every evening, I put a little food in Ghost's tank. Then I turn off his light, and I smile.