Lucy

and Billy
by Pauline Cartwright
illustrated by Rob Mancini

Copyright © by Harcourt, Inc.

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Printed in Mexico

ISBN 10: 0-15-350636-9

ISBN 13: 978-0-15-350636-9

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ISBN 10: 0-15-350599-0 (Grade 2 On-Level Collection)
ISBN 13: 978-0-15-350599-7 (Grade 2 On-Level Collection)
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ISBN 13: 978-0-15-357809-0 (package of 5)

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 Lucy wanted a bird for her birthday.
The whole family went to the pet shop.
“There must be a hundred birds
here!” said Thomas, her little brother.

3
 It seemed like that to Lucy, too. She
looked at each bird carefully.
“I want a different kind of bird than
all of these,” she said.
Finally, Lucy found the one she
wanted. It was a cute little parakeet with
green feathers and small bright eyes.

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 During the ride home, Lucy decided
that her bird’s name would be Billy.
Lucy told Dad, “I chose a parakeet
because parakeets can learn to talk. I’m
going to teach him!”
“You’ll have to be patient,” smiled
Dad, “it will take Billy a while to learn.”

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 Lucy cleaned Billy’s cage. She made
sure he always had water and seed.
Every day she would say to her
parakeet, “My name is Billy.”

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 Lucy’s brother Thomas would
also say, “My name is Billy.”
“Don’t do that!” Lucy said. “I’m
teaching Billy to talk.”

7
 In a short while, Billy learned to perch
on Lucy’s finger.
Lucy would pet Billy and say to him
over and over, “My name is Billy.”

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 “My name is Billy,” Thomas repeated.
“Don’t do that!” Lucy told him.

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 When Billy had become very tame,
Lucy sometimes let him out of his cage.
“My name is Billy,” she called as he
flew by.
“My name is Billy,” called Thomas, too.
“Don’t do that!” Lucy told him angrily.

10
 One day, Lucy was busy doing her
homework. Thomas ran in and said,
“Lucy, come quick! Billy just talked.”
Both children raced to Billy’s cage.

11

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 Lucy was so excited she could hardly
talk herself!
“Billy, talk to me,” she said. Then she
waited for Billy to talk.

12
 Billy looked at Lucy with his bright
eyes. His beak hardly moved, but Lucy
heard him talk.

13
 “Don’t do that!” Billy said.
Lucy couldn’t believe her ears.

14
 Think Critically
1. Why did Lucy choose Billy instead of the other
birds at the pet shop?

2. What caused Billy to say Don’t do that! at the end

of the book?

3. How do you think Lucy felt when she heard

Billy talk?

4. What things did Lucy do to care for Billy?

5. Do you think a bird makes a good pet? Why or
why not?

Social Studies
Write a Paragraph Lucy got Billy from a pet store. Write a
paragraph to tell about why customers (buyers) might want to
buy a pet and why the pet store owner (the seller) might be
selling pets.

School-Home Connection Tell a family member

about the story. Talk about the things we can teach
some pets to do.

Word Count: 317

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