Reading 6 · the parking lot to the one and only ivan · The One and Only Ivan

Copywork

“I’ve never asked for a promise before, because promises are forever, and forever is an unusually long time. Especially when you’re in a cage.”

When I gaze at the food-court skylight, the moon Stella loved is shrouded in clouds.

Read both passages aloud. Right after the first, Ivan changes Stella’s word “cage” to “Domain,” and she agrees. Why do you think she agrees?

Narration Tell this reading back in order, from the cars in the parking lot to the moon behind the clouds. Which part matters most to you, and why?

Ruby says bad humans sent her here, and good humans saved her from the hole. Bob says that makes no sense. Does it make sense to you? Theme
All day, Ruby has stayed close to Stella. Then Stella whispers in her ear, and Ruby goes into the ring alone. What do you think Stella told her? Inference
Stella never says her wish. She finally says, “Never mind,” and blames the pain. But Ivan guesses it anyway. Why doesn’t he just let it go? Character
Ivan would give “all the yogurt raisins in all the world for a heart made of ice.” Would he be better off with one? Theme
Ivan hears that Stella’s body was tossed into a garbage truck. Then he says, “It took five men and a forklift.” He never tells us how he feels. Which word in those lines shows it best? Author's choice
After Stella dies, George runs to Mack about the vet. Later his cheeks are wet, and he doesn’t meet Ivan’s eyes. Who is George most upset with? Character

Make a Connection Think of a story you know where someone makes a big promise without knowing how to keep it. What happens to that promise?

weary: She sounds weary. Worn out and very tired.
unusually: I’ve never asked for a promise before, because promises are forever, and forever is an unusually long time. More than is normal or expected.
addled: The pain is making me addled. Mixed up and unable to think clearly.
gesture: Stella nods, a small gesture that makes her wince. A movement of the body that shows a meaning.
superior: Stella once teased me that elephants are superior because they feel more joy and more grief than apes. Better than others in some way.
reliable: Bob heard from a rat, a reliable sort, that they tossed Stella’s body into a garbage truck. Able to be trusted to get things right.
droop: His shoulders droop. To sag or hang down, as from sadness or tiredness.
shrouded: When I gaze at the food-court skylight, the moon Stella loved is shrouded in clouds. Covered and hidden from sight.

To comfort Ruby, Ivan thinks of three things he could say. He can only be sure that the last one is true. Should he say the other two anyway?
Ivan promised Stella that Ruby would have a safe place, and now he says, “I can’t save Ruby.” Was Ivan right to make that promise?