Kareem's Problem Kareem gave a smile to Mr. Banks as he delivered his package. Kareem always enjoyed delivering packages and talking to regular customers. Today he had many packages to deliver.

He looked at the next delivery on his list. His smile quickly faded. Kareem’s next stop was Mrs. McMudge's house. She was one of his newest customers. “Ugh. Not again,” he said to himself. He could already hear her loud, harsh voice in his head. He dreaded her stop on his morning route.

He always hoped that he could ring the doorbell and leave the package by the door. He wanted to ride away before Mrs. McMudge opened the door. But it seemed like she was always waiting for him on her porch.

One day, Kareem and his coworkers were talking about this situation. He learned that Jenny also delivers packages to Mrs. McMudge. “Mrs. McMudge isn’t yelling because she’s mean. She can’t hear well, so she talks loudly,” said Jenny. “She’s really a very kind lady.”

Kareem felt bad because he realized he didn’t try to get to know Mrs. McMudge. After a few months of delivering packages to her, Kareem and Mrs. McMudge became good friends. She became one of his favorite customers.

21
Drag each label to the correct location.
Identify the character, problem, and solution in “Kareem's Problem.”

Drag each statement to the correct location on the chart. Not all statements will be used.

Jenny informs Kareem
that Mrs. McMudge
doesn’t yell to be
mean but because
she cannot hear well.
Mrs. McMudge is a
very kind person
who speaks so
softly that no one
can hear her.

Kareem doesn’t like
delivering packages
to Mrs. McMudge
because she yells,
and he thinks she
is mean.
Kareem
Jenny