original stories · Ages 6-8

The Shoes That Swapped Left and Right

A pair of quarrelsome shoes swap places and make a child stumble until they understand that different sides still move toward one goal.

The whole story

1. On Monday morning, Sam reached for the blue left shoe and the red right shoe. The shoes reached back with a squeak.

2. But the shoes had swapped places. The blue shoe sat on the right, and the red shoe sat on the left.

3. “I am the left shoe,” said the red shoe. “Not today,” said the blue shoe. Sam tied both laces anyway.

4. Sam took one step. Then another. The shoes pointed in opposite directions, and Sam wobbled like a spinning top.

5. Plop! Sam landed on the mat. The blue shoe blamed the red shoe, and the red shoe blamed the blue shoe.

6. Sam listened closely. Both shoes wanted the same thing: to get Sam to school.

7. Sam took off the shoes and switched them. The red shoe went right, and the blue shoe went left.

8. This time, the shoes stepped together. Left, right. Left, right.

9. The shoes had different sides, but they had one direction. Together, they carried Sam all the way to school.

10. At lunchtime, the shoes stopped quarrelling. Different sides can still move toward one goal.

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