original stories · Ages 6-8

The River Race Where Nobody Crossed First

Boats in a river race stop to help one another through reeds, and the children decide finishing together is the fairest ending.

The whole story

1. At sunrise, Nia set her wooden paddle across her little boat at Willow Bend. Jules waited beside her, and both boats pointed toward the blue flags downstream.

2. A bright bell rang from the riverbank. Nia dug her paddle into the water, and Jules did the same.

3. Nia’s boat slipped ahead. Jules paddled hard, but he grinned when a dragonfly landed on his nose.

4. Then the river narrowed. Long green reeds curled around both boats and held them snugly in place.

5. Nia pulled once, twice, and only gathered more reeds. Jules reached for a clear path, but his own boat stayed stuck.

6. Nia held the reeds aside with her paddle. Jules loosened the reeds around her boat, and then Nia freed his.

7. The blue flags waited just around the bend. Nia pointed to them. “Together?” she asked, and Jules nodded.

8. They reached the flags side by side. Nobody crossed first, because Nia and Jules had decided that finishing together was the fairest ending.

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