Finn Tells the Truth
Finn scores a goal that no one saw was wrong. What would you do?
It was the last minute of the semi-final. The score was 1-1. The Pink Panthers and the Orange Tigers had both played brilliantly, and everyone on the sideline was holding their breath.
Remy sent a long, curling pass high into the air. Finn jumped as high as he could. The ball bounced off his arm, rolled onto his foot and flew into the net. GOAL!
Half the crowd cheered. The other half groaned. But the referee, Theo the turtle, had been looking the other way. Theo pointed to the middle of the pitch. The goal counted!
The Pink Panthers ran to Finn, shouting with joy. But Finn wasn’t smiling. His tummy felt like it was full of stones. He knew the ball had touched his arm.
If Finn stayed quiet, the Pink Panthers would reach the final. If he spoke up, the goal would be taken away. Finn looked at Rosie, who looked so sad. Finn took a big breath.
‘Referee,’ said Finn, walking over. ‘It hit my arm. It wasn’t a fair goal.’ The whole pitch went silent. Theo blinked. ‘Thank you for telling me,’ Theo said. ‘No goal.’
The Pink Panthers lost that day, 1-1, and then the Orange Tigers won the shoot-out. But as Finn walked off, the crowd rose to clap. Even the Orange Tigers cheered. Rosie hugged him.
At the end of the season, Finn was given the Golden Whistle Award. ‘I didn’t win the match,’ he said, holding it up. ‘But I won something even better. I feel proud of myself.’
The little lesson
Telling the truth when it is hard shows real strength.
Let’s talk about it
- Why was it hard for Finn to tell the truth?
- How did the others feel about Finn afterwards?
Finish stories to collect Finn as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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