Hattie’s Woodland Football Match
The forest animals hold a football cup, but nobody can agree on the rules!
The forest was buzzing. At last, the animals were holding their very own football cup, and the winner would get a crown of clover flowers! Hattie the hedgehog was in goal... Er, was ready to play.
But there was a problem. Benji the pony was so big that the little ones kept bouncing off him. ‘That’s not fair!’ squeaked Leo the little bird. ‘Maybe we have to change the rules!’
They all talked at once. Benji wanted one rule. Leo wanted another. The ball sat in the middle looking very bored. Then Hattie had a better idea.
‘What if Benji plays with a soft ball and the little ones get a head start?’ said Hattie. ‘And everyone takes turns in goal!’ The animals thought about it. ‘Yes!’ they cheered.
The match began. Benji gently tapped the ball. Leo zipped round like a rocket. Hattie passed and passed. It was the funniest, fairest football the forest had ever seen.
In the end, nobody could say who had won. ‘Let’s all share a crown of clover flowers,’ said Hattie. So they did. And they cut it into the right number of pieces so that every animal got one.
As the stars came out, the animals went home, tired and full of happiness. Next year, they would hold the cup again. And this time, everyone knew the rules.
The little lesson
When we listen to each other, we can make rules that are fair for everybody.
Let’s talk about it
- What makes a game fair?
- Which animal would you like to play football with?
Finish stories to collect Hattie as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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