Poppy’s Old Boots in the Attic
In the attic, Poppy finds a pair of dusty old boots with a name inside.
On a rainy afternoon, Poppy climbed the creaky ladder up to the attic. It smelled of dust and old books. Behind a wooden chest, she found a pair of boots, hard and brown and scuffed.
Inside one boot, a name was scribbled in faded ink: ‘Ravi’. ‘Coach Ravi!’ gasped Poppy. Poppy knew Ravi the deer was the coach of the Pink Panthers, but she didn’t know Ravi had ever played.
The very next day, Poppy took the boots to training. Ravi went quiet when he saw them. Then a smile spread across Ravi’s face. ‘Come, sit,’ said Ravi. ‘I’ll tell you a story.’
‘When I was your age,’ said Ravi, ‘we had no pitch. We played on a field with a goat on it. We had a ball made of old newspaper. We played until the stars came out. These boots were the first I ever owned.’
Poppy listened with wide eyes. She thought about how the boots had run and jumped, scored goals and missed goals. And now they were sitting in a cold dusty attic.
‘Would you like to try them?’ asked Ravi. Poppy slipped them on. They were far too big, but Poppy laced them up twice. Together, they walked out to the pitch.
Poppy kicked the ball in the old boots. It flew in a perfect curve. Ravi laughed so hard he nearly fell over. ‘Just like the old days!’ he said, and jumped up to join in.
From that day, the old boots stayed on the shelf in the clubhouse, not the attic. And on cold, rainy afternoons, when the team came in, Ravi would tell them yet another story.
The little lesson
Old things carry stories, and listening to them is a gift to both of you.
Let’s talk about it
- Do you have something old that has a story?
- What did Poppy learn from Coach Ravi?
Finish stories to collect Poppy as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
More Football stories
Match Day with Kit
Mia is going to a real stadium for the very first time!
Suki’s Ball Hog
Suki loves to dribble the ball all alone, until the team learns a secret.
Room on the Team for Sia
Sia just moved to town and doesn’t know anyone. Then a ball rolls by...
You might also like
Ravi’s Wishing Well
Ravi finds a well that grants wishes, but every wish has a surprise.
Cara’s Hot Air Balloon Trip
Cara takes a hot air balloon ride across the countryside and sees the world from above.
Poppy and the Golden Axe
Poppy drops a tool in the river and is offered something much finer. Will she tell the truth?