Rosie’s Goal to Remember
Rosie 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 Teal Turtles and the Midnight Owls had both played brilliantly, and everyone on the sideline was holding their breath.
Jess sent a long, curling pass high into the air. Rosie jumped as high as she could. The ball bounced off her arm, rolled onto her foot and flew into the net. GOAL!
Half the crowd cheered. The other half groaned. But the referee, Noah the turtle, had been looking the other way. Noah pointed to the middle of the pitch. The goal counted!
The Teal Turtles ran to Rosie, shouting with joy. But Rosie wasn’t smiling. Her tummy felt like it was full of stones. She knew the ball had touched her arm.
If Rosie stayed quiet, the Teal Turtles would reach the final. If she spoke up, the goal would be taken away. Rosie looked at Hana, who looked so sad. Rosie took a big breath.
‘Referee,’ said Rosie, walking over. ‘It hit my arm. It wasn’t a fair goal.’ The whole pitch went silent. Noah blinked. ‘Thank you for telling me,’ Noah said. ‘No goal.’
The Teal Turtles lost that day, 1-1, and then the Midnight Owls won the shoot-out. But as Rosie walked off, the crowd rose to clap. Even the Midnight Owls cheered. Hana hugged her.
At the end of the season, Rosie was given the Fair Play Cup. ‘I didn’t win the match,’ she 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 Rosie to tell the truth?
- How did the others feel about Rosie afterwards?
Finish stories to collect Rosie as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
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