Rufus’s Match Day in the Meadow
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 golden acorn trophy! Rufus the rabbit was in goal... Er, was ready to play.
But there was a problem. Hugo the hippo was so big that the little ones kept bouncing off him. ‘That’s not fair!’ squeaked Priya the frog. ‘Maybe we have to change the rules!’
They all talked at once. Hugo wanted one rule. Priya wanted another. The ball sat in the middle looking very bored. Then Rufus had a better idea.
‘What if Hugo plays with a soft ball and the little ones get a head start?’ said Rufus. ‘And everyone takes turns in goal!’ The animals thought about it. ‘Yes!’ they cheered.
The match began. Hugo gently tapped the ball. Priya zipped round like a rocket. Rufus 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 golden acorn trophy,’ said Rufus. 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 Rufus as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
More Football stories
Opal and the Handshake
Opal’s team lost, and Opal feels like stomping. But there’s a surprise at the end.
Manu’s Little Kickers
The big kids always use the pitch. So Manu and friends make a team of their own.
Who Took Kofi’s Goalposts?
On Saturday morning, the goalposts have disappeared! Time for the Football Detectives.
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