The Almost Cartwheel
Fifi meets a friend at the playground and claims she can do a cartwheel. But when it’s time to show it, her feet don’t fly the way she said. An honest talk turns a flop into fun.
Fifi ran to the swings with Momo trotting beside her. A girl with bright sneakers was hanging upside down on the monkey bars. 'Hi! I'm Fifi, and I can do a cartwheel!' she said, her heart beating fast.
Momo twitched his ears and whispered, 'Can you really? I haven't seen that trick.' The girl flipped down with a grin. 'No way! Show me!'
Fifi took a deep breath and ran. Her hands hit the grass, but her legs wobbled like spaghetti and she plopped onto her back. Momo hurried over and licked her cheek. 'That was a funny flop, ' he said.
The girl giggled, not mean, just surprised. Fifi sat up, her face warm. 'Okay, I never really did one, ' she admitted. 'I just wanted to sound cool.' Momo nuzzled her hand.
The girl smiled wide. 'I can't do one either! Let's be floppy together.' They took turns trying, holding hands to balance each other. Soon they were laughing so hard they couldn't stand up straight.
Fifi, her new friend, and Momo lay on the grass, cloud-watching. Momo's tail swished and tickled their noses, making them sneeze and laugh in the sunshine.
This English moral short story was checked for clear language, age-appropriate content, and a lesson that follows naturally from the story.