The Sidewalk Squares
Fifi draws a hopscotch path with her new chalk. When Leo wants in, she learns that sharing the squares makes the game bounce higher.
Scratch, scratch. Fifi drew bright hopscotch squares on the sidewalk. Momo guarded the chalk box like treasure. "These are my squares," Fifi said. "I made every line."
Leo toddled over with his tiny shoes. "Me hop?" he asked. Fifi hugged the blue chalk. Momo whispered, "What if the game needs two jumpers?" Fifi frowned at her neat numbers. She had just finished the big ten.
Leo's lower lip wobbled. Fifi looked at the empty square beside number three. "Okay. You can hop the little squares. I'll hop the big ones." She handed him a stub of yellow chalk so he could mark his starting stone.
Leo hopped and landed with both feet in square two, then tipped into square three with a squeal. Momo's tail swept a chalk cloud across number five. Fifi laughed and redrew the line wider so all three of them could fit.
They took turns tossing a smooth pebble. When Leo's pebble kissed the edge of square seven, Fifi cheered as loud as he did. The chalk rainbow stretched farther down the sidewalk than Fifi had planned alone.
At dusk, Mom called them in. Fifi left the chalk sticks in a neat row by the door. Behind them, the hopscotch path glowed soft pink and yellow, two sets of shoe prints overlapping in every square.
This English moral short story was checked for clear language, age-appropriate content, and a lesson that follows naturally from the story.