The Skating Lesson

By Barbara Owen • Illustrated by Jane Chambless Wright

Fox and Bear sat on the steps putting on their new skates.

“Here is a book called How to Skate,” said Bear. “Lesson one is ‘How to Fall Down.’”

Fox laughed. “I don’t want to fall down,” he said. “I want to skate fast.” He stood up on his new skates.

Bear kept reading the book. “Lesson number two is called ‘How to Glide,’” he said.

Fox didn’t listen. He wiggled and jiggled and tried to walk on his skates. “I’m not getting anywhere,” he said.

He wiggled some more. “I’m rolling!” he shouted. He waved his arms in the air. He didn’t want to fall down.

“You don’t look like the picture,” said Bear.

Fox wiggled and jiggled to a long, slow slope. “I’ll glide downhill,” he called. Now he was really rolling. “Whee!” Fox yelled.

“Lesson number three is ‘How to Stop,’” Bear called.

“I don’t want to stop,” Fox yelled. “I’m having fun.”

Fox skated past bushes, past electric poles, past houses. Down, down, down he glided.

Roll, rump, roll, rump, roll, rump went the skates.

“Uh-oh,” Fox thought. “The sidewalk ends soon. I have to stop or I’ll crash.”

“Bear! Read how to stop!” Fox yelled.

“What?” Bear called from the step.

“How do I stop?” Fox yelled.

R-rump, r-rump, r-rump. His skates rolled faster and faster.

“It’s complicated on a hill,” yelled Bear. “Fall down.”

Fox looked at the hard sidewalk ahead. He looked at the soft grass at the side. He wished he had practiced lesson number one—how to fall.

Bear took off his skates and ran after Fox. “The book says relax, be a wet noodle, and fall.”

Fox thought about spaghetti. He thought about noodles almondine.

He thought about chicken noodle soup.

Rrump, rrump, rrump went his skates.

Huff, puff, panted Bear.

“I am a wet noodle,” yelled Fox.

He flopped on the grass and rolled—one, two, three rolls. Finally Fox stopped. He grinned.

“I did it,” he said. “I can skate, and I can stop.”

“You were wonderful,” said Bear. He hugged his friend.

Fox laughed and rubbed his bruised knee. “But now let’s read the book,” he said. “And start at the beginning.”

Fox took off his skates, and the two friends walked back up the hill.