Lily's Lucky Stone

Lily loved to watch the ice rink. She saw big people slide big, heavy stones. This game was called curling. Zoom! The stones glided fast on the ice. Lily wanted to try, but she was small.

One day, Lily’s mom signed her up for a kids' curling class. Lily felt scared. All the other kids looked strong. Lily thought, “I can’t do this.” But she held her lucky stone in her pocket. It was a smooth, gray rock she found by the river.

The coach showed them how to hold the curling stone. He showed them how to push it on the ice. Lily tried, but her stone wobbled. It didn’t go straight. She felt sad.

“Don’t worry,” said the coach. “Keep trying! It takes practice.” Lily took a deep breath. She held her lucky stone tight. She tried again. This time, the stone went a bit straighter. She smiled.

Every week, Lily practiced. She learned to slide and push. She learned how to make the stone go where she wanted. It was hard work, but Lily didn't give up.

One day, there was a kids' curling game. Lily was on a team. She felt nervous. But then, she remembered her lucky stone. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She slid the stone. It went right to the center! Her team cheered. Lily felt happy and proud. She learned that even small kids can do big things!