1 THE TERRIBLE TIGERS
“Ouch,” said Gavin as he fell to the ground.
He slowly got up, rubbing his arm.
I’m never going to catch the ball, he thought, feeling defeated.
Gavin and the rest of the Willow Elementary School Tigers football team practiced on the field behind their school.
“Team! What is going on?” yelled Coach Jackson. “You’re playing more like kittens than tigers! No one is tackling anybody, and no one is catching any passes!”
“It’s not my fault Gavin can’t catch my passes,” said Christian.
“It’s not just Gavin’s fault, Christian,” yelled the coach. “You are throwing bad passes. Zack and Jack are not blocking. You’re not playing as a team. It will take a team working together to beat the Bulldogs tomorrow.”
“It’s no use,” Austin whispered to Gavin. “There is no way we can win tomorrow’s game. We haven’t won a game all season.”
“I think you’re right,” whispered Gavin.
“Alright, enough for today,” said Coach Jackson. “Go home, get a good night's sleep, get your head in the game, and come ready to win tomorrow! We can turn this season around!”
Gavin walked off the field with his head down. He rubbed his arm. Every part of his body hurt. He felt like quitting.
I need something to cheer me up, thought Gavin. I know. I’ll visit Mr. Cobbles on my way home. He always makes me smile.
2 RETURN TO SOUL SHOES
Gavin walked into the Soul Shoes store.
Mr. Cobbles was cleaning some shoes on a shelf. He looked up when he heard the door.
“Gavin, my boy! How are you?” asked Mr. Cobbles, smiling.
His white hair was wily, as usual. He wore a black suit with a green polka-dot bow tie.
“I’ve had a bad day,” Gavin said, frowning.
“I can see that. Tell me what is troubling you,” said Mr. Cobbles.
“Well, my football team stinks. We keep losing and have another game tomorrow. I don’t think we’ll win,” said Gavin. “I just feel like quitting.”
“How does the rest of your team feel?” asked Mr. Cobbles.
“They feel like quitting, too,” said Gavin sadly.
“I see,” said Mr. Cobbles. “Come sit down and let’s see how I can help.”
Gavin and Mr. Cobbles walked over to the wooden bench and sat down.
“My team has lost hope, I think,” said Gavin. “We have lost so many games; no one thinks we can win anymore.”
“Well, I do know this, my boy. If you don’t keep trying, you will never win. You can’t lose hope,” Mr. Cobbles said. “Sometimes it just takes one person to inspire a group, and things will turn around.”
“Do you really think so?” said Gavin.
“I think you could be that person, Gavin,” said Mr. Cobbles. “Let me ask you something. How was your report on Paul Revere?”
Gavin looked confused.
What does that have to do with my football team?
“Umm, it was fine,” said Gavin.
“Well, you know the Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere didn’t solve the colonists’ problems with England. You could say they were still losing to England,” said Mr. Cobbles.
“So, what did they do next?” asked Gavin.
“Well, they ended up in a war with the British. It was the Revolutionary War. They lost many battles and felt defeated until a turning point,” said Mr. Cobbles.
“A turning point. What was that?” asked Gavin.
“Follow me,” said Mr. Cobbles.
They walked towards the same shoe aisle with the old brown boots worn in the Boston Tea Party.
Mr. Cobbles started looking at the boots on the shelf until he picked up a pair of scarred black boots.
Gavin jumped as Captain landed on the top of the bookshelf.
“Captain! Where did you come from?” he shrieked.
“Walk in his shoes. Walk in his shoes,” Captain squawked.
“Yes, Captain, I’m going on another walk,” said Gavin, reaching out to stroke Captain’s colorful head. “But where to?”
“How would you like to join George Washington’s Army, my boy?”
“I’d be a real soldier?” asked Gavin with his eyes lighting up.
“You would indeed. You can learn a lot walking in someone else’s shoes,” said Mr. Cobbles.
“I knew you were going to say that,” said Gavin, smiling.
“So, are you up for this adventure, my boy,” asked Mr. Cobbles. “It might be your most challenging yet.”
Gavin said, “Yes!”
He was always up for an adventure.
“Don’t forget your mirror so you can see yourself. Remember, you will look like the person who wore these boots,” said Mr. Cobbles.
He handed Gavin the mirror and the black boots.
Gavin put on the boots and excitedly waited for what came next.
His feet started to tingle.
Mr. Cobbles started to fade.
The shoe store blurred.
A scene out of history started to appear before his very eyes.
3 WINTER WOES
The first thing Gavin noticed was the temperature. It was freezing cold, and it was sleeting.
Is it always cold here? he thought. He remembered how cold he was at the Boston Tea Party.
He took out his mirror to see himself. This time, he wore a patriot soldier uniform and had black hair.
And he looked terrible. His clothes were dirty, and his face and lips were chapped from the cold wind.
“Come by the fire, or you will freeze,” said a soldier named Edward.
Gavin quickly ran to sit by the fire and started warming his hands.
“It’s hard to believe it’s Christmas,” said Edward.
“What?” yelled Gavin.
“Did you lose track of time?” said Edward. “Today is Christmas Day.”
“This is hopeless,” said a soldier named John. “After our last loss, I don’t think we will win this war.”
“I heard the Hessians are across the river in Trenton,” said Edward.
“Who are the Hessians?” asked Gavin.
“They are professional soldiers hired from Germany by the British to fight against us,” replied John. “They hate us.”
“I thought the British were bad enough,” said Gavin.
“I think many men will leave this battle once their enlistments expire,” said Edward. “Winter here has been miserable! So many are too sick for duty.”
Some of the men had boots like Gavin. But, some of them just had cloths wrapped around their feet.
Gavin saw bloody footprints in the snow.
I’m thankful I have these boots, he thought. Why would these soldiers stay here instead of just quitting and going home?
Then, John stood up. “It’s time to go, men. General Washington is coming.”
“General Washington!” shouted Gavin. He couldn’t hide his excitement.
Gavin quickly followed the soldiers to the banks of a river. The snow was falling hard.
What’s going to happen now, he thought.
Then he saw him. He recognized him from the pictures of the Presidents he had seen in school. George Washington was walking right towards him.
“Men, on this Christmas night, we have a secret mission,” said General Washington. “It will be tough, but we must press on.”
General Washington looked very determined. His presence seemed to lift the soldiers’ spirits.
“We will cross the Delaware River here to New Jersey, and then you will be given further orders,” said General Washington.
Gavin looked in horror at the quick-flowing Delaware River full of ice chunks.
Is he crazy? he thought. Are we crossing that?
He looked down at his old black boots and considered taking them off to return home. Then, General Washington bravely climbed aboard the first boat. He turned and seemed to look right at Gavin. Something in his look gave him courage.
Gavin took a deep breath, walked to his boat, and climbed in.
4 CROSSING THE DELAWARE
One by one, the soldiers climbed into the boats.
“Yow!” yelled Gavin as ice-cold water splashed him.
That was the coldest water he’d ever felt. He was suddenly very concerned again.
The wind was howling all around him.
Maybe I shouldn’t do this after all, he thought.
Too late. The boat set sail in the icy Delaware River.
“Look at that ice,” said Gavin.
“Make sure you don’t fall in because we won’t be going in after you,” said Edward.
Gavin looked uneasily over the side of the boat at the freezing water.
The boat was rocking, and waves were pounding its sides.
We will surely die if this boat turns over, thought Gavin.
Some of the soldiers were shivering. Many looked ill.
“I can’t see anything now,” said Gavin, looking around.
“That means no one can see us either,” whispered Edward.
But George Washington looked confident. He made Gavin feel better again.
I’m in the boat with George Washington. Nothing will happen to me, thought Gavin.
Finally, the boat safely reached the other side.
General Washington, Gavin, and the other soldiers climbed out of the boat.
Whew, thought Gavin.
It was snowing hard now. The other soldiers were huddling by a fire, but not General Washington.
He stayed by the New Jersey shore, wrapped in a cloak, waiting for the other boats. He didn’t leave until the last boat arrived.
He really is amazing, Gavin thought. And what a way to spend Christmas!
5 THE TURNING POINT
General Washington ordered the troops into two groups. The captain in charge of Gavin’s group told them the secret plan.
“We’re marching to Trenton and going to surprise the Hessians,” said the captain. “General Washington said they celebrate Christmas with a big party. He hopes they will sleep late tomorrow so we can surprise them and turn this war around.”
“You, help push that cannon,” the captain ordered Gavin.
Gavin joined other soldiers, pushing a cannon. They pushed the cannon up and down steep hills, huffing and puffing. They continued, marching towards Trenton.
“My clothes are frozen,” said Gavin, his teeth chattering.
“Mine too,” said another soldier helping him push the cannon.
It was a long, hard nine-mile march to Trenton.
George Washington rode up and down the line of soldiers, encouraging them to continue the march.
“Press on, men!” he shouted. “Press on!”
“I can’t believe I ever thought football was hard,” mumbled Gavin. “This is so much harder.”
Finally, at daybreak, they reached the outskirts of the town of Trenton. The Hessians were inside the buildings, just like General Washington had hoped.
Then, General Washington ordered his army to attack. Gavin stayed back with the cannon. It seemed a safer place to be.
His fellow soldier fired the cannon at the Hessians. The patriot soldiers ran into town, firing their muskets. The Hessians ran out into the streets from the building, surprised by the attack.
General Washington’s plan was working. The Hessians tried to organize a defense, but it was no use. George Washington’s army easily defeated them.
Some Hessians fled. Others lowered their flag and threw down their weapons, signaling their surrender, and the patriot soldiers rounded them all up.
Gavin shouted in celebration with the rest of the soldiers.
As Washington’s army watched over their captives, he decided it was a good time to leave.
I think I have had enough of war — at least until I’m in fifth grade.
He looked around and found General Washington. He wanted to see him one last time and always remember this adventure.
Then, Gavin took off his boots.
The town of Trenton started to fade.
George Washington started to fade.
The familiar Soul Shoes store started to appear.
6 HOME AGAIN
“Welcome back, my boy,” said Mr. Cobbles.
“Whew! What an adventure!” said Gavin. “I’m glad to be back and glad it’s warm inside your store … and not sleeting.”
“Did you experience some cold weather?” asked Mr. Cobbles, grinning. “Let me get you a cup of cocoa to warm you up.”
Mr. Cobbles left to get the cocoa, and Gavin started thinking about his big adventure.
“Here you go, my boy,” said Mr. Cobbles.
“Thanks,” said Gavin.
He happily drank the cocoa.
“It was sleeting, snowing, and freezing cold,” said Gavin. “When I arrived, the other soldiers were down. They said we weren’t doing very well in the war. Lots of them were losing hope.”
“And … what happened?” Mr. Cobbles asked.
“George Washington arrived and was awesome! He inspired the soldiers to keep fighting. We snuck up on the Hessians the day after Christmas and won the battle. All the soldiers were cheering and hopeful again about winning the war,” Gavin said.
“So, that was a turning point for the soldier’s spirits?” asked Mr. Cobbles.
“Yes. I see why you gave me those shoes to walk in,” said Gavin. “You think my team can do what George Washington’s army did and turn things around too?”
“It’s not important what I think, my boy,” Mr. Cobbles said. “It’s what you think that is important.”
“Well, I’m feeling better,” said Gavin. “I better get home to rest up for the big game.”
“Good luck, Gavin,” said Mr. Cobbles.
“Thanks,” Gavin said.
“Come back when you are ready for another adventure, my boy,” Mr. Cobbles said.
Gavin waved bye and left the store.
He had a lot to think about that night.
7 THE TIGERS ROAR
The next day, it was almost game time. The locker room was quiet.
Christian put his jersey on. He did not look very hopeful about the game. Zack laced his shoes, looking grim. Gavin thought they reminded him of the soldiers on the banks of the Delaware River.
“Let’s go,” said coach.
Gavin and his teammates walked out of the locker room onto the field.
“Yikes! It’s freezing, thought Gavin.
A cold wind was blowing, and it started to snow big, wet snowflakes.
“This is just great,” said Austin, shivering. “We can’t win playing in this snow.”
Then, Gavin remembered his adventures walking in George Washington’s army.
The soldiers were freezing.
They had lost many battles.
They were losing hope.
But, George Washington traveled up and down the banks of the Delaware, inspiring his soldiers to continue fighting.
So, continue fighting they did!
Mr. Cobbles told Gavin he could inspire his team, too. Then, Gavin felt his spirits lift.
“Come on, guys!” yelled Gavin.
He started running up and down the line, patting his teammates on their helmets.
“We can do this!” Gavin yelled. “Yes, it’s cold. Yes, we’ve lost every game. But, if we work together, we won’t lose this game.”
Some teammates looked at him as if he’d lost his mind.
Gavin cheered even louder.
“Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!” he yelled.
Then, one by one, his teammates joined in. Gavin’s high spirit raised the rest of the team’s spirits! Christian bumped helmets with Austin! Zack and Jack cheered loudly!
The team lifted their hands and yelled, “Tigers Win!”
The whistle blew, and the team took the field.
They looked at each other with confidence in the blowing snow.
They forgot about their cold feet. They forgot about their cold hands. They played their hearts out. And they won their game.
This was the turning point in the Tiger’s season.
