1 THE ASSIGNMENT

The bell rang at Willow Elementary School. Gavin and his classmates bumped into each other, trying to reach their seats.

Miss Sweets, their history teacher, walked in, dressed in her usual flowery dress. Her curly hair was pulled back from her face in a gold barrette, showing off her bright blue eyes and contagious smile. The kids loved her because she was very kind and made history fun.

“Hello, sweet peas,” said Miss Sweets.

“Hello, Miss Sweets,” replied the class.

Waving her arms in excitement, Miss Sweets said, “Class, today we will continue our studies of the events leading up to the Revolutionary War.” 

Yay! thought Gavin. 

He loved this subject and often remembered his adventure with the Boston Tea Party.

“I have a special assignment for you,” said Miss Sweets, clasping her hands together.

She held up a big, floppy hat with a big flower attached. 

“My hat is filled with names of important events involved around the time of the Revolutionary War. Come up and draw a piece of paper from my hat when I call your name. You will do an oral report on your important event this Friday.”

Please, please, please, pick something good, thought Gavin. 

“Christian, you go first,” said Miss Sweets.

Rising from his seat, Christian walked up to the front of the class, reached into the hat, and pulled out a piece of paper.

“George Washington!” shouted Christian after reading his paper. He was very excited. 

A few students moaned in disappointment. They had hoped to draw his name. Of course, George Washington was a favorite. Everybody knew who he was. 

“Gavin, your turn,” Miss Sweets motioned to him.

Gavin eagerly approached, reached into the hat, and pulled out a name.

“Paul Revere!” shouted Gavin as he read his paper.

Smiling, he returned to his chair. He had heard of Paul Revere and was excited to learn more about him.

Then, the rest of the class continued drawing names from the hat.

Zoe raised her hand.

“Yes, Zoe,” said Miss Sweets.

“How do I find out information about my person?” Zoe asked.

“You may use whatever resource you want to gather your information,” answered Miss Sweets. “I want a great report on Friday. Make us feel like we are at your event or really know your person.

Suddenly, Gavin had a great idea.

Mr. Cobbles at Soul Shoes can help me, thought Gavin. I’ll go there after school. 

2 RETURN TO SOUL SHOES

Gavin burst through the door of Soul Shoes with the familiar jingle sounding in the quiet store.

“Mr. Cobbles!” shouted Gavin.

“Gavin, my boy! So glad to see you,” said Mr. Cobbles, smiling.

He had poked his white-haired head out from around a shoe aisle. He wore his usual brown suit, except with a bright red bowtie. 

“I need your help,” Gavin said.

“Anything for you, my boy. How can I help you?” said Mr. Cobbles.

“Miss Sweets, my history teacher, gave me the assignment to report on Paul Revere,” replied Gavin. “Do you know anything about him?”

“Why yes, I do,” said Mr. Cobbles. “He was a very important person during colonial times.”

“Do you remember your walk in the Boston Tea Party?” asked Mr. Cobbles.

“Well, sure,” said Gavin. “I think about it all the time.”

“Sit down on this bench, and let me tell you what happened after that tea party.”

Gavin walked over to the wooden bench and sat beside Mr. Cobbles.

“That event let England know the colonists were not going to stand for their actions much longer,” said Mr. Cobbles. “England grew worried about a revolt.”

“What did they do?” asked Gavin.

“England had British redcoats patrolling the colonies, like Boston. Paul Revere found out about a British plan to capture important colonists and their ammunition and had to warn them,” Mr. Cobbles said. 

Mr. Cobbles rose and walked towards another shoe aisle.

“Follow me, Gavin,” said Mr. Cobbles, looking over his shoulder.

Gavin quickly ran over to the shoe aisle behind Mr. Cobbles. He led him down the aisle, carefully looking at each shoe.

“This one?” said Mr. Cobbles, pulling out a black dusty boot.

“No, this isn’t the one,” he said talking to himself. Frowning, he pushed the boot back on the shelf.

“Ah, here we go,” said Mr. Cobbles happily. “This will do just fine.”

He pulled a pair of black shoes with a shiny gold buckle off the shelf.

“Whose are those?” asked Gavin.

“Back on April 18, 1775, the person who wore these shoes had a very important job working with Paul Revere,” replied Mr. Cobbles.

He led Gavin back to the wooden bench with the shoes in his hands.

“Put these on, and you will learn all you need to learn for your report,” Mr. Cobbles said. “You can learn a lot walking in someone else’s shoes.” 

“Wow! I can’t wait,” said Gavin.

He saw a flash of color fly over his head. It was Captain, Mr. Cobbles’ parrot.

“Hi, Captain,” said Gavin.

“By land or by sea! By land or by sea!” squawked Captain.

Gavin furrowed his brows in confusion.

“What are you yacking about now, Captain?” he said, chuckling.

The strangest bird I have ever met!

Mr. Cobbles reached into his pocket and fed Captain a cracker.

“Remember these words, my boy: ‘One, if by land, and two, if by sea’,” said Mr. Cobbles.

“What does that mean?” Gavin asked.

“You shall see,” replied Mr. Cobbles.

Gavin reached for the shoes, but Mr. Cobbles held on to them.

“Remember, these were dangerous times. You must keep a sharp eye out for the British redcoats, my boy,” Mr. Cobbles said with a serious tone. 

“I’ll be careful,” said Gavin.

Mr. Cobbles released the shoes into Gavin’s hands.

“And remember, you will not look like yourself. You will look like the person who wore these shoes,” said Mr. Cobbles.

He handed Gavin a little mirror to carry so he could see himself.

“Just remove the shoes when ready to come home,” said Mr. Cobbles.

Gavin nodded and excitedly put on the shoes.

His feet started to tingle.

Mr. Cobbles started to fade.

The shelves of shoes became blurry.

Everything went black, and he felt the familiar chill wash over his body. 

An unfamiliar scene out of history started to appear before his very eyes.

3 THE SECRET PLAN

Gavin found himself outside a large multi-story building with a dragon hanging over the main entry. A sign read, “Green Dragon Tavern.” 

I’ve read about this place. This was where the patriots met to discuss the British.

The next thing he noticed was his outfit. He was wearing stockings and black shoes with the gold buckle. Oh my gosh, I’m wearing girl’s clothes! And he had a white ruffled shirt with a black button-up vest. This outfit is a little fancier than what I wore in the Boston Tea Party adventure. 

He quickly grabbed his mirror. 

“Whoa!” he gasped when he looked in his mirror and saw he was wearing a white wig.

I’m glad my friends can’t see me right now.

Looking down the street, he saw British soldiers walking towards him – with guns. 

I had better get inside.

Once he entered the tavern, he was relieved to see other colonists wearing similar tights with their pants and even more relieved to see them wearing wigs. 

Gavin hurriedly shut the door behind him and walked over to a group of colonists talking. 

“There are thousands of them now,” said one colonist. “British General Gage keeps them here controlling us.”

The colonist reached out to shake Gavin’s hand.

“Good day, Sir; I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m John,” he said. “There are troubling times indeed.”

“Good to meet you,” Gavin said as he shuddered, remembering the soldiers he had seen carrying guns. He remembered Mr. Cobbles' warning of these dangerous times.

I can’t imagine living with soldiers with guns outside my home, thought Gavin. 

“He wants the stockpile of arms in Concord,” said another colonist named Adam. “The Sons of Liberty discovered his latest plan to send troops to Concord.”

Gavin was worried now.

“What can we do to stop them?” asked Gavin.

“You can be sure about Paul Revere’s plan,” said John. “He’ll be here soon. We’re  to wait here for him.”

“He’s our best messenger and fastest rider. I’m sure he’ll play an important part,” said Adam.

“At our last meeting, Paul said we’re going to use lanterns to signal the riders in Charleston as to what the British are doing,” said a John. 

“If we light one lantern in the Old North Church steeple, it means the British are coming by land, “ added John. “If we light two lanterns, it means the British are coming by sea.” 

Gavin remembered what Mr. Cobbles had told him. “One, if by land, and two, if by sea.”

Oh, that’s what he meant, thought Gavin. 

4 MEETING PAUL REVERE

A man walked into the tavern, eyes turned to him, and the room fell quiet. Gavin could tell he was someone important. The room became silent.

“Paul Revere?” he said aloud.

John turned to look.

“Yes, he comes with news of the movement of the British troops.”

Paul Revere walked over to Gavin, John, Adam, and fellow colonists. 

With confidence, Paul Revere said, “We’re ready. Our fellow patriots are across the river in Charlestown, awaiting our signal. The British are crossing the Charles River, so we must light two lanterns in the Old North Church.”

Gavin leaned in, not wanting to miss a single word. 

“I’ll ride to Lexington to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock. ‘Tis known that the British would love to capture our great leaders.”

“What about the stockpile in Concord?” asked John.

“After warning Adams and Hancock, I’ll ride on to Concord,” said Paul Revere. “But there is a great chance I’ll be caught by the British. Their patrols are everywhere. ‘Tis uncertain I can get past them to leave Boston.”

“The lanterns are our backup plan,” said Adam.

“Yes, I came up with that plan in case I’m caught by the British,” said Paul Revere. “The patriots in Lexington and Concord must be warned of the British coming.”

He pointed to the church caretaker and Gavin and said, “It’s time. Go to the Old North Church and light the lanterns. Your task is of utmost importance!

Me! thought Gavin. I’m going to light the lanterns!

Paul Revere said, “I’ll ride to Lexington now.”

“Ride fast and safe, Paul,” said Adam.

“We won’t let you down,” said Gavin proudly.

Paul Revere quickly left the tavern and set out for his midnight ride, warning the colonists that the British were coming.

Gavin and the caretaker left the tavern. Looking out into the black night, Gavin shivered at the possible danger and importance of his task.

5 LIGHTING OF THE LANTERNS

Gavin and the caretaker walked quickly in the cold night ait until they reached the Old North Church. They entered, and the caretaker locked the door behind them.

“This way,” whispered the caretaker, pointing to a wooden staircase.

Gavin followed him quietly.

They squeezed through a small door leading to the church steeple.

“We must hurry.”

“I’m coming,” whispered Gavin, his voice trembling.

Gavin realized his job's importance and was shaking in his shoes. Each step squeaked under his weighted step. He grew more anxious with each passing second and fought to keep up with the caretaker.

With a sigh of relief, he finally reached the top of the church steeple.

“Whew, that was a big climb,” whispered Gavin, panting.

“This is the tallest building in Boston,” whispered the caretaker.

“I guess that is why Paul Revere chose it.”

Gavin looked out the window at the street below.

“I’m glad we have a watchman below,” added Gavin.

A patriot kept watch below, outside on the street. There were many British soldiers on patrol in Boston during these times.

I hope we don’t get caught, thought Gavin.

“Now, light the lanterns,” whispered the caretaker.

Gavin lit both lanterns to signal the British forces were coming by sea. They left the lanterns lit for about one minute.

“Now, put out the lights,” whispered the caretaker. “We don’t want the British to notice our signal.”

Gavin quickly put out the lights in the lanterns. His heart was beating out of his chest.

Did the patriots across the river in Charlestown see our signal, thought Gavin. Did they see the British were crossing the Charles River?

Gavin and the caretaker quickly climbed down the stairs and back out the door of the Old North Church.

Gavin bent over with his hands on his knees and sighed a huge sigh of relief.

He had lit the lanterns and helped Paul Revere. The rest was up to Paul Revere, and he hoped his midnight ride went well. Gavin noticed redcoats on patrol in the distance. 

It’s time for me to get home, he thought.

He pulled out his mirror to take a last look at himself.

I still can’t believe I am wearing a wig, he thought.

He took off his shoes.

The Old North Church started to fade.

The redcoats in the distance started to fade.

The familiar Soul Shoes store started to appear.

6 HOME AGAIN

Mr. Cobbles stood before Gavin, and Captain was perched on a coat rack by the front door.

“Welcome back, my boy. Did you find out what you needed to know?” he asked.

“Yes!” shouted Gavin. 

He handed his shoes to Mr. Cobbles. Mr. Cobbles returned to the shoe aisle and set the shoes back on the shelf.

When he returned, he said, “Let me bring you a spot of cocoa, and you can tell me all about it.”

Gavin sat on the bench and tried remembering everything he had been through.

Mr. Cobbles returned and handed him the cup of cocoa.

Gavin gulped it down. 

“Mr. Cobbles, I met Paul Revere! He was the fastest rider, so he had the important job of riding to Lexington and Concord to warn the colonies about the British,” said Gavin. 

Mr Cobbles raised his arm, and Captain flew over to perch on it.

“Land or sea! Land or sea! Land or sea!” screeched Captain.

Laughing, Gavin said, “Sea, Captain. They came by sea.”

Mr. Cobbles pulled a cracker out of his pocket and handed it to Gavin, who fed an eager Captain the cracker.

“How exciting, my boy,” said Mr. Cobbles. “What else happened?”

“Well, he needed a backup plan in case the British patrol caught him. He picked me to light the lanterns in the Old North Church to signal the other patriots which way the British were coming,” Gavin said. 

“It sounds like you have everything you need to give a great report, my boy,” he said.

“I do. It will be awesome,” Gavin said. “Thanks again, Mr. Cobbles!”

“You are welcome,” said Mr. Cobbles.

He walked Gavin to the door.

“Come back anytime, my boy. Soul Shoes is always open for you,” Mr. Cobbles said.

He opened the door, and Gavin walked out, waving goodbye.

It started to rain on his way home, but he didn’t notice. He was lost in thought about his incredible adventures walking with Paul Revere.

7 THE REPORT

Gavin opened his eyes. The sun was peeking through his bedroom window.

He jumped out of bed.

Today was the day he would give his report on Paul Revere at school. He couldn’t wait to share his adventures with Paul Revere with his class.

He quickly dressed and ran down the stairs.

“Hi, Mom,” said Gavin, running to grab a Pop-Tart.

“Well, good morning, Gavin. What has you in such a rush?” asked Gavin’s mom, cocking her eyebrow. “I’m cooking breakfast.”

“No time, Mom,” Gavin said. “I have to get to school early to prepare for my report on Paul Revere.”

“Wow! This is a first. You want to get to school early,” Gavin’s mom said. “I like it!”

“I’ll tell you all about it when I get home,” said Gavin.

He grabbed his backpack and ran out the door.

He excitedly ran all the way to school and was the first one in the classroom.

Miss Sweets walked in shortly after Gavin.

“Hello, Gavin,” she said, surprised. “You’re here early.”

“I wanted to get ready for my report,” said Gavin.

“That’s great! Do you want to go first today?” Miss Sweets asked.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” shouted Gavin.

“Sure. You can go first,” she said kindly.

The rest of the class wandered in a few at a time, and then the bell rang.

“Hello, sweet peas,” said Miss Sweets.

“Hello, Miss Sweets,” replied the class in unison.

“Are we ready for our reports?” Miss Sweets asked, walking to the front of the class.

The class replied, “Yes.”

“Very good,” she said, smiling. “A little birdie told me Gavin would like to go first today.”

Gavin excitedly walked to the front of the class.

He told them all about Paul Revere and the British. He described Paul Revere and how the lanterns were a vital backup plan in case Paul Revere was captured on his midnight ride. He didn’t leave out a single detail.  

The class was all ears and loudly clapped when he finished.

“Wow. Gavin, that was very impressive,” said Miss Sweets. “I felt like I was actually back in colonial times. Where did you get all your information?”

Gavin smiled. His mom always told him to tell the truth so that he would do just that.

Gavin took a deep breath and said, “Well, I traveled back in history and met Paul Revere and walked in the shoes of the man who lit the lanterns at the Old North Church.”

The class burst out laughing.

Christian patted Gavin on his back. 

“You’re so funny, Gavin,” he said, smiling.

“All right, quiet everyone,” said Miss Sweets.

She eyed Gavin curiously. “I see. Well, that was an interesting way to gather your research.”

Gavin smiled. It didn’t matter if they believed him or not. He enjoyed telling his class and teacher all about his walk with Paul Revere. He knew it was real, and he would remember this adventure forever.