Kate's New Roller Skates

by Trasey Poniris

It was nearly Kate’s birthday and she had just one wish.
Not for a dress, or tiny goldfish.

She longed for a new pair of roller-skates,
which she dreamed of riding, through the large park gates.

Her red ones were all tattered and worn,
and they needed new laces because they were torn.

As she blew out her candles on top of her cake,
she shut her eyes tight and wished til she ached.

Just as her mum was cutting the cake,
the doorbell rang and it was Grandpa Blake.

After eating every crumb of cake from his plate,
Grandpa Blake said, “I have a surprise for you, dear little Kate”.

Out of his satchel he took out a box
that was big enough to carry one hundred socks!

She pondered for a minute, “What could it be?
This elegantly wrapped parcel that is just for me”.

Tearing off the ribbon to open it up,
she giggled so much and began to hiccup.

Inside the box lay a new pair of roller-skates,
resting on shreds of tissue paper laid out in rows of eights.

They were bright red with royal blue stripes that glistened in the light,
and then she put them on to try and ride them if she might.

Kate rode down the driveway then up to the corner of the street,
when her mum calls from the house, “Time to come in now, Kate, I have a treat”.

She visualised riding her new roller-skates,
up and down the hills in the park by the lake.

This was the best birthday that Kate ever had,
though she had just one wish she wanted to add.

It was to organise an outing before it got dark.
So that afternoon, off went Kate with her mum and Grandpa for a skate in the park.

Copyright Trasey Poniris 2011

The author lives in New South Wales, Australia.

Return to the Free Kids Books page.

Best Children's Books home.