One-Foot Hopscotch

I pushed past the front gate and trotted down the sidewalk straight into the sunlit neighborhood plaza! Drawn across the wide gray flagstones was an enormous hopscotch court traced in thick pastel chalk. I couldn't pass up a real athletic challenge! Picking up a flat, water-smoothed slate pebble with both hands, I tossed it forward—it skittered right into square number four. Tucking my elbows in, I launched forward off both feet! Hop, hop, split-jump! I landed balanced on one single shoe inside square three, wobbling just a tiny bit before scooping up the pebble with both hands. Striding right across the starry finish line felt like a grand championship victory!

1 Nauk