Strong Shoes

written by: Nasratullah Samim

Bilal was living in a green village with his family. He had a friend, Jamil and he was always playing with him.

One winter day that snow was falling, Bilal went took Jamil to play with him. Jamil was very happy and said to Jamil that his father has bought him new, strong, and warm shoes. Jamil said that he has put on warm boots too.

Jamil wanted Bilal to play with snow but Bilal rejected and said that they will hit a sign with snowballs and he went a few steps ahead and found some bricks inside the snow and he tried to bring them out with his shoes.

Jamil prevented him and told him that the bricks might tear his shoes but Bilal said that his shoes are very strong and he continued to bring the bricks by his shoes but one of his shoes was torn and then he hit the bricks with his other shoe.

Finally, Bilal tore his both shoes. Jamil blamed him but Bilal said that he would repair them. Bilal went back home. When his mother saw Bilal’s shoes, she blamed him for tearing his new shoes but Bilal says that he would find a solution to this issue.

Bilal’s mother said that her sister invited them for the lunch and she wanted her daughter, Atifa to go with her and wanted Bilal to stay at his uncle’s house due to his torn shoes but Bilal said that his uncle is a shoemaker and he would repair the shoes for him.

Bilal’s mother said that his uncle has gone to the bazaar. Bilal became very sad and he insisted to go with his mother. When he reached the middle of the way, water influenced into his shoes and Bilal was not able to go ahead anymore.

Bilal’s mother and Atifa came back home. Atifa blamed Bilal for not taking care of his new shoes, their mother canceled the invitation. The next day, Bilal’s uncle repaired Bilal’s shoes but those shoes were not new anymore. Water was influencing them and Bilal spent the winter with his repaired shoes because his father was a poor man and he was not able to buy new shoes for Bilal.