Rohan was a cheerful little boy with bouncy hair and endless energy. He loved running in the park, jumping over puddles, and playing hide and seek with his friends. But there was one thing he always forgot to do—put his shoes back on the shoe rack.
Every day, after returning from school or the playground, Rohan would toss his shoes somewhere—sometimes near the sofa, sometimes in the kitchen, and once even in the bathroom!
“Rohan!” his mom would call out, almost every evening. “Please put your shoes on the rack!”
Rohan would just shrug and say, “I’ll do it later, Mom!” before running off to his next exciting adventure.
What Rohan didn’t know was… his shoes could talk.
One quiet night, when the house was still and Rohan was fast asleep, a tiny voice whispered from the living room.
“Ouch! That kid stepped on me again!” grumbled the Left Shoe, wiggling its tongue.
“I was squished under the table all day!” said the Right Shoe, shaking off some dust. “I’m tired of being ignored!”
“I have an idea,” said Left Shoe. “Let’s hide! Maybe then he’ll understand how we feel!”
So, the two shoes tiptoed away—yes, tiptoed—and crawled under the couch, giggling as they nestled in the shadows.
The next morning, Rohan yawned and stretched, ready to head out to play. He rushed to the living room and… stopped.
“Where are my shoes?!” he exclaimed, looking around in panic.
He looked under the table. No shoes. Behind the curtain. Still no shoes.
Just as he was about to give up, he heard the faintest of voices.
“Rohan…” came a whisper.
“Huh?” Rohan blinked. “Who said that?”
“It’s us,” said Left Shoe.
“We’re hiding,” added Right Shoe.
Rohan’s eyes widened. “You can talk?!”
“Yes!” they both chorused. “And we’re hiding because you never take care of us!”
“We’re tired of being kicked around, stepped on, and forgotten in corners,” said Right Shoe.
“You never put us on the rack!” added Left Shoe.
Rohan felt a pang of guilt. “I… I didn’t know you felt that way.”
“Well, we do,” said Left Shoe with a sniff. “And we just want a nice, clean spot on the rack where we belong.”
Rohan dropped to his knees and gently reached under the couch. He pulled out the shoes and dusted them off.
“I’m really sorry,” he said softly. “You were right. I haven’t treated you well.”
He walked over to the shoe rack, placed them neatly on the bottom shelf, and gave them a little pat.
“There,” he smiled. “From now on, you’ll always have your cozy place.”
The shoes beamed with pride—or at least, it felt that way.
“Thank you, Rohan,” they said in unison.
From that day on, Rohan became a changed boy. Not only did he put his shoes back on the rack every single day, but he also started tidying up his toys, arranging his books, and even helping his mom fold laundry.
The talking shoes never had to hide again, and Rohan’s home stayed neat and happy.
And sometimes, just sometimes, when everything was quiet, Rohan would tiptoe to the shoe rack, smile, and whisper, “Thanks for teaching me a lesson.”
Moral of the Story
Taking care of your belongings shows responsibility and respect—even little things like shoes deserve a proper place!
Twitter