Tania'sNewBicycle

ByKanikaG

Copyright2014byKanikaG

Website:

https://sites.google.com/site/kanikagebooks/

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Tania's New Bicycle

Tania was now quite adept at riding hertricycle. She was getting a little toobig for it. Mama and papa thought it wastime for her to graduate to a bicyclenow. On Sunday mama and papa took Taniato the cycle store.

It was a huge store, with a largeselection of cycles. There were bigcycles and small cycles of many

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different colours. Some had bells, andsome had pretty bicycle basketsattached.

Tania and her parents looked around thestore for a while. Tania tried out a fewdifferent cycles. They all finallyagreed on a very cute, blue, smallchildren's bicycle. It was perfectlysuited for Tania.

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Mama also bought some training wheelsand a helmet so Tania could use the bikesafely. When they got back from thestore Tania helped papa attach thetraining wheels to the cycle with ascrewdriver. Then she put on her helmetand got on the bike.

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With the training wheels on, the bicyclewas no harder to ride than the tricycleshe had before. Tania had a wonderfultime riding around the housing society.The bike had a bell that would make aloud RRRINNG! sound and Tania enjoyedusing it before turning a corner.

After about a week Tania seemed quitecomfortable with the new bike and mamathought it was time to take off thetraining wheels. When Tania got on thebike without any training wheels itwobbled a lot. Mama assured her shewould hold on behind. But once Tania

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seemed to have got her balance mama letgo.

Unfortunately it was a big step, and assoon as Tania realised mama was notholding, she got scared and lost herbalance and fell off. The area in thehousing society, where she was ridingwas a hard paved surface. Tania bruisedher arms and knees quite badly. Butworse than the pain from the wounds wasthe fright and shock. Tania criedmiserably and felt betrayed by mama andthe cycle she had grown so fond of.

Mama took her upstairs, cleaned herwounds and put band-aids on them. The

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wounds healed over the next week butTania would not touch her bike again.Mama realised she had pushed Tania toohard and felt really bad about it. Shewondered what she should do. She gave itsome thought and came up with an idea.But first she let a week pass by to giveTania some time to recover.

Then one day Mama took Tania to a nearbypark for a picnic. It was a lovely parkwith beautiful trees and wide expanse ofgrass for Tania to run around on.

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Mama played a lot of ball and frisbeewith Tania and Tania had a great timerunning around on the grass. She felldown a few times but she barely noticed.

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They spread out a table cloth on thegrass and enjoyed a tasty snack-lunch.During lunch mama said "Tania, I amproud of you. You fell down a few timestoday and dint cry."

"I know mama. The grass is so soft andspringy. I dint get hurt. I had a lot offun. Thanks for bringing me. The lunchis delicious too."

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Mama said tentatively, "Tania, you thinkyou could try riding your bike on thegrass. It wont hurt if you fall. And

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this time I promise I wont let gowithout telling you. It was wrong of meto do that. I am really sorry baby."

Tania looked doubtful. But a part of herreally wanted to learn to ride thatlovely blue bicycle. She said, "Youpromise not to let go till I say it isokay?"

"Yes honey. I promise. What do you say?Should we give it a shot?"

A couple of days later mama took Taniato the park again and Tania got on herbicycle. After a few minutes shegathered the courage to ask mama to letgo. Mama did. Tania fell again but shedid not hurt herself much and she hadbraced herself for it so it was not anasty surprise. She got back on thebike.

On the third attempt she was able to goa few meters without falling. It gave

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her a sense of achievement.

Now she was eager to keep trying tillshe got reasonably good at it. In aboutan hour Tania could ride quite well.Mama brought her back to the park forthe next couple of days. By day threeTania was confident and ready to try thepaved trail in the park. She rode

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beautifully. Mama was so proud of her.Tania now felt ready to ride with herfriends in the housing society. Goodgoing Tania!

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The light blue bicycle image on the used on the coveras well as in the story was posted by Richard Child at

https://www.flickr.com/photos/richardchild/13775483983/

The cycle store image was posted by David Wellbelovedat

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davewellbeloved/9020062642/

The cycle bell image was posted by DeusXFlorida at

https://www.flickr.com/photos/8363028@N08/3443729519/

The cycle basket image was posted by Wicker Paradiseat

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wicker-furniture/8306350350/

The bicycle helmet image was posted by Daniel Oines at

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dno1967b/5436491961/

The training wheels image was posted by Dave Tanchakat

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharpener/3939660503/

The park image was posted by Ian Sane at

https://www.flickr.com/photos/31246066@N04/4719290483/

The picnic lunch image was posted by gamene at

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gamene/4688449759/

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The frisbee image was posted by Dave Morris at

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davemorris/14113286/

All above mentioned images are under the followinglicense:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

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