챕 1The Boy with the Golden Dream

Toma's reached a very tall garden wall. He felt very naughty and playful today. He kicked his ball over the high bricks. Then he climbed up the red wall. Toma's looked down at the other side. He did not see a simple garden. He saw a huge, green soccer field. The grass was perfect and very bright. Thousands of people were sitting in the stands. They were all wearing colorful shirts and hats. Toma's blinked his eyes three times. This was a giant, magic soccer stadium. He saw a big, shiny golden trophy. It sat on a tall white table. Toma's felt a little bit nervous now. He was just a skinny little boy. But he was also very brave. He jumped down onto the soft grass. His feet made no sound at all. He walked toward the center of the field. The air smelled like fresh popcorn and grass. He saw his ball near the white line. He picked it up with his thin hands. The lights above were like bright, white stars. He felt like he was in a dream.

A man in a blue suit walked up. He had a silver whistle in his hand. "We have been waiting for you," he said. Toma's looked at his own thin legs. He wondered if he was the right boy. The man smiled a very kind smile. "You are the secret player," he said. The crowd started to shout his name. "Toma's! Toma's!" they yelled very loudly. Toma's felt a tingle in his toes. He was the skinny boy from the town. Now he was in the big World Cup. He took a deep, slow breath. He looked at the big goal far away. The goalkeeper was very tall and strong. Toma's knew he had to be clever. He was mischievous and that helped him play. He put his foot on the ball. The game was about to start now. He was ready to become a winner. The whistle was ready to blow loud. This was his chance to show his skill. He looked at the crowd and grinned. The whole world was watching the skinny boy.