The light shone in the park. The scent of grass tickled Bonnie's nose. It was Sports Day at the kindergarten, and on the track, colorful cones stood in a row, like candy. Bonnie tied her blue shoelaces and softly tapped one with the toe of her shoe.

— Today I will be fast — she whispered to her shoes.

Miss Sophie clapped her hands.

— Children, a relay race is next! Here is the yellow baton. Whoever runs, goes around the cone and passes it to their partner. We'll choose a team and name it!

Bonnie stood next to Lili, Mike, and Archie. They leaned together, heads close. Lili's freckles danced from excitement.

— Let's be the Windshoes! — Bonnie's eyes lit up.

— Windshoes! — repeated Mike, and blew a mighty gust, as if he were the wind.

They practiced the passing. Miss Sophie showed them: the baton must be given from below; the receiving hand opens, then grabs it.

— Look, like this! — said Archie, and the yellow baton slid softly into Bonnie's palm.

Bonnie's heart drummed like a little drum. In her stomach, butterflies fluttered their wings. Mike put his hand on her shoulder.

— We can do this — he smiled. — The wind helps.

At the edge of the track, the other team, the Lightning Sprites, already stomped. At the starting line, Lili stood first for the Windshoes. The sunlight tied her hair with a red ribbon, or at least that's how Bonnie saw it.

— Start! — shouted Miss Sophie.

Lili shot out. Her shoes made a peep-peep sound, as if a small bird pecked. She went around the cone, her face flushed, and gave the yellow baton to Mike. Mike lifted his legs with tiny, nimble steps, like a squirrel. The baton slid again, and Bonnie followed.

— Here I come! — panted Bonnie, feeling her shoe jump too.

She grabbed the yellow baton. In her palm, it was warm, as if made of a sunbeam. She started off. The wind tickled her ear. The cone got closer and closer... and then in the grass, she saw a grasshopper. For a moment, she looked at it, her leg bumped into a tiny bump, and the baton slipped out of her hand.

— Oh! — The baton thudded onto the grass.

— No problem! Pick it up! — shouted Lili.

— We'll wait for you! — added Mike.

Bonnie bent down. Her heart still drummed, but her hand moved surely. She grabbed the yellow baton, took a deep breath, and ran again. The grass was a soft green wave under her shoes. She went around the cone and saw Archie's outstretched hand.

— Here is the wind! — laughed Bonnie, putting the baton into Archie's palm.

Archie sped along the track with wide steps. The Lightning Sprites were still ahead, but Archie's running cast a long shadow on the grass, reaching closer and closer. At the finish line, they all shouted together.

— Go, Windshoes! Go!

Archie ran in. The Lightning Sprites arrived a tiny bit sooner, but the Windshoes poured across the colorful ribbon just behind them. The track filled with laughter and applause.

Bonnie leaned her hand on her knee. She panted, then looked up. Lili smiled at her.

— You were clever — she said. — The baton was in your hand again. That's the real running.

— And the grasshopper clapped too! — chuckled Mike, and clicked his tongue like a small clap.

Miss Sophie lifted her whistle, then lowered it and took out a box. Inside the box were ribbons: red, green, striped, spotted.

— Today, every team gets something. The Lightning Sprites ran cleverly. And the Windshoes… you get a Joint Courage Ribbon! — she said, glowing. — Because you went on together, passed it on together, and arrived together.

The ribbon was blue, with tiny white clouds on it. Miss Sophie tied it to the Windshoes' flag-holding stick, and the wind gently waved it.

The children drank water and munched orange slices. The orange juice shone sweetly in the sun. Archie lifted the yellow baton high.

— Cheering! — he shouted.

— Windshoes! — they shouted together, clapping three times.

Bonnie looked down at her blue shoes. Grass blades still stuck to them. Her heart didn't drum anymore; rather, it sang. She stroked the edge of the ribbon.

— I'll run tomorrow too — she whispered, but now not to her shoes, but to her friends.

Lili leaned on her shoulder, Mike spun the baton a bit, and Archie laughed, jumping among the striped shadows.

On the track, they moved the cones again so other races could come too. But Bonnie knew: the wind already lived in her shoes, and if they had to run, the Windshoes would always run together.