Franklin Rides a Bike

  Written by Paulette Bourgeois

  Illustrated by Brenda Clark

  Kids Can Press

  FRANKLIN could swim underwater and hit a home run. He knew how to climb the monkey bars and pump himself high on the swings. But Franklin had a problem. He couldn’t ride his bicycle without training wheels.

  In the spring, all of Franklin’s friends had training wheels on their bikes.

  Beaver was the brave one. She took her extra wheels off first. She practised and practised. Then she went to the park to show off.

  “Look at me!” she shouted. “I can ride my bike all by myself.”

  Franklin watched Beaver ride around in circles.

  It wasn’t long before Beaver could signal with one paw and hold on to the handlebar with the other.

  Soon, everyone but Franklin could ride without training wheels.

  “We’re going on a picnic,” said Bear. “Come on.”

  Franklin was worried that his friends would make fun of his training wheels.

  “I’m not hungry,” Franklin fibbed. He went home to eat lunch, alone.

  Afterwards, Franklin asked his mother to help take the training wheels off his bike. He wanted to ride all by himself.

  He sat on his bike, and his mother gave him a push.

  Franklin wibbled and wobbled, and teetered and tottered. Then he fell into the flower bed.

  “I can’t do it,” he said. “I’m never riding this bike again.”

  For the rest of the week, Franklin felt left out.

  He watched as his friends rode off without him.

  They were becoming great explorers on their bikes.

  On Saturday, Franklin’s friends zoomed by his house.

  “That looks like fun,” said Franklin’s mother.

  “I can’t ride without my training wheels,” groaned Franklin.

  “Did you give it your best effort?” asked his mother.

  “Well …” said Franklin. “Maybe I could try one more time.”

  Franklin sat on his bike.

  “It’s tippy!” he cried.

  His mother held on the seat. “Try it. I won’t let go until you tell me to.”

  Franklin pedalled while his mother guided the bicycle from behind.

  He felt unsteady and very unsure.

  “I’m going to fall,” he said, and he stopped pedalling.

  “Riding a bicycle is difficult,” said his mother. “But you can’t give up just because it’s frustrating.”

  “It’s too hard for me,” said Franklin. “It was easy for my friends.”

  “Do you think everything comes easily for them?” she asked.

  Franklin had to think about that.

  Franklin went to the park.

  He saw Beaver struggling to swing on the monkey bars. Each time she got to the third rung, she fell into the sand below.

  “No, Beaver,” said Bear. “Do it like this. It’s easy.”

  “Easy for you,” said Beaver.

  She tried one more time and fell again.

  “Maybe tomorrow,” Beaver grumbled.

  Franklin remembered when Badger learned to swim. She was afraid to put her head under water.

  “It’s easy,” said Franklin. “Just do it!”

  Badger had spluttered and cried. It took her a long time to feel good in the water. Now she could swim from one end of the pond to the other.

  Franklin thought about the first time Fox played baseball.

  He couldn’t hit the ball at all. But he tried and tried until, one day, Fox got a home run.

  Just then, Porcupine came by.

  She moved very slowly. She pointed to the pads on her knees, wrists and elbows.

  “They make me feel funny,” she said, “but they keep me safe.”

  “That’s it!” cried Franklin. He hurried home.

  Franklin put on padding. He lined the walk with old pillows.

  “I’m ready to try again,” Franklin told his mother. “Now, I won’t worry if I fall.”

  Franklin sat on his bike, and his mother held on to the seat.

  Franklin wibbled and wobbled, and teetered and tottered.

  He fell many times but he never gave up.

  Then it happened. Franklin told his mother to let go. He didn’t veer into the bushes, and he didn’t crash.

  “Way to go!” cheered his mother.

  Franklin was thrilled. Finally, he was riding his bike all by himself.

  “I can do it!” he shouted.

  Franklin rode to the park to show his friends.

  “Look at me!” he called.

  Franklin tried to signal with one hand, like Beaver, but he toppled over.

  “I think I’ll work on that,” he laughed. “Not everything is as easy as it looks.”

  Franklin is a trademark of Kids Can Press Ltd.

  Text © 1997 by Contextx Inc.

  Illustrations © 1997 Brenda Clark Illustrator Inc.

  Interior illustrations prepared with the assistance of Shelley Southern.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means without, the prior written permission of Kids Can Press Ltd. or, in case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a license from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For an Access Copyright license, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free to 1-800-893-5777.

  Kids Can Press acknowledges the financial support of the Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Government of Canada, through the BPIDP, for our publishing activity.

  Published in Canada by

  Kids Can Press Ltd.

  25 Dockside Drive

  Toronto, ON M5A 0B5

  www.kidscanpress.com

  The hardcover edition of this book is smyth sewn casebound.

  The paperback edition of this book is limp sewn with a drawn-on cover.

  Manufactured in Buji, Shenzhen, China, in 10/2010 by WKT Company

  CDN 97 0 9 8 7 6 5 4

  CDN PA 97 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  Bourgeois, Paulette

  Franklin rides a bike/ written by Paulette Bourgeois; Illustrated by Brenda Clark.

  ISBN 978-1-4532-1956-0

  1. Franklin (Fictitious character: Bourgeois) – Juvenile fiction. I. Clark, Brenda II. Title.

  PS8553.O85477F786 2011 jC813’.54 C2010-906677-4

  Kids Can Press is a Corus™ Entertainment company

 

 

  Brenda Clark, Franklin Rides a Bike

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