Craig watched his old sister, Riley, and her friend Liz race up and down the lake on their skates, avoiding other hockey(曲棍球) players. Their skate blades looked like silver smoke. When the game was over, the girls skated up to the bench where Craig was sitting. Craig asked Riley what skating felt like.

“When I go really fast, I feel like I am flying,” she said.

That is silly, thought Craig. Flying is something birds do in the air, not something people do on ice skates.

Then he watched Riley go back out on the ice. She skated around and around the edge of the lake with her arms pumping and her scarf trailing behind her. Soon she went so fast that her arms looked like wings and her scarf looked like a feathery tail. Maybe skating really was like flying.

When Riley sat down to take her skates off, Craig said, “I wish I could fly.”

Riley retied her skate laces and bent next to Craig. “Get on my back,” she said, and Craig did. Riley started skating, but Craig didn’t feel like he was flying. It just felt like a skating piggyback ride.

“You are too heavy,” Riley said, “I can’t go fast when I am carrying you.” She skated slowly back to the bench. Craig got off her back. “Even if you could go fast, I wouldn’t be flying.” he said sadly. “I need skates to fly.”

Riley didn’t say anything on the walk home, but a few days later she asked Craig if he wanted to go skating.

“To watch?” he asked. “No, to skate,” she said cheerfully. “Mom and I found a pair of my old skates. They might fit you.” The skates were a little big, but when Riley stuffed newspaper in the toes, they fit. Craig couldn’t stop smiling. He didn’t want to take them off, but he had to so he could walk to the lake. Riley and Liz went with him. They carried their hockey sticks and a wooden chair. Hardly had they got to the lake when Craig put his skates back on and Riley helped him onto the ice.

Then she put his hands on the back of the chair.

After a while, each girl took one of Craig’s hands.