Training Wheels

Owen's little brother Levi raced up and down the driveway on his bicycle, sometimes getting in the way as Owen practiced skateboarding.

"Hey, Levi," said Noelle, a neighbor who was taking care of the boys while their mother went to the grocery store. "Why don't you ride on the sidewalk so Owen won't trip over you?"

Levi stopped and looked at his brother. "Okay," he said. He turned quickly and rode down the sidewalk.

"I can't believe it!" Owen said, watching his brother speed away. "He's had the training wheels off his bike just one day, but he's riding that two-wheeler like he's been doing it his whole life. I think it took me a lot longer to learn to ride."

"Didn't you use training wheels?" Noelle asked.

Owen shook his head. "No. I thought they were for babies. Mom wanted Dad to put them on my bike, but when I made a big fuss, he said it might be good for me to learn the hard way. I fell a lot."

Noelle laughed. "Well, Levi learned to balance and pedal and brake with training w