From the day Bobbi Sue was born, she had big feet.

 Neighbours said,” She’ll have good balance with feet like those.”

 Friends said, “She’ll be tall when she grows up.” 

The doctor said, “Don’t worry, she’ll grow into her feet.”

    And she grew, but so did her feet.

    “Mom, can you make all my skirts long so they cover my feet?” Bobbi Sue asked one day.

    “Your feet are beautiful and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,” her mother said and gave her a big hug.

    In the classroom Bobbi Sue would sit in her chair with her feet hidden underneath her.  She would do the same at carpet time and she would always stand at the end of the line when it was time to go outside.  

She loved to play at the park and would dance and twirl around in the wildflowers, as long as no one else was around.  If someone came she would hurry home, but usually not before they saw her feet.

“Bet she can stomp out fires with feet like that,” she would hear people say.

“She could use those for pontoons and float on water,” others would say.

She would run home and cry to her mother, “Why do I have enormously ugly, terribly, huge feet? People are always whispering about them.”

And her mother would hug her and hold her until she felt better.

One morning when Bobbi Sue was at the park with her mother she noticed a sign.

    SUMMER DANCE UNDER THE CANOPY TREE TONIGHT.

 Bobbi Sue loved to dance and her mother new it.

“Oh, Bobbi Sue, you have to go.  It will be great fun.  When I was your age I went to this dance.  Magical things happen that day that can change your life.”

“I don’t like other people to watch me dance,” Bobbi Sue said. Besides, how could a dance change your life?

“Come, let’s go to the mall to find you some new shoes in case you change your mind,” her mother said.

At the Mall, they began looking for some shoes, any shoes that would fit.  Bobbi Sue looked at the dainty shoes with thin little straps and pointy toes.  She picked up a purple pair that was almost perfect. Her fingers traced delicately pointed toes, the thin straps and just a speck of a heel.

“Would you like to try those on? I’m sure I have your size,” the man working at the store asked.

“I’m looking for perfect dancing shoes to make my feet look small,” Bobbi Sue said.

He looked down at her feet. She could tell from the look on his face that suddenly he wasn’t so sure.  “I’ll be right back. Look around some more while I check for you.”

Bobbi Sue weaved her way around the displays of beautiful shoes until the man returned.

“I’m afraid I don’t have much in your size in that style, or any of these styles.  May I suggest you look over here?” He gestured towards a row of big brown loafer like shoes that looked like men’s shoes. Bobbi Sue could feel her face get hot. He didn’t mean for his words to sting, but they did. 

A couple of girls from across the store giggled. Bobbi Sue heard them whispering. “I’d hate to be the boy dancing with her.  She’d squash your toes for sure.”

“She should just buy the box.”

Bobbi Sue’s eyes began to burn.  She rubbed them hard to keep the tears away, but it was no use.  Bobbi Sue ran out of the store and sat down at the fountain. She knew she should be used to what people say but it didn’t matter.  Warm tears caressed her cheeks as she sat and watched all the beautiful shoes that other people were wearing.

“Why are you crying dear girl?” a voice asked from behind her.

She looked up at a man standing with a cart. “It’s nothing, really.” She stood up and a wiped her hands across her cheeks.

“Come look at my cart and I’ll see if I can help you,” the man said.  Bobbi Sue looked at the cart the man was pushing. Sheets of leather, stacks of rubber and laces hung from hooks and rails.

“I make shoes.  Any style, colour and size,” he said with glimmer in his eye. “So, what kind of shoes would you like? Let me guess, you like to dance.”

Bobbi Sue just nodded her head and continued to look around at the buckles and straps, high heels and low heels that filled his cart.  She glanced over at the man who was busy cutting and stitching and gluing pieces together.

“I’m looking for the perfect pair of shoes to make my feet look small,” she said quietly.

“There, done.  Why don’t you give them a try?” the man said as he handed Bobbi Sue a pair of shoes.

“These are beautiful, but they look much to small,” Bobbi Sue said as she stared at the perfect purple shoes. They had delicately pointed toes, thin straps and just a speck of a heel.

“Please, try them on,” the man insisted.

Bobbi Sue took off her old shoes and slipped her feet into the purple shoes. “They do fit and they feel great.  And my feet don’t look big at all.”

“Try dancing in them,” the man said as he cleaned up his cart.

“Oh, I never dance in front of people,” Bobbi Sue said, sitting back down.

“How is the world to know what a beautiful dancer you are if you don’t show them? You should try if one day.  It might make you feel better.”

Bobbi Sue ran over to her mom.

“They are beautiful shoes and it looks like they fit.  Lets go pay the man,” said her mom.  But when they turned back towards the cart, it was gone and so was the man. 

“He was right here, with his cart,” Bobbi Sue said as she picked up a scrap of purple leather left on the floor. “He just disappeared like magic.”

“Sometimes you just need to believe in a little bit of magic.  Let’s go home,” her mom said.

That night at the dance, Bobbi Sue agreed to go to the dance.  When she got there no one else was dancing, but the music was so lovely that she couldn’t stop herself from moving to the rhythm. She looked at her mom then at her shoes and went out onto the dance floor and danced.  People stood and watched.  When the music was over the crowd erupted into thundering applause.  Bobbi Sue went and stood beside her mom.

 She could still hear people whispering.

Neighbours said, “She is so graceful. A natural dancer.”

Friends said, “I wish I could dance like her.”

But this time she didn’t mind.