Pablo and the Shoes That Told the Truth

Chapter 1: A liar whose nose... no, whose shoes start talking and tell the truth every time

Pablo Pennywhistle had a pair of shiny new red sneakers, and he was very proud of them.

He was also, if we are being honest (and we will be, because this story is about honesty), a bit of a fibber.

Not a terrible one. His lies were small and slippery, like soap in a bathtub.

"I brushed my teeth," he told Mom, with a dry toothbrush.

"I didn't eat the last cookie," he told his sister, with crumbs on his chin.

"My dog ate my homework," he told Mrs. Abernathy, though he didn't have a dog.

Each fib felt easy at the time. But they piled up like socks under a bed, and Pablo had to remember which story he'd told to whom.

One Saturday, Pablo's best friend Dev knocked on the door.

"Want to play soccer? You can bring your new sneakers."

"I can't," said Pablo. "I have to... clean my room."