SAMSON SAVES THE SNEAKERS

                            THE SNEAKER PROJECT 
                ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Samson is a real kitty, who lives with his owners, Christy and Ron Smith. Christy Smith, a professor in Charlotte County, Florida, had an idea to help the students in all K-12 public schools. Every single child who needed sneakers would get a pair to start the school year, or any time they needed sneakers during the year. And so, this Sneaker Project began with a teacher, over 16 years ago! From her Storage Closet in her house, the sneaker project grew until she had collected close to 100,000 pairs of sneakers to date. As the project grew, the Kiwanis Club began sponsoring the Sneaker Project. There are sneakers of all colors and sizes that are housed at every school, ready for the boys and girls each year. The story of Samson Saves the Sneakers, is a celebration  of Christy Smith and other good people in Charlotte County, who make the magic happen for boys and girls. Hooray for the Sneaker Project!

SAMSON SAVES THE SNEAKERS IS THE 8TH AND LATEST IN THIS EXCITING FIRST CHAPTER BOOK SERIES FOR  BEGINNING READERS. ENJOY!
 

                      CHAPTER ONE

              THE RAGING FOREST FIRE

     It was the worst of times for Samson.

Never had Samson been so

frightened in his itsy-bitsy life. Red

hot flames climbed higher and

higher, choking him. It was the first

time he had ever been so scared,

ever! In his whole itsy-bitsy life! The black smoke made evil faces 

appear, in the dark clouds. He could hear muffled sounds of crying.

 He knew this was not a place he had ever been before. He coughed

 and covered his eyes, hoping the whole thing was a bad dream.

     He had never had a bad dream like this, in his whole itsy-bitsy life.

Yet, here he was, trying to figure out how this possibly could have

happened to him. It all happened so quickly that he hadn’t gotten 

his bearings. Then he remembered the stories told around the 

campfire over the Rainbow Bridge. THIS was The OTHER 

WORLD his parents had warned him about. This was the

world his friends, Paddipaws, and Shannon O’Bean, and Flibberty-

Jibberty told stories about. They had done something most of the

other itsy-bitsy kitties in His World had never done before. They had

survived! “Meow,” cried Samson. Some itsy-bitsy kitties weren’t as

lucky as Paddipaws or Shannon O’Bean, or Flibberty-Jibberty, he

was told. Some hadn’t survived this Other World!

     They had disobeyed their Moms and Dads and crossed over the 

Rainbow Bridge to The Other World, the one Samson had vowed 

never to enter. His Dad had given him a shiny penny for doing all his

chores, for weeding the garden and helping Mom plant carrots for

the rabbits who lived next door. He should have been paying 

attention to where he was going, but he wasn’t. He watched as the

sun bounced every which way off the shiny penny, casting 

diamonds on the Rainbow River below. He leaned over the

Rainbow River on tippy-toes. It was so very beautiful! And he 

waved to Paddipaws, who, as usual, was floating downstream on 

the Rainbow River, with two tiny itsy-bitsy kitties on his wide belly.

     “Hi Paddipaws,” Samson remembers shouting. “Have a nice 

day!” He remembers Paddipaws waving frantically back, trying to 

tell him something. What is Paddipaws trying to tell me, he 

remembers asking himself. Then he made that fatal mistake. He did 

not pay attention to where he was walking and crossed over the 

Rainbow Bridge, landing feet first in the Other World!

Now he was paying the price. Paddipaws was trying to tell him to 

pay attention, but Samson was watching the penny glisten in the 

noonday sun. And that was that.

     “Timber! Watch out for that falling tree,” screamed a black-and-

white skunk, as he waddled as fast as he could to avoid burning his 

feet. “You’re standing in the wayyyyyyy! Get out of the wayyyy!” 

The odor of the frightened skunk trailed behind him and mixed with 

the choking smoke. Samson had forgotten for a minute where he 

had landed. He was daydreaming again, but this time, he was in 

danger!

Samson could barely see through

the plumes of heavy gray smoke

that settled on the forest floor.

Samson could feel the intense heat

creeping up his body, surrounding

him. He could feel and smell fear

in the forest. The forest animals

pushed their way through the blazing

red and orange flames that

licked the trees and burned the

homes of all their friends in the forest. The gray squirrels who were 

usually very quiet were rattling their tails which were now charred

around the edges, and they were chirping loudly. The gray squirrels 

flung themselves from tree to tree, the babies following behind 

their Moms and Dads, high above the ground. The deer fled, too, 

frantically trying to find their way out. Birds screamed as loud as 

they could to warn their friends. The rabbits hopped in circles as if 

they were playing a game. But Samson sensed this was no ordinary 

game. Many little creatures frantically searched for their Moms and 

held each other’s paws. But the black plumes of smoke choked 

them and some fell to the forest floor as they ran. Some of them 

even darted blindly into Samson, knocking him to the ground, in 

their rush to save themselves from the burning blaze.

     The gray squirrels who were usually very quiet were rattling their

tails which were now charred around the edges, and they were

chirping loudly. The gray squirrels flung themselves from tree to 

tree, the babies following behind their Moms and Dads, high above 

the ground. The deer fled, too, frantically trying to find their way 

out. Birds screamed as loud as they could to warn their friends. The

rabbits hopped in circles as if they were playing a game. But Samson

sensed this was no ordinary game.

Many little creatures franticallysearched for their Moms and held

each other’s paws. But the black plumes of smoke choked them and

some fell to the forest floor as they ran. Some of them even darted

blindly into Samson, knocking him to the ground, in their rush to  

save themselves from the burning blaze.

     “Meow,” screamed Samson, in his most worried voice. He spun 

and twirled round and round, trying to follow the other animals, for

Samson instinctively knew he was in grave danger.

      He began looking for his Mom or Dad or his ten brothers. 

Then he remembered that he was now alone. “M-E-O-W,”

he screamed even louder than before! No one heard him. His voice

blended with the cries of all the forest creatures who felt trapped in

the raging forest fire.

     Fear gripped Samson. Then he did what his Mom had trained him

to do if he ever got lost. “Samson, when you are afraid, picture 

Mom and Dad and your ten brothers.

Stand perfectly still, and we will always find you. And don’t forget

the magic in your tail. Never use it unless you absolutely must,” 

Mom would say and smile. But Samson had disobeyed his Mom and 

Dad and crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. Samson knew no one 

was coming to save him. Yet Samson stood perfectly still while the 

stampede of forest animals raced by him. He stood perfectly still 

while the wailing sounds of very sad animal families ripped through 

the forest. The forest animals scrambled for their lives.

     Samson tried to move! But he couldn’t! He seemed stuck in one

spot. Maybe he was frightened. He tried to remember what his

Mom had told him about this emotion. “Fear,” his Mom said, “is not

something you ever have to worry about here in Our World, dear 

Samson,” his Mom told him. “You are safe and loved in this world. 

But, never, ever cross over the Rainbow Bridge, or you will find a 

world where strange, scary creatures live.

It is not your world. It is a world of fear, an emotion that is strong 

and makes you afraid to move. We do not know fear in Our World.”

     These words rang out in Samson’s

ears, as he stood perfectly still in the middle of a raging forest fire,

and watched and heard the fear in the other animals in this world as

they scattered here, there, and everywhere,

in search of safety.

     “So, that’s what fear feels like,” whispered Samson to himself. 

He found himself helplessly stuck in one spot, immobile! A tear 

rolled down his tiny white face, and he couldn’t, for the life of him, 

figure out what to do next.

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