Idris Joins the Potato Hop

At the farm's potato harvest festival, Idris stood at the barn door. Inside, neighbors danced to a fiddle. A sign had the heading "Potato Harvest Hop." In the first illustration, Idris grips the doorframe. Both feet are outside, but his eyes follow the dancers.

He had never tried the hop. What if he went the wrong way? His cousin Esme waved from the dance floor. "Watch the pattern," she called. "Two side steps, one tap. You can learn right there."

Idris watched the dancers repeat their steps. Then he tried a small shuffle, sliding his feet along the floor. The second illustration shows one heel raised and his hands away from the doorframe. He was still at the doorway, but now his feet were moving.

Esme came to dance beside him. "What if I forget a step?" Idris asked. "Then watch my feet," she said. They practiced together until Idris could do the steps without looking down. When Esme moved toward the circle, Idris followed her across the wooden floor.

The dancers made a space for them. Idris took two steps and tapped. His next tap came late, but he kept moving with the music. In the third illustration, both his feet are inside the circle. His arms swing freely, and he wears a wide smile.

Under that last picture, the caption says, "Room for one more dancer." Idris grinned at Esme. He had thought he needed to know the whole dance before joining. Now he was learning it from inside the circle.