In the cozy town of Meadowville, under a blanket of morning sun, young Charlie awoke with a yawn. Stretching his arms and wiggling his toes, he felt something quite bizarre. He tried to jump out of bed, eager for the day, but his legs said, 'No way!'
Charlie sat puzzled, his brow all wrinkled. 'Why do my legs feel all tingly and tickled?' He remembered the soccer game from the day before, how he ran and he kicked, and he scored galore!
Charlie's legs felt like they were filled with buzzing bees, or like he had slept in a tree, with his knees all squished between branches, oh gee! 'What's this weird feeling? This isn’t much fun,' he thought, as he sighed and longed to run.
He flopped back down on his bed with a frown. Just then, his mom popped in, wearing her morning gown. 'Good morning, sport! How do you feel?' she asked with a smile, pouring some orange juice, bright as the sun's dial.
'Mom, it's my legs! They're all sore and wiggy,' complained Charlie, looking a bit jiggy. His mom chuckled softly, 'You've been a brave knight! Fighting in soccer battles from daylight to night.'
'When you play and have fun, and your muscles work hard, sometimes the next day, they send you a postcard. It says, 'Hello, Charlie! We need a small break. Thank you for running, jumping, and a big game to make!''
Charlie laughed and felt better, not quite as sore. 'Tomorrow I'll play and score even more!' He got up slowly, and with a bit of a squirm, he began to feel stronger, like a well-rested worm.
And so the young boy learned about aching, in a way that was far from petrifying and shaking. Now every big game comes with less of a surprise, because our hero knows what happens when the sun will arise!