The ice rink

At Christmas, there is a special magic in the air in Girona. Lights shine along the streets, shop windows are dressed in garlands, and in the sports hall of this story there is an ice rink. It is everyone’s favourite festive attraction, with children and grown-ups coming to skate.

One cold December morning, a fair-haired girl named Jana put on her skates and stepped onto the ice. She loved skating, but that day something felt different. On her first lap she heard a soft little voice.

“Hello, Jana! Please help me!”

She stopped and looked around. Nobody seemed to be speaking to her. There were only other children laughing and gliding across the ice. She thought she must have imagined it and carried on. A few minutes later, the voice came again.

“Down here, Jana! It’s me, the star!”

Puzzled, Jana knelt down. Beneath a thin layer of ice lay a tiny star. Its light pulsed like a heartbeat.

“How can that be?” she whispered.

“I’m a star from the sky,” it explained gently. “I fell when a very powerful wish crossed the night. Now I’m trapped here. You can help me get out.”

“Me? But how?” asked Jana, excited and a little nervous.

“By doing something simple but powerful: sharing a little Christmas magic with everyone at the rink.”

Jana thought for a moment and had an idea. She called the other children and explained their special mission. They would make a big circle together and think of their kindest Christmas wishes.

Some were unsure at first, but soon everyone wanted to help. With plenty of room and help from the adults at the rink, they held hands and moved slowly over the ice. As they went round, a warm golden light began to glow beneath them. It grew brighter and brighter until, in a dazzling flash, the star shot up into the sky.

Everyone clapped. Jana heard a grateful voice calling down from above.

“Thank you, Jana! Now I can go on bringing magic to people. Merry Christmas!”

That night, the sky over Girona seemed brighter than ever. One special star shone among all the others. Jana kept her secret, but whenever she returned to skate, she knew a little magic would follow her wherever she went.

And ever since, in this story, Girona’s ice rink seems to shine a little more brightly every Christmas, as though the star were waiting for another special wish.

Questions to talk about together

What does Jana find beneath the ice? How do you think the star feels?

Why does Jana ask the others to help? Who would you ask for help?

How do the children work together to free the star?

How do they feel when they see what they have achieved? Have you felt that happy after helping someone?

What does the story teach us about sharing kind wishes and working as a team?