This short story (3,400 words) not only shines a light on building friendships, but it also encourages perseverance in the face of challenges. It includes a detailed story structure portion, figurative language work, vocabulary and context clue work, and a write your own ending activity. There is a student copy as well as a teacher copy with answers and examples. The standards met with this lesson are included for 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade. If you and your students enjoy the product, i