Classmates Mock Disabled Boy for Playing Basket with Mother, Principal Invites Them to His Office – Story of the Day

A wise school principal leads a group of rude students by the nose after noticing them ridiculing a boy in a wheelchair simply because he was playing basketball with his mother.

"Mom! I did it! I scored a basket!" Caleb exclaimed with joy, throwing his hands in the air. He and his mother, Linda, were playing basketball on the court after his classes, as they always did.

Two years ago, Caleb was confined to a wheelchair after a tragic accident. He wanted to be a great basketball player, but his wheelchair sapped his confidence in his ability to do so.

"I can never be what I want, mom," he told Linda one day. "I have to give up on my dreams because I am disabled…."

That day, Linda held Caleb's hands and told him not to think of himself in that way again. "You are not disabled or anything like that, Caleb! You are a specially-abled child who can fulfill his dreams just as much as the other kids, and I will be there to support you."

From that day on, after Caleb's lessons, Linda would take him to the basketball court, and they would play basketball together. When Caleb didn't score a basket, he'd become discouraged and give up, but Linda always encouraged him to give it his all.

That day, when Caleb finally scored a basket, his happiness knew no bounds. "I did it, mom! Finally!" he cried in delight.

"I saw it, honey! See, I told you, you could do it…I'm so proud of you! Let's try—"

A voice cut her off. "Don't put too much stock in yourself, loser! You're a cripple, and you'll be locked in that dirty wheelchair for the rest of your life!"

Caleb's smile faded when he noticed a group of boys from his class standing near the court's entrance.

"This game isn't for losers like you, Caleb!" exclaimed another. "Just go to your room and play board games!"

"And who are you to tell my son what he should be doing?" Linda shot back. "Just get lost!"

"You can't force us to go! It's LOSER CALEB who should leave! Anyway, Caleb, you'll never make it to the team! Why not try your hand at chess? Then you won't have to get out of your awful chair!"

After hearing such hurtful words, Caleb's eyes welled up. "Could we please go home, mom? I don't want to be here any longer..." he whispered, teary-eyed.

"I hope you're aware of why I called you here today," he said, staring right into their eyes. "If not, let me just brief you about it…."

But Linda had other plans. "We're not going anywhere, Caleb. Listen to me," she said as she knelt next to him. "Never listen to anyone who tells you that you can't achieve something. There's nothing that can stop you from playing basketball, alright? Let's keep practicing!" She handed him the ball and asked him to try to toss it into the ring.

But his classmates' taunting had already demoralized Caleb, and he couldn't score a single basket. The boys started laughing at him at that point.

"Don't give up, Caleb!" Linda encouraged him. "You've done it before, and you can do it again!" And when Caleb tried again, he landed the ball in the hoop!

"Woohoo! Good job!" Linda cried and hugged him. She handed the ball back to Caleb to throw, but one of the boys snatched it from his grip and ran away.

"You think you're too smart, don't you? Then go get yourself a new ball!" he yelled at Caleb and hurried away with the other guys.

The school principal, Mr. Hunt, saw what happened and made a mental note not to let the matter slide. The next day, when he spotted the boys in the school corridor, he summoned them to his office.

"I hope you're aware of why I called you here today," he said, staring right into their eyes. "If not, let me just brief you about it…." He told the boys he'd seen them teasing Caleb the day before.

"And so," he went on, "you are going back to that court today after school and respectfully returning the ball to him. I hope I have been clear."

"But—" one of the boys tried to object, but Mr. Hunt wasn't about to let them off the hook.

"Or you can meet me here again with your parents and get a temporary suspension. See, boys, you may despise me for what I'm doing today, but it's for your benefit. Actually, you should all learn something from your classmates.

"While Caleb can't walk, he's doing everything he can to prove himself worthy of what he wants to do in life. And what are you doing? Teasing and demotivating him? That's ridiculous!" he sighed.

The boys said nothing and just stood there with their heads bowed in silence. Mr. Hunt informed them that their punishment did not end there.

"Also," he added. "After class, you will help the school janitor and clean the adjoining basketball court. I will not involve your parents in this if you do what I have instructed you properly and demonstrate to me that you've recognized your mistake."

The boys didn't want to do any of it, but at this point, they didn't have a choice. They had to assist the janitor and clean the basketball court to comply with Mr. Hunt's orders. Not to mention, they had to apologize to Caleb, who had a big heart and forgave them.

"If you guys mean it, I forgive you," he said. "Shall we be friends?"

"NO WAY!" the boys grumbled.

The rude boys refused to be friends with Caleb despite how nicely he treated them, but they learned their lesson and never bothered Caleb again.

What can we learn from this story?

• Nothing can keep you from becoming who you want to be. Caleb may have lost his ability to walk, but he has not lost his drive to pursue his aspirations. He is working hard for his dreams, and hopefully, one day, he'll achieve them.
• Children can be cruel sometimes, but some elders know how to deal with the "smarty pants." Mr. Hunt led the mischievous group of boys by their nose after he saw them mistreating Caleb. He was wise enough to deal with them, and the boys never troubled Caleb again.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about an arrogant teen who mocked a disabled waiter and learned a harsh lesson when karma caught up with him.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.