Once upon a time, in a bright and busy playground, there was a boy named Charlie. He had never played basketball before, but today he decided to give it a shot! The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Charlie bounced the ball with all his might, shooting hoops with new friends.

Charlie ran up and down the court, jumping high and laughing. The ball swooshed through the net again and again. He felt like a superhero! But as the day turned into evening, and the sky painted itself with sunset colors, Charlie started to feel a little funny in his legs.

When Charlie woke up the next morning, he felt like his legs were made of rubber! They were sore and ouchy. He winced as he got out of bed. 'Why do my muscles hurt, Mom?' Charlie asked with a puzzled look on his face.

'Well, Charlie,' Mom said softly as she cooked eggs for breakfast, 'when you play and exercise in new ways, sometimes your muscles get tiny tears. It's like they're saying, 'Hey, that was hard work!' But don't worry, they'll get stronger as they heal.'

'How can I feel better?' Charlie asked, eating his eggs slowly. 'Rest is important,' replied Mom, 'And eating good food like these eggs helps too! They're packed with stuff that helps your muscles grow strong.'

After breakfast, Charlie's older sister, Emma, showed him some gentle stretches. 'Doing these can help make the soreness go away faster,' she said. Charlie tried touching his toes and bending slowly side to side, feeling a little better with each stretch.

As days passed, Charlie's muscles stopped hurting and he felt ready to play basketball again. 'Remember, start slow, take breaks, and drink water,' Mom reminded him. Charlie grinned, 'I will, Mom!' And off he bounced, ready for another round of hoops under the sun.