The Wrong Backpack

Nina stayed in the school library after class to finish an assignment. She put her blue backpack on the chair beside her. Another student, Leo, was sitting nearby with a backpack that looked almost the same. Nina noticed the colour but not the small details that made the two bags different.

When the bell rang, she closed her notebook, picked up the nearest blue bag and hurried to science class. She had barely sat down when she opened it to find her science textbook. Instead, she saw a history book, a red pencil case and a notebook with Leo's name on the cover.

Nina looked at the bag more carefully. Her own backpack had a yellow key ring on the zip; this one didn't. She realised what had happened and felt uncomfortable because Leo might need his books for the next lesson.

She told her teacher she had taken the wrong bag and asked if she could return it. Back in the library, Leo was checking under the table. “I'm really sorry,” Nina said. “I think I took your backpack by mistake.” Leo was relieved to see it. He had been worried that someone had stolen it.

They exchanged bags and checked the names inside. Before leaving, Nina tied a bright ribbon to her own zip so that she could recognise it quickly. Leo said he would put a sticker on his. They both laughed at how easy it had been to confuse two ordinary blue backpacks.