This story is about a little boy that is very poor and has no parents.  He lives in the mountains and comes down to school with a pair of muddy shoes everyday.  His shoes always have mud and he has to clean them everyday before starting the school day.  Nobody knows why he has the mud on the shoes until a little girl learns why.  She keeps it a secret all through elementary and through highschool.  The principal tries to follow him up the mountain top secretly, but she fails because it is t ... more »

     This story is about a little boy that is very poor and has no parents.  He lives in the mountains and comes down to school with a pair of muddy shoes everyday.  His shoes always have mud and he has to clean them everyday before starting the school day.  Nobody knows why he has the mud on the shoes until a little girl learns why.  She keeps it a secret all through elementary and through highschool.  The principal tries to follow him up the mountain top secretly, but she fails because it is too treacherous.
     Many events happen during all those years in school. Panchito has to endure all of it with a grain of salt, but his heart is so strong.  It seems that children and adults alike pass judgement on him because of the way he is.  His only friend is a little girl that discovers his secret, but she never lets him know what she has discovered.  When she comes to his rescue with her parent's backing, he excells and earns a scholarship.  His dreams becomes hers and he becomes a hero.  Less