Newsie: Hoop
Hoop wears a bright orange pinstriped shirt under a two tone vest, a dark brown Newsie cap and an olive scarf around his neck. He's also a fan of the rope for carrying papes.
He's friends with Snap, Tumbler and Sprinkles (no relation to Snap, Crackle and Pop).
Hoop listens intently to David's knowledge about the strike.
The next day, he rushes excitedly to Newsie Square with his gear because it's Newsie play day.
Behind Les and Flipper sword-fighting, and behind David swinging his arms, and behind Sprinkles and Snipeshooter stick-fighting, is Hoop absorbed in his favourite sport, hoop rolling.
The aim of Hoop rolling is to keep the hoop moving along the ground in an upright position guided by an object such as a stick and not have it fall over.
A dozen men compete in a fierce hoop rolling competition. Hoop aspires to join such a competition one day and make it to the big league.
And now Hoop's guided his hoop right in front of the camera. See if you can spot Boots trying to balance on a small rolling barrel (and almost falling!) And then there's Kid Blink in the back feeling Mush up. Mush is constantly in various states of undress, he always leaves his suspenders hanging around his waist even when wearing a vest, ironically the only time he (briefly) has one of them on is when he's not wearing a shirt.
Without his hoop by his side, Hoop turns himself into a human hoop by spinning around like he's on a turntable.
Even though Hoop might not be the best Newsie dancer, he still enthusiastically joins in with the singing,
the skipping
and the praying.
On his path to becoming a hoop rolling champion, he knows that there will be high times and hard times ahead.
But sometimes the living will be sweet.
