Floods

The flood in the story was dangerous. People do not usually like floods but some farmers need floods when their fields are too dry. When there is a flood, the water carries mud and sand from the river bed to the fields near the river. When the water goes away, the mud and sand become good soil.

Many, many years ago people in Egypt found this good soil after a flood. Then they built homes there near the river. Soon there were a few small farms. Later the people became rich and they built houses, shops and temples. They made many beautiful things. We can still see these beautiful things in museums today.

People in many countries tell stories about a very big flood. The flood covered the world. Here is just one of those stories. A long, long time ago, there was a man called Noah. He lived with his wife, his three sons and his sons' wives. One day, Noah heard a voice. It said, 'Noah, soon there will be a big flood. You must build a boat. You must put two of every animal and bird and insect in the boat. Many, many people will die in the flood but you and your family will be all right.'

Noah and his family built a boat. They put two of every animal, bird and insect in their boat. They put food in the boat, too. Then it started to rain.

It rained for forty days and forty nights. The water covered the world. The hills and mountains looked like islands. Noah's boat stopped on the top of a mountain.

At last the rain stopped and the flood went away. There was a beautiful rainbow in the sky. And the animals and birds and insects left Noah's boat. They ran, jumped, walked and flew away to live on the mountain.