Cai Lun

Hello. My name is Cai Lun. I lived a very, very long time ago in a place called China, during a time known as the Han Dynasty. I worked in the grand palace of the emperor, where my job was to help with many important tasks. It was a very exciting place to be. While I was there, I noticed a big problem that people had, and I knew I wanted to be the one to solve it.

In my time, there was no paper like the kind you use today. When people wanted to write something down, they had two choices. They could carve words onto heavy strips of bamboo wood, or they could paint them on very expensive silk cloth. Can you imagine carrying your schoolbooks if they were made of heavy wood? It was difficult to carry, and using silk cost a lot of money. Because of this, not many people could afford to read or write.

I thought to myself, 'There must be a better way to do this.'. I decided to try and invent something new. I spent a lot of time experimenting with different materials to see what would work best. I took the bark from a mulberry tree, old fishing nets that were no longer useful, and leftover pieces of cloth. I mashed them all up with water until they turned into a soupy mush. Next, I poured this mush onto a flat screen and carefully pressed all the water out. This left a thin, flat sheet. I let it dry in the sun, and when it was done, it was perfect. It was light, smooth, and easy to write on.

In the year 105 CE, I was finally ready to share my creation. I took my new invention to the leader of China, Emperor He. He was amazed by what I had made. He could see how much easier and cheaper it would be for people to write down their thoughts and share their ideas. My new invention was a success. Soon, people all over China started making and using paper just like I had.

I lived a long and full life, passing away in the year 121 CE. Because of my invention, more books could be made, and knowledge could spread like never before. The next time you draw a picture, read a story, or write your name on a piece of paper, you can think of me and my big idea that helped change the world.