Mary Anning

Hello there. My name is Mary Anning, and I want to tell you a story about my life a long, long time ago. I lived in a little town called Lyme Regis, right next to the big, sparkly sea. I had a fluffy dog named Tray, and he was my best friend. Every day, my dad and I would walk along the beach. We didn't build sandcastles, though. We looked for treasures called 'curiosities' hidden in the rocks. They were swirly shells and funny-shaped stones. I loved finding them more than anything.

One day, when I was just twelve years old, my brother Joseph and I found something amazing. It was a giant skeleton stuck in the cliff. It looked like a sea dragon. We had to chip it out of the rock very carefully with our hammers. Tap, tap, tap. Later, I found another one with a super-long neck, like a sea monster playing peek-a-boo. I even found the bones of a creature that could fly. These weren't dragons, but real animals that lived before the dinosaurs. Finding them was the best treasure hunt ever.

The skeletons I found were so important. Scientists came from all over to see them. My discoveries helped everyone understand that giant sea creatures and flying reptiles really existed millions of years ago. It showed us that the world is very, very old and full of secrets. So next time you're outside, look closely at the ground. You never know what amazing treasures you might find, just waiting for you to discover them.