Earthquake

Sometimes the whole world feels like it needs a little shimmy. The ground starts to jiggle, just a little bit, like a giant is waking up from a nap and stretching its toes. Wiggle, wiggle, jiggle, jiggle. It can feel like a big puppy shaking water off its back after a bath. It’s a funny feeling, isn't it. That little dance is me. Hello. I’m an Earthquake. I like to make the ground move and shake. It's my special job for the big, round Earth. I am a big part of our planet.

A long, long, long time ago, people would feel me wiggle and wonder what was happening. They told silly stories about big animals under the ground having a party. Then, a very clever man named Zhang Heng, who lived a super long time ago in the year 132 CE, made something special. He made a big, beautiful pot with dragons on it. When I would wiggle nearby, a little ball would drop from a dragon's mouth into a frog's mouth below. Clink. It helped him know I was visiting. Much later, in the 1960s, other clever people learned something amazing. They found out the Earth is like a giant puzzle made of big, big pieces. When the puzzle pieces rub and bump each other, I get to do my little wiggle and shake.

Now that people know all about the Earth's puzzle pieces, they are not so surprised when I visit. They know how to be safe. They practice what to do. They drop down low, cover their heads, and hold on tight until my shaking stops. It’s a special safety dance. And the smartest thing they do is build strong houses. They build houses that can wiggle and dance with me, so everyone stays safe inside. It shows how much people have learned about our wonderful, wiggling planet. They are so clever and I am proud of them.