Volcanoes

I was a big, sleepy mountain. The sun warmed my rocky sides and fluffy white clouds drifted past my head. Birds sang in my tall green trees. But deep, deep inside, my tummy was warm. It rumbled and it grumbled like a sleepy giant waking up. Grumble, grumble, grumble. Something was tickling me from way down deep inside my belly. A big surprise was getting ready. Do you know what I am? I am a Volcano.

One day, the tickle in my tummy grew bigger and bigger until I couldn't hold it in anymore. I took a big breath. Ah… ah… AH-CHOO. I let out a giant sneeze. Puffs of soft, gray ash went way up to the sky, making a big, fluffy cloud. My tummy felt so much better. Then, warm, glowing rivers of orange and red slid slowly down my sides, like bright, shiny paint. A long, long time ago, on August 24th in the year 79, another volcano sneezed just like me. People learned how powerful my sneezes could be.

After my big sneeze, I feel calm and quiet again. The glowing rivers cool down and get hard. They build new land where there was none before. Sometimes I even build new little islands that pop up out of the big blue sea. The soft ash from my sneeze makes the ground super healthy for growing things. Farmers can grow yummy strawberries and big green trees. I am a land-builder. I don't mean to be loud, I am just helping the Earth grow bigger and stronger for everyone.