The Kiss - Rodin

I am made of smooth, white stone. My stone is cool like a pebble you find in a stream. I stand very still, but I am full of love. If you look at me, you can see two people. They are holding each other in a forever hug. Their faces are close, close, close, like they are sharing a happy secret. I am a quiet moment, a happy hug that never, ever ends.

A long, long time ago, I was just a big block of stone. I was a sleepy stone, waiting in the quiet. Then, a kind man found me. His name was Auguste. Auguste had a big beard and busy hands that loved to make stone look soft and alive. He took his little hammer and his tools. Tap-tap-tap went his hammer. Chip-chip-chip went his tools. He gently tapped me until the two people hugging woke up from inside me. It was like magic. Auguste made me in a beautiful city called Paris in the year 1882. Paris is a place full of sunshine and art.

Auguste gave me a special name. He called me The Kiss. I show everyone how wonderful it is to be close to someone you love. I am a hug and a kiss made of stone. People from all over the world come to see me. Little kids and grown-ups look at me, and they smile big smiles. I remind them of their own happy hugs. I may be made of hard stone, but my story is about a feeling that is soft, warm, and lasts forever and ever.