Age of Discovery

Hello. My name is Christopher Columbus, and I am a sailor. I love the big, blue ocean. The waves go whoosh, and the wind fills my sails. I had a very big dream. I dreamed of sailing to faraway lands by going a new way. I wanted to sail west, across the giant ocean, to see what I could find. It was a big idea. I needed help, so I went to the kind King and Queen of Spain. They listened to my dream. They said, 'Yes, Christopher, we will help you.' They gave me three wonderful ships to sail. Their names were the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María. I was so happy. My big adventure was about to begin.

My brave crew and I waved goodbye and sailed out onto the water. We sailed and sailed for many, many days. And we sailed for many, many nights. All we could see was blue water and blue sky. The air tasted salty and fresh. At night, the stars were like sparkly diamonds sprinkled all over a dark blanket. Sometimes my crew felt a little scared because we could not see any land. But I told them, 'Be brave. We are explorers.' We kept going and going. Then one morning, a sailor high up on the mast pointed to the horizon. He shouted with all his might, 'Land ho.' Land. He saw land.

We had done it. On October 12th, 1492, we reached a whole new world. I was so excited. My feet touched the sandy shore, and I looked all around. I saw tall, green trees that tickled the clouds. I saw colorful birds with feathers like rainbows flying in the sky. Everything was new and beautiful. My big dream had come true because I was brave enough to try something new. I sailed across the ocean and discovered new places for everyone to learn about. And you can be a brave explorer, too, in your own big world.