Paper

Hello there. My name is Paper, and I have a wonderful story to tell you. Can you imagine a world without me? Before I was born, if you wanted to write down a story or send a message, it was very tricky. People had to carve words onto heavy strips of bamboo and tie them together, making a very clunky book. Or they would press letters into soft clay tablets that were heavy and could break easily. Imagine trying to carry your favorite book if it was made of stone. Silly, right? Some people painted on beautiful, expensive silk, but that was not for everyday notes or drawings. It was so hard to share ideas and stories. The world was waiting for something new, something light, something that could carry dreams and drawings easily. The world was waiting for me.

My special beginning happened a very, very long time ago in a country called China. A clever and kind man named Cai Lun felt that everyone should have an easier way to write and share their thoughts. Around the year 105 CE, he had a brilliant idea. He gathered all sorts of mushy things, like the soft bark from a mulberry tree, old bits of cloth rags, and pieces of hemp rope. He mixed them all together in a big tub of water and mashed them up until they became a soupy, goopy pulp. It probably looked like very strange oatmeal. I was so excited, just a soupy mix of things, waiting to become something amazing. Then, the magical moment came. Cai Lun took a flat screen and dipped it into the pulp. When he lifted it, a thin, wet layer of my mushy self was spread all across it. He gently pressed out all the water and then hung me up in the warm sunshine to dry. As the sun warmed me, I changed from a soggy mess into a thin, light, strong, and smooth sheet. I was finally born. I was Paper.

My great adventure was just beginning. At first, I was a special secret kept in China, but I was too wonderful to stay in one place. Soon, brave travelers began carrying me along a famous route called the Silk Road. Tucked into bags on the backs of camels, I traveled across sandy deserts and over tall mountains to new and exciting lands. Everywhere I went, people were amazed. They loved how light I was and how smoothly a brush or pen could dance across my surface. I helped people in different countries write down their laws, their histories, and their poems. Today, my journey continues with you. I am the pages in the books you read at bedtime. I am the colorful paper you use to draw a picture for your family. I am the birthday card that makes you smile and the secret note you share with a friend. I help carry feelings, ideas, and stories from one person to another, all because a clever man once decided the world needed a better way to share its thoughts.