Stapler

Hello there. My name is Stapler, and I am here to help. Have you ever worked so hard on a beautiful drawing or a stack of homework, only to have a big gust of wind from a window send your papers flying everywhere. They flutter and float around the room just like autumn leaves, getting all mixed up and out of order. It can be a real mess. Well, that is where I come in. My special job is to keep all your important papers together in a neat little pile. I give them a little metal hug, right in the corner, so they can stay safe and tidy. With just one quick press, I make sure your stories and drawings always stay in the right order, just the way you made them. It is the best job in the world.

My story started a very, very long time ago. Even kings needed help keeping their royal papers together. There was once a king in France named Louis XV, and he had a special tool made just for him, with fancy markings on each little metal fastener. But that was just for a king. My journey to help everyone started with a clever man named George McGill. He saw piles of messy papers in offices and knew there had to be a better way. So, he got to work thinking. On a warm summer day, July 24th, 1866, he created an amazing invention. It was one of my very first ancestors, a machine that could bend a tiny piece of metal and press it right through a stack of paper. It wasn't quite like me, but it was a wonderful start. After Mr. McGill had his big idea, other smart people kept working on it, making me easier to hold and simpler to use, until I became the friendly helper you see on desks today.

Now, you can find me almost everywhere. I am a busy helper in schools, sitting on teachers' desks to keep worksheets together. I am in big offices, clicking away to hold important reports in order. I am even in your home, ready to help you fasten the pages of a story you wrote or keep your colorful drawings from getting lost. Every time you press down on my back and hear that satisfying little click, you know I am doing my job. I am proof that even a small and simple idea can make a big, organized difference in the world. By keeping things together, I help make everyone's day just a little bit easier and a lot less messy.