El Dorado

High in the mountains lived a kind chief. He lived beside a big, sparkly lake with his people, the Muisca. The sun was warm and bright. The sun helped all the flowers grow, and everyone loved the warm, bright sun. To say thank you to the sun and the lake, the people had a very special party. This is the story of El Dorado, the golden man.

On a special day, it was time for the party. The chief got ready for the lake. First, his friends put sweet, sticky honey all over him. Then, they covered him in shiny gold dust from his head to his toes. He sparkled and shone just like the sun. The chief was the golden man. He got on a little boat filled with shiny gold things and floated to the middle of the big, sparkly lake. Splash. He dropped the shiny gifts into the water. Splash. He jumped into the cool water, and all the gold washed off in a shimmering cloud.

A Story That Sparkles Forever
Some travelers heard the story of the golden man. They thought there must be a whole city made of gold. A big, shiny city hidden in the mountains. They called this place El Dorado. But El Dorado was not a city. El Dorado was the golden chief. The story they told made people dream of big adventures and hidden treasures. It is fun to tell stories and imagine wonderful things. The story of the golden man sparkles forever, just like the gold in the lake.