Rhea Silvia

Long, long ago, a kind mommy named Rhea Silvia lived in a beautiful, green land. She had a big secret. She had two sweet baby boys, and they were twins. Their names were Romulus and Remus. She loved them more than anything, but she had to keep them safe. This is the story of how two tiny babies started a big, wonderful city called Rome.

The mommy wanted her babies to be safe and sound. She found a strong basket and put soft, warm blankets inside to make a cozy bed. It was a perfect little bed for her two babies. She gave each baby a gentle kiss on his tiny cheek. She whispered that they were loved. Then, she placed the basket in the big, wide Tiber River. The basket floated away like a little boat. Bob, bob, bob, it went on the water.

The little basket drifted down the river and floated to the shore right by a big, friendly tree. Who found the basket. A mother wolf with soft, gray fur. Was she scary. No, no, no. She was a kind wolf. She saw the babies were all alone and needed help. The wolf mother snuggled them to keep them warm and gave them milk, just like they were her own cubs. A little woodpecker helped too, bringing them sweet berries to eat. Soon, a nice shepherd named Faustulus found them. He gently picked up the babies and took them home to his wife. Now Romulus and Remus had a warm house and a loving family.

Romulus and Remus grew and grew. They grew up to be big, strong, and brave boys. They always remembered the kind wolf who was their first mother and the river that kept them safe. When they were all grown up, they decided to build a city right where the wolf found them. They built a big, beautiful city with strong walls and happy houses for many families. They named their city Rome. This story shows that even the smallest babies can grow up to do amazing things. A great city started with a little basket floating on a big river.