Congo River

I wiggle and giggle through a big, green forest in Africa. I am a long, winding ribbon of water, and I feel deep and strong. Big, friendly hippos love to splash in my cool water, making a giant SPLASH. So many colorful fish swim with me. They tickle my sides as they zip and zoom all around. It feels like a party every day. I twist and turn on my long journey to the big, big ocean. I love my home in the warm sunshine. I am the Congo River.

For a long, long time, people have lived near me. They build their cozy homes along my sides and catch yummy fish for dinner. I love to watch the children play and laugh. A very long time ago, a man with a boat came to visit. His name was Diogo Cão, and he sailed all the way to where I say hello to the big ocean. That was around the year 1480. Many years later, another explorer friend named Henry Morton Stanley went on a super big adventure in the 1870s. He followed all of my twists and turns to see where I go. I showed him the way.

Today, I am a big helper. I am like a road made of water. Boats chug along on my back, carrying food and friends from one town to another. My water is very strong. It pushes and pushes to help make lights twinkle on in people's houses at night. I am a happy home for my hippo and fish friends, and I am a good friend to all the people who live near me. I will keep flowing and giggling and helping everyone for a long, long time.