Euphrates River

Gurgle, swish, splash. I am the sound of cool water flowing in a warm, sunny land. I wiggle and giggle on my way to the sea. I love to help little green plants grow big and tall. Thirsty animals come to me for a nice, cool drink, and people do too. I am a very helpful friend to everyone. I am the great Euphrates River.

I am very, very, very old. I have been flowing for thousands and thousands of years. A long, long time ago, in the year 6500 BCE, the first farmers became my friends. They saw how I helped the plants grow. They learned to guide my water to their gardens to grow yummy food like wheat and barley for their families. A little later, around the year 4000 BCE, people built the world’s very first big cities right next to me. Imagine a city of blocks, but made from my mud. They would scoop up my soft, squishy clay from my banks. They shaped the clay into little tablets and drew special pictures on them. These pictures were stories and ideas, the very first writing.

Guess what. I am still here today. I flow through special places called Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. I still give water to farms so they can grow delicious fruits and vegetables for you to eat. I also give water to the big cities so people can drink and play. I have always been a friend, helping people and plants grow. I promise to keep flowing and helping everyone for a long, long time to come.