Mississippi River

I wiggle and squiggle all the way across a big country. I start as a little trickle of water and grow bigger and bigger until I reach the warm, salty sea. My water is cool and my banks are soft and muddy. I am a long, winding friend. I am the Mississippi River.

For a very, very long time, my first friends were the Native American people. They paddled on my waters in quiet canoes and built their homes near me so we could be together. They loved to listen to my gentle sounds. Then, new friends came to visit from far, far away. On May 8th, 1541, an explorer named Hernando de Soto saw me for the first time. Many years later, on June 17th, 1673, two more explorers named Marquette and Jolliet traveled with me for a long, long way. After a while, big, chugging steamboats came to play on my water. They had giant paddle wheels that went 'splash, splash, splash!' and they blew puffy white clouds from their chimneys like they were saying hello to the sky.

Today, I am a busy, happy home for many friends. Slippery fish swim and play hide-and-seek in my currents, and sleepy turtles sunbathe on logs that float on my back. Tall birds with long legs wade in my shallow parts, looking for a yummy snack. My water helps farmers grow corn and beans and makes the trees along my sides grow tall and green. Big boats still chug along, carrying important things from one town to another, just like they are delivering presents.

I am a river that connects so many people and places, like a long, watery hug. I sing a bubbly song as I flow all the way to the sea. I will always be here, rolling along, waiting for you to come dip your toes in my water and say hello to me.