Silk Road

Imagine a path made of soft, warm sand. All around you are big, sleepy mountains that touch the fluffy clouds. As you walk, you hear a gentle sound. Cling, clang, cling. It is the sound of little bells on friendly camels walking slowly. I am not a road made of hard, gray stone. I am a special path made of many, many footprints that connect faraway lands. I helped people from all over the world meet each other. I am the Silk Road.

For a very, very long time, starting way back in the year 130 BCE, brave travelers walked along my sandy trails. They carried wonderful treasures in big bags on their camels. The most famous treasure was soft, shiny silk from a place called China. It felt smooth and cool, like water. They also carried sparkly glass that glittered in the sun, and spices that smelled sweet like yummy cookies. They even carried paper to write stories and draw pictures on. It was a long, long trip, but the people were strong and helped each other find the way.

But the travelers shared more than just treasures from their bags. They shared things from their hearts. They sang happy songs and told funny stories to each other under the starry sky. They shared big smiles and learned new hellos and goodbyes. Friends from snowy lands met friends from sunny lands for the very first time. This wonderful sharing went on for many, many years, all the way to the 1400s. Then, people learned how to build big boats to travel on the water, which was a new kind of adventure.

Today, people don't travel my whole path with camels anymore. But my spirit of friendship is still here. I am a happy memory that reminds everyone that sharing with people from all over our big, beautiful world is the most wonderful treasure of all.