Stratford-upon-Avon

Can you hear the gentle sound of a river flowing. It whispers hello as it passes by my cozy houses. My houses look like they are wearing black-and-white stripes, and my streets are bumpy with little stones. Walking on them is like a little adventure for your feet. Hello. I am a friendly little town in England, and my name is Stratford-upon-Avon.

A very long time ago, a special baby boy was born right here. His name was William Shakespeare, and he arrived on a sunny spring day, April 23rd, 1564. As Will grew up, he loved listening to stories more than anything. He would hear tales of brave knights and magical fairies. He played with words like they were his favorite toys, making up rhymes and silly songs. His heart was full of stories waiting to come out.

When William grew up, he took all the stories from his heart and wrote them down. He wrote amazing plays about kings and queens, funny mix-ups, and enchanted forests. People loved his stories so much. They built special round buildings called theaters just to watch them. Even when he was famous, William always called me his home. He came back to me when he was older and was laid to rest here on April 23rd, 1616.

Today, I am still here, and friends from all over the world come to visit me. They walk on my bumpy streets and see the very house where William was born. They sit in theaters and watch his wonderful plays, clapping and laughing just like people did a long, long time ago. I love being a home for stories, and I hope you share your stories, too. Every story you tell adds a little sparkle to the world.