The Story of Christopher Columbus

At night he would lie in bed, listening for the clanging of ships' bells and the groaning of the rigging as the wind played in and around the great ropes. When Christopher said his prayers, he was always certain to add a request that he might, someday, be able to climb aboard one of those giant vessels and sail away with the strong men who climbed their masts and told stories of lands of gold.

Christopher was not foolish, however. He understood that some of the stories he heard were true, and some were untrue. But he did not care. Christopher wanted to see for himself what lay outside his little village.

While the sea around his village was crystal clear, blue-green, and beautiful, the sailors spoke of a sea far away, the Sea of Darkness. "No one has ever gone there, my little friend," they laughed. "And no one ever will!" But Christopher was not so sure. "I will," he said to himself, "I will go."

Christopher worked and he grew. He listened to the stories the sailors told. And he learned. He watched them work and learned their trade. When it was time, he said goodbye to his mother and father and went on his way to ask the king and queen if they might send him to explore the world for them. His mother wrung her hands and the villagers shook their heads, but Christopher’s father knew his son and said only, "If it will be, it will be. The boy knows his way. And he will surely find it."

Christopher asked to see their Royal Highnesses many times. At last, when the king and queen saw this fiery-haired young man standing before them, as confident and clear as the sea itself, they thought to themselves, "Well, perhaps it may be that he will discover great riches. At any event it seems certain this lad should find what he is looking for, if anyone can." With that, Christopher was given three ships and given the task to explore the Sea of Darkness and shed light on its secret treasures.

Many months Christopher sailed, and many songs he sang. As the dark waves rushed and rocked the ships, the sailors would gasp and hope for land. But Christopher would only look up at the night sky and be grateful for the sea beneath him.

One night as Christopher sat looking out over the dark ocean, the clouds parted and the starlight danced on the gentle waves. There, in the darkness of the night, Christopher saw a light, like a candle flame, that flickered on the horizon. The sailors waited eagerly for daybreak. As the sun lifted its head over the world, Christopher and his men saw it at last, land. Standing on the shore were a group of men. They were the people who had lived on this land for many years. They waited for Columbus and his men to step onto their land.

These people were gentle and friendly. The new arrivals learned that the inhabitants had customs and traditions they had followed for many generations.

Many times Christopher sailed the Sea of Darkness, and many stories he told, but none were greater than that of the new land he found and the people that greeted him there.

Christopher, the weaver’s son, went looking for adventure and, at last, he found it. And with it, a whole New World awaited.