The Story of the Drifting Continents
Child: Lola, can you tell me a story? A story that's connected to our Earth?
Grandma (Narrator): (Smiling warmly, adjusting her glasses and opening a
book) Of course, my dear. Settle in, and let me read you about a time long,
long ago…
(Grandma's voice takes on a slightly more formal, storytelling tone as she
reads, occasionally glancing up at the child.)
Grandma: "Once upon a time, millions and millions of years ago, the Earth
looked very different. There were no seven continents, no wide oceans
between them… Instead, there was only one big land — a supercontinent
called Pangaea."
(She pauses, looking at the child.)
Child: Pangaea? That sounds magical! But Lola, why do they look so far apart
now?
Grandma (Narrator): (Returning to the book) "Ah, that’s where the story gets
exciting. You see, the Earth is always changing beneath our feet. Deep below
the ground are powerful plates—huge pieces of rock—that slowly move. And
when they move… they take the land with them."
(Grandma might use her hand to illustrate a slow, wiggling movement as she
speaks.)
Grandma: "At first, the land was still. But then, cracks formed. The Earth
rumbled… Rrrrmmmmm! And slowly… Pangaea began to break apart."
(She might make a tearing motion with her hands.)
Grandma: "One piece drifted this way… we called it Africa. Another floated
there—Asia, and then Europe, America, and Australia."
(Grandma might point to an imaginary map in the air as she names each
continent.)
Child (amazed): So, they were all one big family, and now they’re far away?
Grandma: (Nodding, still looking at the book) "Exactly! And guess what?
They’re still moving today. Not fast, but little by little—just like a snail
crossing the Earth. Earthquakes, volcanoes, and deep ocean trenches are all
signs that the plates are still alive. You see, the Earth's outer layer is like a
giant broken puzzle, with these huge pieces always shifting. When they
bump, grind, or pull apart, they create all that rumbling and erupting we
talked about!"
Child: That’s incredible, Lola! So the Earth is like a puzzle that keeps
changing!
Grandma (smiling): (Closing the book gently and placing it beside her)
"That’s right, my dear. And the story of the drifting continents… Is a story
that’s still being written every single day."
(Grandma looks down at the child, whose eyes are now gently closed, a faint
smile on their face. The rhythmic breathing of the sleeping child fills the
quiet room.)
Grandma: (Whispering softly) …and some stories are so wonderful, they
even lull you to sleep. Sweet dreams, my little adventurer.
(Grandma gently covers the sleeping child with a blanket, her gaze lingering
for a moment on the peaceful face before she quietly gets up and turns off
the light, leaving the room in a soft glow.)
