Umbrellas

The umbrella is a very ordinary object. It keeps the rain and the sun off people. Most umbrellas fold up, so it is easy to carry them.

However, the umbrella did not begin life as an ordinary object. It was a sign of royalty or importance. Some African tribes still use umbrellas in this way today. Someone carries an umbrella and walks behind the king or important person.

Umbrellas are very old. The Chinese had them in the eleventh century B.C. From there, umbrellas traveled to India, Persia, and Egypt. In Greece and Rome, men wouldn't use them. They believed umbrellas were only for women.

When the Spanish explorers went to Mexico, they saw the Aztec kings using umbrellas. English explorers saw Native American princes carrying umbrellas on the east coast of North America. It seems that people in different parts of the world invented umbrellas at different times.

England was probably the first country in Europe where ordinary people used umbrellas against the rain. England has a rainy climate, and umbrellas are very useful there.

Everybody uses umbrellas today. The next time you carry one, remember that for centuries only great men and women used them. Perhaps you are really a king or queen, a princess or prince.