The boy who walked to china
Man has always been curious to know about things and places. It is this curiosity which has held led him to discover and explore various places on this earth. One good thing about adventure or exploration is that there is no age bar for it. Even a child or a very old man can go on an adventurous journey. Let us know about the adventures of Marco Polo, who was an Italian boy.
Marco polo was a boy of seventeen, ant not very strong, when he set out on his travels. He went to China with his father and uncle. It was the year 1271, and the place where he lived was Venice in Italy. Marco polo’s father and uncle had already been once to china and had come back to visit their home. This time they decided to take Marco polo with them. They had to go over mountains, cross terrible deserts, through hot burning lands and laces where it was freezing cold. At times, Marco polo was ill on account of the hard and hazardous journey, but he got better and kept bravely on.
It took Marco polo, his father and his uncle there years to reach china. Kublai khan, the great king o china, welcomed them at is court. Marco polo grew up at the Chinese court and became a great favorite of the king. He learnt to speak several languages and was so clever that the king sent him to India and other lands as his ambassador. Each time when he came back, he told the king all. About the places he had visited how the people there lived, what their trades were, what the big cities were like and what messages were given to him for the king. Kublai khan was so happy with Marco polo that he heaped riches on him, his father and is uncle.
The Polos were happy at the Chinese court. Still they wanted to return to Venice. The king was unwilling to let them go, but he consented in the end and they left china for their native land. It was 1295, when the three travelers arrived in Venice. They were dressed in threadbare clothes and they spoke a strange language. Nobody recognized the, for they had been away for twenty-four years and even their family and given them up for dead. But they insisted that although they had forgotten to speak the Italian language, they were Italians and Venice was their home. Marco, who was a seventeen-year old boy when he had left, was a middle aged man now.
Marco polo told the people of Venice wonderful things about china. The Chinese, he explained, did not write their books by hand- instead, they printed many books t a time. They used clocks which were powered by water. They made colorful fireworks from a strange thing called gunpowder.
At that time in Italy, o one had heard about gunpowder or printing or clocks. People thought the three men were mad. Suddenly Marco polo cut open the patches in his old clothes and out tumbled several jewels like diamonds, rubies and pearls. Then the people believed that the strangers were really the Polos, back from a marvelous journey to far –off lands and that all Marco polo’s wonderful tales be true.
In 1298, Marco polo wrote down his experience in a book called description of the word. This book influenced many European explores including Christopher Columbus.
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