The Mixing Bowl

The Mixing Bowl here is a legend about the invention of firecrackers. Over 2, 000 years ago, a chef in the Chinese army mixed three powders together in a bowl. He accidentally dropped the bowl and it burst into beautiful flames. The chef got excited. He put the powders in a bamboo shoot. It exploded. BANG! The firecracker was born. Today, we still play with firecrackers. People use them during important events such as festivals and celebrations. Playing with them can be dangerous. You can burn or hurt yourself when you light a firecracker. Or you could start a fire if the firecracker lands on something flammable. But people still love them.

From frecrackers came rockets. Today, we send rockets deep into space to other planets. So next time you see a rocket take off into space, think about that little chef and his bowl full of powder. If only he knew what he had started!