One summer day, a raindrop fell from a cloud. Many other raindrops fell to the ground at the same time on the side of a hill. The raindrop joined the other raindrops and ran down the hill into a little brook. The raindrop travelled some distance and then met many other drops of water in a mountain lake. The water overflowed and the raindrop against started its journey down the hill in a stream. It travelled through valleys and canyons and then joined a big river.
The rain drop travelled or many miles in these river-past cities, villages, farms, orchids and forests. The river finally carried the raindrop to a much larger river. Here the raindrop travelled slowly winding its way through villages. Then it moved very slowly in the river which was now twisting and turning along. At last, the big river carried the raindrop to the ocean. There the raindrop mixed with the salt water of the ocean. The water was warm here. The water then changed into water vapor. The water vapor left the ocean and was lifted up by the wind. It was in the air and soon became part of a cloud floating in the sky. Then it became back again to the earth as a raindrop! Down to the ground and up to the clouds; down to the ground and up again. The raindrops have been making these journeys up and down ever since the world was very young. That is the story of a raindrop. Where does a river come from? Rivers start from a spring or a lake or a glacier in a highland.
While some rain water sinks into the earth, the rest runs along the surface of the earth down the slopes. It cuts tiny ditches as it runs –that is one way a river starts.
The water which sank into the earth now runs along in underground streams until some pressure forces it up to the surface. The water comes out as a spring. Then this spring water runs off as a stream. This is another way a river is born.
Glaciers are moving ice sheets on the higher slopes of mountains. They move downhill slowly. At the lower slopes, the ice melts and forms a little pool or stream. This is another way a river is born. Many of these streams are run downhill and join together to form a river.
A river flows swiftly and strongly. As it flows, it wears down the rocks. The steeper the land, the faster the rive flows.
As it flows, a river picks p bits of rock and soil and carries them along until it deposits them over flat land.
Once it reaches the flat land, the river moves slowly. Every river flows towards a sea or ocean. On the way it may flow into a larger river. Then this river is a tributary of the main river. Other smaller rivers may also join it.
Near the coast the river slows down and spreads out widely. And as its flows out into the ocean waters it deposits heaps of fine sand in its path. A delta is thus formed.
The river divides and redivides and flows as small channels into the sea. The water is back in the ocean again and is ready to be picked up by the air and to come down as rain. And to start life in a river all over again!
Rivers may be big, broad and long. Rivers may be small and narrow. The Amazon is a big river. The Thames is a small river. A river, big or small, always flows as channels towards some sea or ocean.