The Great Wall of China, by Niamh

About 2,200 years ago, King Cheng of Ch'in conquered all of the little countries of China, but everyone spoke, wrote, and weighed things differently.
One day a man, caked with mud ran into King Cheng's palace and was thrown at King Cheng's feet and said, "The Mongols have conquered my village, I alone have escaped". The King roared, "I must stop these barbarians!" King Cheng asked his royal advisors for any ideas. "They are cruel", say Li Ssu, the Prime Minister. "They are tricky", added Chao Kao. "And they are strong", said Grand General Meng Tian. "They will soon conquer China", said King Cheng's son. "I have an idea", said King Cheng, "I will build a great wall, but we have many walls, none of these can stop the Mongols, I will build a great wall, all the way from the west to the east of China, it will stop the Mongols".
King Cheng ordered his soldiers to go and get lots of men out of their homes to build the great wall. Then with lots of men and soldiers they started building. They made bamboo frames and put dirt in them, then they pounded it to make it solid, and stuck stones on it, then they moved along and did the same thing again. Every 100 yards they made a big tower that they would shoot arrows at the Mongols from if they came. After 10 years of labour the wall was finished. When the Mongols saw the wall, they did not attack. "I have done it!", said King Cheng. "I have saved China!"