ch about the
giant in the tea-kettle.

And he became the inventor of the first steam engine that was of any
use to the world.

So, little by little, people came to know that steam is a great,
good giant.

They tried in many different ways to make him useful.

They wished very much to make him run a boat.

One man tried to run his boat in a queer way.

He made something like a duck's foot to push it through the water.

Another moved his boat by forcing a stream of water in at the bow
and out at the stern.

Then came a man named John Fitch.

He made his engine run a number of oars so as to paddle the boat
forward.

He grew very poor.

People laughed at him.

But he said, "When I shall be forgotten, steam boats will run up the
rivers and across the seas."

Then people laughed the harder and called him "a crank."

Mr. Fitch's boat was tried in 1787.

Now, in 1765, there happened a good thing for this old world.

A little baby boy was born in that year.

Perhaps you wonder why it was such a good thing for the world.

Some of you will know why when you read that this baby's name was
Robert Fulton.

His father was poor.

His father was a farmer in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Fulton had two little girls older than baby Robert.

When Robert was grown larger he had three sisters and one brother.

But their father died when they were all small.

Robert did not go to school till he was eight years old.

His mother taught him at home.

He knew how to read and write, and a very little arithmetic.

His first teacher was a Mr. Johnson.

Mr. Johnson was a Quaker.

He thought Robert a dull pupil.

Robert did not learn his lessons very well.

But Mr. Johnson soon found that he was never idle.

He did not care to play at recess.

He stayed in and used his pencil in drawing.

He often spent hours in this way.

Robert soon became fond of going into the machine shops.

He understood machinery very quickly.

The men always gave him a welcome.

He didn't get into mischief.

He often helped the men with his neat drawings.

One day Robert was late in getting to school.

The master asked the reason.

Robert answered that he had been in Mr. Miller's shop pounding out
lead for a lead pencil.

Mr. Johnson then encouraged him in doing such useful things.

In a few days, all the pupils in the school had pencils made in that
way.

Mr. Johnson urged Robert to give more attention to his studies.

Robe