o very far from
that shore for fear they would drop over the rim into nothingness.

But Queen Isabella didn't think Columbus was crazy. She took time to
listen to him and decided she wanted to help him. She didn't have any
money to buy ships for his expedition, so she ordered a little fishing
village, Palos, to build three ships as a way of paying a fine they owed
her. The fishermen of Palos knew how to build good, sturdy sailing
vessels, and they soon had the three ships ready for Columbus and his
brave sailors.

That is why, in August of 1492, the daring expedition started from this
little Spanish village. What a sight! Three little ships, the _Nina_
(Small Girl), the _Pinta_ (Spotted), and the _Santa Maria_ (named in
honor of the Virgin Mary) cast off from the wharf of Palos. Flags
fluttered in the breeze as the sails billowed out from the masts. All
the villagers were lined up on the shore to pray and to cheer, and the
bells in the church rang as Columbus and his crew sailed off "the rim"
to the west in search of wealth and glory for Spain!

[Illustration]

Many Spanish explorers followed Columbus to the New World, and even
sailed all the way around the world, west to east, but the Spanish
people today are mostly "stay-at-homes." Sometimes they leave home for a
little while to make money, like the Spanish shepherds who are so good
at handling flocks of sheep that American ranchers in California, New
Mexico, Nevada and other western states pay them a lot of money to come
and work for them. But those who leave always go back to their beloved
land as soon as they have earned what they need.

[Illustration]

If you were to meet a Spanish person, you would find that he would be
interested in America and other countries, but he couldn't imagine
living the rest of his life anywhere except in Spain. "Why should I ever
live anywhere else?" he would ask you. "Everything beautiful and good in
life is right here." He would feel this way even though he might be very
poor and might even have to leave for a little while, like the
shepherds. To him, the important things in life are his family, his
friends, his church and his country.

[Illustration]

His country is a large, squarish, mountainous land at the
southwesternmost tip of Europe. To the north, over the tall wall of the
Pyrenees Mountains, is France. To the west is Portugal and the Atlantic
Ocean, and to the east is the Mediterranean Sea. Spain has more seacoast