The War of the Worlds

Long ago, people lived happy, busy lives on Earth. They did not know that someone far away was watching them. On the planet Mars, very clever creatures looked at Earth through special tools. Mars had become cold and dry, with not much water left. The creatures there needed a new home, and Earth looked perfect.

One night, a man named Ogilvy invited his friend to look at Mars through a big telescope. They saw a tiny bright light, like a little dot far, far away. Ogilvy thought maybe a volcano was making flashes on Mars. He did not think anyone lived there. But those flashes were really something being sent toward Earth.

The newspapers wrote a little bit about the strange lights. Most people did not worry at all. They rode bicycles and sang songs and enjoyed the warm summer evenings. On one lovely night, a man walked with his wife and pointed up at Mars glowing in the sky. Everything felt peaceful and safe.

Something amazing fell from the sky very early one morning. It looked like a bright green shooting star! Many people saw it flash across the dark sky. They thought it was just a regular space rock.

But a man named Ogilvy wanted to find where it landed. He woke up at sunrise and walked to the sandy fields near his town. There he found a big hole in the ground. In the middle of the hole was something strange. It was not a round rock at all. It was a huge metal tube, as wide as a house! The metal was still warm from falling through the sky. Ogilvy heard soft sounds coming from inside. Then he saw the top was slowly turning. Something inside was trying to get out! Ogilvy got very excited and ran to tell everyone. A news writer named Henderson believed him. They told the whole town. Soon everyone hurried to see this mysterious thing from space.