"Noah, you know what? I'm tired of all your neighbors being so selfish and mean. They don't even know how to share or take care of other people who are poor. They just think about themselves all the time. I tell you what. I would like you to have a new neighborhood, and this is what I am going to do. I will take you to a new place in an ark, because I like you. I will make it rain for forty days and forty nights. There will be a great flood. But you and your family and all the animals will be safe."

Noah was surprised, and asked, "What's an ark?" God replied, "It's like a boat, but very big. You will have to make it. (As you read the next line, make long steps from one side of the room to the other) It should be wide, and this long. (Then jump and stretch your arm to the ceiling) and this tall. You also have to make it out of very special wood. And you have to do this right away!"

Noah squinted and looked at the sky. "Oh, oh!", he said. "I better get going! Mrs. Noah! Mrs. Noah! We need to have food, blankets and hay for the animals. God said it is going to rain for a long, long, long time. There will be a great flood, so hurry!"

"But how will we live through a great flood?" Mrs. Noah asked.

It's ok. I'm going to build an ark so our family and all the animals will be safe in it. So hurry and make all the preparations."

Mrs. Noah asked, "What is an ark?"

"You'll know what it is when it's done." Noah replied.

And so Noah built his ark. It was so long, and so wide and so tall. It had many windows, but only one big huge door. All of his neighbors laughed at him. "What's that silly thing Noah is making?" they would ask. "It looks enormous, and like a boat, but there are no oceans or rivers in sight. No water anywhere." And they kept on laughing.

Noah finally finished the ark, as soon as he did, the clouds started to cover the sun. He heard God's voice again, "Noah, it's time to go!"

So Noah gathered up the animals, two dogs, two cats, two lions, and two rats. He gathered two tigers, two bears, two of every animal in sight. Some of them just went right into the ark, but Noah had to trick others. After everyone was inside, God closed the door.

Inside the boat, Noah's family could see how the sky was getting darker and darker. It became scary and quiet. Then, Noah heard it. A drop, then a second drop, then a third, then another and another, and they came faster and faster, and bigger and louder. After a few minutes, it became a huge storm. The dry land started to get soaked in water. It rained and rained without stopping. After two days of rain, the ark started to float, and still the rain kept pouring down. Soon the ark was in the middle of a large ocean. It rained more and more, without stopping for forty days and forty nights. Just like God said it would.

Then suddenly, it stopped! The sun began to shine. So Noah sent out a raven to find dry land, but it came back to the ark. He waited a few more days, and sent out a dove. It came back with a leaf in its beak. Then he sent the dove out again, and he waited for many days. But the dove never came back.

"Wow, the storm must really be over!" Noah cried. "I think it's safe to come out now."

"Finally," shouted one of Noah's sons. "The animals are starting to stink up the place."

"Alright then, let's open the door and go out."

Noah and his family and all the animals marched out from the ark to dry land. There was no one around but them. Then Noah realized, “so this is the new neighborhood God was talking about.” He had a lot of work to do.

"We better get started," said Mrs. Noah.

"Yes, but first things first", Noah said. "We need to give God an offering to show him how thankful we are for saving us from the flood." So Noah gave God an offering, and God was very, very pleased with him.