The Latest from Little Rock

An Update from Little Rock on Mars

Things sure have been different around here!! the little rock thought.

First, Puffy Rock opened up like a big floppy egg, and this strange Flat Thing came tumbling out! Here comes the Rover!

Rover checks out Little Rock And then the Flat Thing rolls down, and POKES at me with some kind of strange Pointy Thing!

And I was just going to say something to this weird Flat Thing, when it pulls back and rolls away!! Rover rolls away!

Rover goes poking the Boring Rocks And then it goes and starts poking at those OTHER rocks!! But they are so boring, they didn't even TRY to say anything, EITHER! Hmphf!

But Little Rock was really jealous, because he thought that the Rover, whom he called the Flat Thing, had come right off its lander *just* to look at HIM!

It really hurt when he found out
that "Flat Thing" was interested in
ALL the rocks in Little Rock's world...

Round and round, over, up and down

The Flat Thing probed and poked and picked

It roved and roamed and ranged around

The rocks and dust and red Mars ground

Until one day, after the Rover had been pretty much out of sight of Little Rock for some time, the Rover suddenly rumbled into view. The Rover returns

The Little Rock won't admit its glad to see Flat Thing I wonder what that thing wants NOW!
Little Rock thought.

Round and round, over, up and down
The Rover circled its lander base
It circled round at a slow pace
Little Rock just could not guess
What Flat Thing could be up to next

Little Rock decided to say something.
HEY! Hey YOU! YOU FLAT THING! Little Rock yells at the Rover

Little Rock is surprised! And suddenly, the Rover STOPPED! Wow! It heard me! Little Rock thought.

Little Rock called again,
Say, who are you? What are you doing here? Where did you come from anyway?? Little Rock grills the Rover

The Rover answers Little Rock The Rover turned, looked Little Rock up and down with its pointy Probe arm, and then said,
Excuse me, but I'm on an important mission right now. I *should* be done very soon, though.

The Rover continues his mission

The Rover started on its way again, but it called back to Little Rock, who was REALLY stumped now, and said,

If you like, I'll tell you all about my mission,
why I've come to your planet,
and where I'm from, planet Earth.

But, you'll have to wait until I'm all finished
with my main assignment!

The Rover keeps circling the lander

And with that, the Rover continued circling the puffy, droopy rock.

Little Rock thought for a moment, and then said,

What the heck is a planet???

* * *

May Little Rock and the Rover Sojourner have
Lots of Fun, learning New Things
About Each Other
for a Long, Long Time!

* * *

Story and Illustrations by
Sue Kientz
with help from NASA images

Now see what's happening at Jupiter with
Spacecraft Galileo!

First, Puffy Rock opened up like a big floppy egg, and this strange Flat Thing came tumbling out!

	And then the Flat Thing rolls down, and POKES at me with some kind of strange Pointy Thing!

And I was just going to say something to this weird Flat Thing, when it pulls back and rolls away!!

	*And then it goes and starts poking at those OTHER rocks!! But they are so boring,* they didn't even TRY to say anything, EITHER! Hmphf!**

Until one day, after the Rover had been pretty much out of sight of Little Rock for some time, the Rover suddenly rumbled into view.

	I wonder what that thing wants NOW! Little Rock thought.


Little Rock decided to say something. HEY! Hey YOU! YOU FLAT THING!

	And suddenly, the Rover STOPPED! Wow! It heard me! Little Rock thought.

Little Rock called again, Say, who are you? What are you doing here? Where did you come from anyway??

	The Rover turned, looked Little Rock up and down with its pointy Probe arm, and then said, *Excuse me, but I'm on an important mission right now. I should* be done very soon, though.**