To get the
kite string loose, you should know more about the Montgolfier
balloon.
The balloon the Montgolfier brothers built was made of
paper and cloth. The first time it was tested, a rooster,
a duck and a sheep were placed on the balloon. The duck
and the rooster were fighting when they put them on. The
duck bit the rooster.
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and the birds
were singing. The Montgolfier brothers lit a fire under
the balloon. The balloon filled with hot air. When the
wind blew on the balloon, it bent slowly back and forth.
Finally the string was untied and the balloon rose into
the sky. It flew over Paris. At King Louis XVI's palace
in Versailles, 130,000 people watched the balloon. The
fire was too hot for the paper and cloth. The balloon
burnt.
Two months later, two men rode in one of the Montgolfier
balloons. They used a lot of water to keep the balloon
from burning. They flew across Paris for 25 minutes. They
were the first people ever to fly. They would not be the
last.
