Come gather 'round, dear children, and listen to my tale,
Of empires and dynasties, of conquest and travail,
Of merchants and foreigners, who traveled far and wide,
Through ancient lands and steppe, with mystery by their side.

The journey that they took was long and full of strife,
As they sought to gain authority and build a better life,
For some it was a conquest, for others just a trade,
But all of them had stories that would never fade.

The empires rose and fell, like the tides of the sea,
Their power was great, but fleeting as could be,
The steppe was wild and free, with horses wild and fast,
A land of rugged beauty that would always last.

The merchants came from distant lands, with goods to sell and trade,
And though they were mysterious, their wares were never fake,
The memoirs they left behind, are tales of adventure and woe,
Of lands and peoples foreign, that they came to know.

The ancient world they traveled in, was full of wonder and awe,
With temples and pyramids, and stories that were raw,
The authority they sought was not just for the throne,
But for the knowledge they could gain, of the world they roamed alone.

So listen to this tale, dear children, and remember what you've learned,
Of journeys and of empires, of mysteries that have turned,
For in the end it's not just conquest that will stand the test of time,
But the stories we tell, of those who dared to climb.

Reflections

Here are a few questions that kids can think about after reading the story:

1. What are some examples of empires that the merchants and foreigners may have encountered during their travels, and what were some of the characteristics of those empires?
2. What are some of the challenges that the merchants and foreigners may have faced while traveling through the steppe, and how did they overcome these challenges?
3. Why do you think the merchants and foreigners wanted to gain authority during their travels, and what did they hope to achieve with this authority?
4. What are some of the things that the merchants and foreigners may have learned about the ancient world during their travels, and how do you think this knowledge may have been valuable to them?
5. Why do you think the merchants and foreigners wrote memoirs about their travels, and what can we learn from reading these memoirs today?