Long ago, the world became full of people who forgot about God and did wicked things. But one man still loved God and obeyed Him. His name was Noah, and God was pleased with him.

God told Noah to build a very big boat, called an ark — bigger than any boat anyone had ever seen! God said a great flood of water was coming, and the ark would keep Noah's family safe. Noah believed God, and he got to work: hammering, sawing, and building, even though there was no water anywhere near.

When the ark was finished, the animals came — two of every kind, and seven of some! Elephants and giraffes, lions and lambs, all went into the ark, just as God had said. Then Noah and his family went in, and God shut the door.

Rain fell for forty days and forty nights, and water covered the whole earth. But God remembered Noah. He sent a wind, the waters went down, and one day Noah let a dove fly out. When the dove came back with a green olive leaf in its beak, Noah knew the ground was drying!

At last everyone came out of the ark into a clean, fresh world. Noah thanked God, and God put a rainbow in the sky as a promise. “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.” Even today, every rainbow reminds us that God always keeps His promises.