Do you know what an eclipse is? Today we know that when the moon passes in front of the sun and blocks it out, all is still safe. But our ancestors believed that an eclipse was dangerous. They thought a black squirrel was nibbling at the sun! 

They knew that noise frightened squirrels. So, whenever a solar eclipse began, all of the people would make a terrible noise until the squirrel was frightened away from the sun.

Children were asked to scream, shout and yell. Grown-ups shot rifles into the air and banged pots and pans together. It was a frightening racket! And do you know what? It always worked.

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