4. Paragraphs 1 and 2

 

Mary Mapes Dodge's lesson, "The Little Hero of Holland," is based on a true story. 'Peter,' an eight-year-old child, is the protagonist of this story. As everyone in Holland, including small children, understood the significance of dikes, Peter, who was also from Holland, knew as well.

 

Flood control is achieved through the use of dikes. Dikes safeguard settlements from coastal erosion in several sections of the country. Many villages are surrounded by dikes that protect them from the sea. There are hundreds of dikes all throughout Holland, and they are being built at a faster rate to protect people, because the sea is growing larger every year, and it threatens to flood the entire country, causing more horrific harm than anyone can imagine!

 

This story is centred around the dikes in Holland and the bravery of a little boy. As the country of Holland lies below sea level, these dikes (huge walls) protect people from floods, as mentioned earlier. The people of Holland have laboured for years to keep the walls strong so that their nation remains safe and dry. Even small children are aware that the dikes must be constantly monitored and that a hole the size of a finger can be extremely dangerous. Hence, the introduction of the story is over, and now let's enter into the lesson.

 

Many years ago, in the country of Holland, a small boy named Peter lived. He is the protagonist of this story. Peter's father worked as a gatekeeper, a man who was in charge of the dikes' sluice gates, an essential position in Holland that didn't require any further explanation given the importance of dikes. He was in charge of the sluice gates, which allowed ships to pass through the canals of Holland and into the sea.