202 
FINDING NATURE’S TREASURES 
them, flying through the sky, until they come close to 
our earth.” 
“Why do they get bright near the earth?” asked 
Buddy. 
“When the meteor gets close enough to the earth to 
hit the air, it is going so fast, it at once gets hot and 
starts to burn,” explained Uncle Jack; “for the air is 
like a great blanket around the earth. It extends only 
a short distance up in the sky.” 
“I don't understand why the meteor gets so hot when 
it hits the air,” said Buddy. 
“I don't think that I can explain that to you in words 
you can understand,” said Uncle Jack. 
“Please do and we will try hard to understand, Uncle 
Jack,” begged Marylee. 
“I shall do the best I can, then,” said he. “First, open 
your hands and rub them together just as fast as you 
can. Faster! faster! Now hold them against your face.” 
“Oh, that makes our hands hot!” said Marylee. 
“Yes. Things always get hot when you rub them. The 
faster you rub them the hotter they get. They will begin 
to smoke and then to burn if you rub them fast enough. 
The Indians used to make fire before they had matches 
by rubbing two pieces of wood together. Anything going 
through the air fast enough will get hot, because it rubs 
against the air.” 
“Does the meteor get hot because it rubs the air?” 
asked Buddy. 
“Yes,” answered Uncle Jack. “It goes through the air 
