Lesson 6－Part 3
One day in 1941, /
an American scientist told her /
about the large lines and figures, /
which can be seen from an airplane. //
“Someone said that they were waterways. /
However, /
they must be the symbols of stars,” /
he said. //
She was interested in his idea. //
She promised to visit Nazca /
and to measure the figures. //
This was the beginning of her life-long study. //
In 1952, /
Maria encountered a new figure /
that determined her life. //
She found the image of a monkey. //
She measured it carefully /
and drew the entire image correctly. //
She was surprised /
when she noticed something about it. //
One hand of the monkey /
had only four fingers, /
just like her hand. //
“Why?” /
she wondered. //
She asked people /
who knew the old Nazca stories /
about its meaning. //
They told her, /
“Nazca people believed /
that people with disabilities have a special power /
to communicate with the gods.” //
She looked at her own hands /
and said to herself, /
“Have I been chosen /
to uncover messages for the gods? /
It must be my destiny /
to study the secrets /
behind the lines and figures of Nazca.” //
She felt this in her heart. //
