Debby Pellow, aged 10, of Cyhwyd, Penna. for her question;

Why does the oyster make a pearl?

The juicy little oyster does not plan to make a pearl for a lady's necklace. In Fact, he would rather not make a pearl at all. He would rather spend all his time building the hard shell which is his overcoat and his house.

The oyster makes his shell from the outer layer of his soft body., This shell‑making flesh gives off special juices that harden to form the shell. On the outside, the oyster's shell.is rough and rugged. Inside it is smooth and shiny and very beautiful. This is because any roughness inside would scratch the tender body of the oyster. The beautiful stuff that lines the inside of the shell is called nacre.

Once in a great while, a grain of send or a small, worm gets inside the oyster shell. The oyster has no way of getting the scretchy visitor out. So it gives off juices that covers the visitor in a, herd coat of smooth nacre. The gritty sand or Irritating worm is wrapped in its first layer of pearl. It no longer scratches the sensitive oyster. But the oyster goes right on adding layer upon layer of nacre to the inside of its house. With every layer, the growing pearl gets a new coat. The tiny intruder is built into a priceless pearl.