Tousitseemssonaturaltoputupanumbrellatokeepthewateroffwhenitrains.Butactuallytheumbrellawasnotinventedasprotectionagainstrain.Itsfirstusewasasashadeagainstthesun.

　　Nobodyknowswhofirstinventedit,buttheumbrellawasusedinveryancienttimes.ProbablythefirsttouseitwereinChinese,wasbackintheeleventhcenturyB.C.

　　WeknowthattheumbrellawasusedinancientEgyptandBabylonasasunshade.Andtherewasastrangethingconnectedwithitsuse:itbecameasymbolofhonorandauthority.IntheFarEastinancienttimes,umbrellawasallowedtobeusedonlybyroyaltyorbythoseofinhighoffices.

　　InEurope,TheGreekswerethefirsttousetheumbrellaasadisappeared.ThenitappearedagainitItalyinthelatesixteenthcentury.Andagainstitwasconsideredasymbolofpowerandauthority.By1680,theumbrellaappearedinFranceandlateroninEngland.

　　Bytheeighteenthcentury,theumbrellawasusedagainstrainthroughoutmostofEurope.Umbrellashavenochangedmuchinstyleduringallthistime,thoughtheyhavebecomemuchlighterinweight.Itwasn’tuntilthetwentiethcenturythatwomen’sumbrellabegantobemadeinawholevarietyofcolors.