Tale of a golden nugget

I wrote this story three and a half years ago for a school project. I couldn't have been prouder of my A+.

"The year was 1844. The Gold Rush was on. Just about that time, I was lying under the top layer of dirt, down by Dirty Dan Creek, just watching the world go by. Suddenly, clank clank clank!!! I felt the scraping of metal, I s'pose it was a pick or shovel, and I heard a shout. It pierced the air, and a huge hand closed in around me. It was dark and dirty in that hand, and I was suffocating! Fianlly, I was dropped into a leather pouch, which wasn't much better, but it was something. A few hours later, after a terrible ride - somewhere - I was taken out of the pouch and placed in a much cleaner hand. As I was carried away, I saw the monstrous hand pick up a sack of coins and disappear. All that was a hunert and fifty years ago. Now I'm living a grand life in a shiny case, polished once a week by the friendly cleaner man. Every day men and women come to look at me, oo-ing and ah-ing, and I feel so lucky."