{"id":5430,"date":"2010-10-06T20:02:59","date_gmt":"2010-10-07T03:02:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.candlelightstories.com\/2010\/10\/06\/storybook-larkin-wyley%e2%80%99s-paleontology-adventure\/"},"modified":"2010-10-06T20:15:45","modified_gmt":"2010-10-07T03:15:45","slug":"storybook-larkin-wyley%e2%80%99s-paleontology-adventure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/2010\/10\/06\/storybook-larkin-wyley%e2%80%99s-paleontology-adventure\/","title":{"rendered":"Storybook: Larkin Wyley\u2019s Paleontology Adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By Artie Knapp (USA &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.artieknapp.com\/\">ArtieKnapp.com<\/a><\/strong><strong>)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Illustration by divaDzine <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/LarkinWyley.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5431\" title=\"LarkinWyley\" src=\"\/\/www.candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/LarkinWyley.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"344\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/LarkinWyley.jpg 344w, https:\/\/candlelightstories.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/LarkinWyley-229x300.jpg 229w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 344px) 100vw, 344px\" \/><\/a>BEFORE THE SUN had even broken across the horizon, young Larkin Wyley was anxious to start his day. Larkin was confident he was going to make a paleontology discovery so big and so grand, that it would put his name in the Kid\u2019s Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n<p>As his parents drove him to the digging site, it was hard for Larkin to contain his excitement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust think, in a couple of hours I may be holding something millions of years old!\u201d said Larkin.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, that would be something, Larkin. But remember, paleontology is hard work. The most important thing is to just have fun today,\u201d said his dad.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd if things don\u2019t turn out like you had hoped, that\u2019s okay. Just keep at it,\u201d said Larkin\u2019s mom.<\/p>\n<p>Larkin appreciated his parents\u2019 advice, but quickly reminded them about the local farmer who had discovered a fossilized dinosaur egg many years before.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere there\u2019s one, there\u2019s sure to be more!\u201d said Larkin with great excitement.<\/p>\n<p>Then the Wyley family drove up a long country dirt-road, where Larkin\u2019s grandparents owned land that stretched as far as the eye could see. And it was there that Larkin knew he would find his T-Rex.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>So after a nice hearty breakfast with his family, Larkin set out on his exciting quest for the discovery of a lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>The backyard of his grandparents\u2019 farmhouse was where Larkin decided to break ground first. So he started to dig. And then he dug. And then he dug. And then he dug some more. But nothing!<\/p>\n<p>So after a nice hearty lunch with his family, Larkin continued his exciting quest for the discovery of a lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>The front-yard of his grandparents\u2019 farmhouse was where Larkin decided to break ground next. So he started to dig. And then he dug. And then he dug. And then he dug some more. And then, BINGO!!! Much to Larkin\u2019s amazement, he unearthed what clearly was the next best thing to a fossilized dinosaur egg &#8211; dinosaur bones\u2026<\/p>\n<p>The bones were caked in mud. Larkin gathered them up and ran towards the house as fast as he could.<\/p>\n<p>After rushing inside and announcing his discovery to his family, it was brought to Larkin\u2019s attention that he had actually unearthed steak bones buried by his grandparents\u2019 dog Millie.<\/p>\n<p>Larkin wasn\u2019t happy, and neither was Millie for that matter. Larkin felt embarrassed about mistaking steak bones for those of a dinosaur, but his family reminded him that paleontology was hard work, and to just keep at it.<\/p>\n<p>So after a nice hearty dinner with his family, Larkin continued his exciting quest for the discovery of a lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>Close to his grandparents\u2019 farmhouse lay a long and winding creek, and it was there that Larkin decided to break ground next. So he started to dig. And then he dug. And then he dug. And then he dug some more. But nothing!<\/p>\n<p>Larkin felt discouraged. He remembered his family telling him that paleontology was hard work, but that was little comfort to him.<\/p>\n<p>The sun was starting to set, so Larkin knew he had to call it a day. As he began to refill the last hole, Larkin noticed an orange-colored rock sticking out of the mud. He picked the rock up and wiped the dirt off of it. The rock was unlike any Larkin had seen before. But he gave the rock little thought, and placed it in his shirt-pocket.<\/p>\n<p>After going back inside, Larkin\u2019s family could tell that he was disappointed by the look on his face.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow did it go, honey?\u201d asked Larkin\u2019s mom.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot good,\u201d said Larkin staring downward. \u201cAll I found today was Millie\u2019s steak bones, and this orange rock.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As he held the rock in the air, Larkin\u2019s family erupted in cheers. You see, it wasn\u2019t a rock that Larkin had found after all; it was a well preserved Indian arrowhead. And although the Indian arrowhead wasn\u2019t the dinosaur artifact he had dreamed of finding, Larkin still felt quite proud about his discovery.<\/p>\n<p>An invitation from the Kid\u2019s Hall of Fame would come another day, but Larkin did get his picture in the paper for donating his Indian arrowhead to the local museum. When asked if he ever thought he would discover such a find, Larkin replied, \u201cWell, digging for artifacts is hard work, and you just have to keep at it. But yes, yes I did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;\"><strong>THE END<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>&#8220;Larkin Wyley&#8217;s Paleontology Adventure&#8221; Copyright \u00a9 2010 by Artie Knapp &#8211; All Rights Reserved <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Artie Knapp (USA &#8211; ArtieKnapp.com) Illustration by divaDzine BEFORE THE SUN had even broken across the horizon, young Larkin Wyley was anxious to start his day. Larkin was confident he was going to make a paleontology discovery so big and so grand, that it would put his name in the Kid\u2019s Hall of Fame. 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