Читать книгу Twelve Upon A Time... - Edward Galluzzi - Страница 9

January: Bronto’s Visitors from Another Time

Once upon a time... Oh, please, perhaps you were expecting a different kind of story starter? May I continue?

Once upon a time, a time long ago or just like yesterday, depending on your point of view, Don, Jane and their children, Donja and Amanda, sat at their stone table for breakfast. They lived in a cave that they have since come to know as “home.” It was trying at times for the family to live among prehistoric creatures. Amanda, Donja and their parent’s world indeed was turned topsy-turvy and it all happened one New Year’s Eve.

Six months ago, Donja, Amanda and their parents were at the museum for children on New Year’s Eve. They were attending a special presentation of “The Land of the Dinosaurs.” Dinosaurs from the two distinct groups that evolved early in their history were exhibited: the saurischians and ornithischians.

Amanda related the exhibit information to her family about the saurischians. She read that saurischians (lizard-hipped dinosaurs) had pelvic girdles common to lizards with three prongs to each side. Saurischians on display at the museum were the two-legged Tyrannosaurs and the four-legged Brontosaurus.

Donja read the exhibit information to her family about the ornithischians. She shared that ornithischians (bird-hipped dinosaurs) had bird-like pelvic girdles with four prongs to each side. Ornithischians on display at the museum were the four-legged Stegosaur and two-legged Duck-billed dinosaur.

Donja and Amanda often studied dinosaurs. As they viewed the mammoth dinosaurs on display, the girls never guessed they would actually live among them.

Amanda and Donja wore their backpacks on this museum trip. They were filled with survival items like bottles of pop, Twinkies, popcorn, nail clippers and lipstick to mention a few. As they walked among the exhibitions at the museum, their interest was drawn to a cave display of early man. The generation that knows computers, television, VCRs, telephones and all the other technological advancements had some difficulty relating to the stark stone materials and utensils of the time. Amanda and Donja turned to each other and said, “This just won’t do, wouldn’t you say sis?”

Donja and Amanda followed their parents into the opening of the cave. It was late and they heard the museum clock chime twelve. Amanda, Donja and their parents wished each other “Happy New Year.” All of a sudden, everybody knew that something was not right. They wobbled as they walked through this gel-like stuff and found themselves in an unfamiliar land. Donja and Amanda grew afraid and clutched each other for reassurance. Amanda and her family were no longer in their own time. Their parents looked at each other in some amazement knowing only that they were now living in earth’s past—way past… way, way, way past! They stood midway between a forest ahead of them and a cave-like structure behind them. As they stood frozen in their steps, loud creature noises were heard from a short distance away. It was not long before the source of the clamor displayed itself—unbelievably, a tall-bearing dinosaur.