STORIES WRITTEN ON ROCKS 
“Unde Jack, here is a flat rock with something on it,” 
said Buddy. “It looks like the picture of a big snail.” 
“You are right,” replied his uncle. “That is the pic¬ 
ture of a snail, and it tells a story of long, long ago.” 
“Please tell us the story,” begged Marylee. 
“Let us sit down and I will,” said Uncle Jack. 
“It was long, long ago, when the earth was much 
younger than it is now,” he began. 
“Was it when you were a little boy?” asked Bess. 
Uncle Jack laughed and replied, “It was a long, long 
time before I was a little boy. It was many, many years 
before your great-grandfather's great-grandfather was 
a little boy.” 
“That was a long time ago,” said Marylee. “Well, 
what happened?” 
“In those days the ocean covered the ground where 
we are now sitting,” continued Uncle Jack. 
“Do you mean that we are sitting where there was once 
an ocean bottom?” asked Fred. “Did fish and whales 
swim around right here?” 
Marylee's eyes were wide open in surprise at what 
Uncle Jack had said. 
187 
