Junior Ranger Question

Today I gave a twenty minute talk about Early Explorers of Yellowstone. The talk starts with information on Native Americans, then fur trappers, and then expeditions into the park. I conclude with a little environmental talk and tell everyone they're explorers too. It normally makes people feel good.

During the trapper section, I talk about how mountain men were looking for beaver pelts. The reason for this was that men in Europe and in the Eastern part of the USA liked to wear beaver felt hats. A kid's hand shot in the air.

I also talked about Jim Bridger, the tall-telling mountain man. He told a story about Yellowstone that goes like this:

Out there in Yellowstone Country there's a place called Petrified Tree. Jim Bridger swears the place was cursed by a Crow shaman. Well, he came upon it one day and noticed it seemed very strange. The grass crunched under his feet as he walked. The air was still and all was silent. He noticed a bird up in the tree and he said, "I'm going to shoot that bird." So, he pulled out his shot gun and shot the bird. It cracked in two. He thought, "Well, that's odd. I'm going to chop down this here tree." So, he pulled out his axe and started to chop the tree. His axe blade broke! He looked around and noticed the tree was made of stone! The grass was stone. The bird was stone. Everything was stone! And at night the air was so heavy it felt like obsidian pressing down upon him. No one could believe this story it was so tall! How could a place be so magnificent!? But, Jim Bridger's stories helped open America's eyes to the wonders of Yellowstone.

At the end of this another kid's hand shot in the air. I waved at both to hang on until the end of the presentation. And at the end of the presentation, these Junior Rangers had some astounding questions. Here goes:

Jr Ranger I: "Is Indiana Jones' hat made out of a beaver pelt?"
Me: "It's a leather hat, probably made from a cow."

Jr. Ranger II: "Is the petrified tree frozen?"
Me: "It's made of stone. It's a stone tree. Everything was stone."

Jr. Ranger III: "Yeah, but, in that story, wouldn't the bird have flown away faster than it could have been turned to stone?"
Me: "Jim Bridger said the place was cursed by a Crow Shaman that had turned everything into stone. So, everything was stone when he came upon it."

Jr Ranger III: "Yeah, but it would have flown away."
Jr Ranger II: "I think it's all frozen."
Me: "I'll be happy to sign Jr. Ranger papers now."

Apparently that story really left an impact on the kids. Not the explorers or wonder or theme, just Jim Bridger. Just goes to show, he really did open people's eyes to the wonders of Yellowstone.