TESSA WAS A REAL BOOKWORM. SHE ABSOLUTELY LOVED SCHOOL, READING, AND LEARNING NEW THINGS. THE OTHER KIDS CALLED HER A "KEENER" BUT SHE DIDN'T CARE. SHE WAS A CURIOUS LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS FASCINATED BY THE WORLD AROUND HER.

TODAY, TESSA'S SCIENCE CLASS WAS GOING ON A FIELD TRIP TO THE LA BREA TAR PITS. SO NATURALLY TESSA STAYED UP LATE INTO THE NIGHT RESEARCHING THE TAR PITS. SHE COULDN'T WAIT TO SEE THE PLACE THAT SABRE-TOOTHED TIGERS, DIRE WOLVES, AND WHOLLY MAMMOTHS ONCE CALLED HOME.

TESSA WAS THE FIRST ONE TO EXIT THE BUS. "HURRY UP EVERYONE!" SHE YELLED OUT. THE CLASS WAS GREETED BY A CHUBBY MAN WITH GREY HAIR AND A BUSHY BEARD. "HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS DR. DARWIN SLATE. WELCOME TO THE LABREA TAR PITS AND MUSEUM, THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS ICE AGE FOSSIL EXCAVATION! WHO'S READY TO GO BACK IN TIME?" TESSA WAS THE ONLY ONE TO RAISE HER HAND.

TESSA WAS IN AWE OF ALL OF THE CREATURES SHE WAS LEARNING ABOUT. SHE HAD A MILLION QUESTIONS FOR DR. SLATE AS HE LED THE CLASS ON THEIR TOUR. TESSA BECAME SO ENGROSSED BY THE ICE AGE CREATURES THAT SHE FORGOT TO JOIN HER CLASSMATES IN THE MUSEUM CAFETERIA FOR LUNCH.  SHE SPENT HER LUNCH PEPPERING POOR DR. SLATE WITH AN ENDLESS SERIES OF QUESTIONS.

AFTER LUNCH THE KIDS GOT TO GO OUTSIDE AND DO SOME DIGGING. TESSA WAS HOPING TO UNCOVER SOME DINOSAUR BONES BUT DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING. "YOU SURE SEEM TO BE ENJOYING YOURSELF" DR. SLATE SAID. "I'M HAVING SO MUCH FUN. WHEN I GROW UP I WANT TO BE A PERIODONDIST." "THAT'S A DENTIST. I THINK YOU MEAN PALEONTOLOGIST." "YEAH!" "BEFORE YOU LEAVE WHY DON'T YOU SIGN UP FOR OUR JUNIOR PALEONTOLOGIST CLUB." "COOL!"

LA BREA

TAR PITS & MUSEUM

THE NEXT MORNING TESSA RODE HER BIKE TO THE TAR PITS. THE MUSUEM DIDN'T OPEN UNTIL 8 A.M. BUT SHE COULDN'T WAIT TO GET STARTED. SHE WAS SO EXCITED THAT SHE GOT THERE A FULL TWO HOURS BEFORE THEY EVEN OPENED. WHAT WAS SHE GOING TO DO FOR A FULL TWO HOURS? SHE HADN'T BROUGHT ANY OF HER FAVOURITE BOOKS WITH HER. TESSA DECIDED TO NAP UNTIL THE MUSUEM OPENED. SHE WAS PRETTY TIRED HAVING SET HER ALARM FOR 5 A.M.

TESSA WAS OUT LIKE A LIGHT THE MOMENT HER HEAD TOUCHED THE DEWEY GRASS. SHE STARTED TO FEEL CHILLY SO SHE REACHED AROUND FOR HER BLANKET THINKING SHE WAS IN HER OWN BED. SHE FELT SOMETHING SLIMY AND FURRY INSTEAD. AND WHAT WAS THAT YUCKY SMELL? SHE RUBBED HER EYES AND LOOKED UP. RIGHT ABOVE HER WAS A CURIOUS WHOLLY MAMMOTH.

DESPITE BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF A GIANT BEAST FROM THE ICE AGE, TESSA WASN'T AFRAID. SHE WAS MORE CURIOUS ABOUT THE MASSIVE CREATURE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. "HAVE YOU SEEN MY MOMMY?" ASKED THE WHOLLY MAMMOTH. TESSA WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR SUCH A SWEET VOICE COMING FROM SOMETHING SO GIGANTIC. SHE ALSO FELT A TINGE OF SADNESS KNOWING THAT THE MAMMOTH'S MOMMY HAD LONG BEEN EXTINCT. WHAT SHOULD SHE TELL HER?

"UM, SORRY. I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOUR MOMMY IS. I THINK I SHOULD GO NOW." "CAN I COME WITH YOU?" UNABLE TO REFUSE THE POOR MAMMOTH AND HER BIG SAD EYES, TESSA AGREED. HOW WAS SHE GOING TO SNEAK A HUGE WHOLLY MAMMOTH, A CREATURE THAT HAS BEEN EXTINCT FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS, BACK HOME? "GOOD MORNING TESSA. I SEE YOU'VE MET WILMA." "WILMA?" "SOMEHOW SHE SURVIVED THE END OF THE ICE AGE. THE REST OF HER FAMILY DIDN'T MAKE IT UNFORTUNATELY."

"HAVE YOU SEEN MY MOMMY?"

"A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO I WAS DOING SOME EXCAVATION WORK AT THE TAR PITS WHEN I FOUND WILMA. SHE WAS SCARED, LOST, AND ALONE. I WAS SURPRISED BY HOW GENTLE SHE WAS AS SHE COULD'VE EASILY SQUASHED ME LIKE A GRAPE. SOMEHOW SHE WAS ABLE TO SURVIVE THE MANY CHANGES THE EARTH HAS GONE THROUGH THE PAST MILLION YEARS OR SO. I KEPT THIS A SECRET FOR A LONG TIME BUT NOW I HAVE YOU TO HELP ME FIND THIS SWEET GIRL A PLACE TO CALL HOME."