Day 354: Evolution, Baby!

Evolution, Baby!
by
Matt Zurbo
(Two kids, boy and girl, moping into museum.)

Look, it’s an evolutionary history!
What’s evolution?
(Boy and girl in front of an evolution model, showing small ape to caveman, to modern human. Boy is puzzled, scratching his head.)

Well, if one caveman grows taller than the others. He survives better. Most of the taller cavemen survive. They all grow taller.
(Girl talking. Both boy and girl looking at one caveman plucking an apple on a tree. The others, more hunched, can’t reach.)

We get smarter, the skull needs more space for brains!
(Girl talking, boy looking sick, holding his head. Behind them is evolution of the human skull display.)
Ease up! You’re doing my head in!

Something about this bothers me…
Come over here!
(Boy, hand on chin, suspicious face, squinting at evolution of man display. Girl walking off, beckoning him.)

Most birds used to be lizards! At first they leapt at their prey from trees, then they glided. Then, they flew…
Woh!
(Girl smiling, looking up. Boy about to fall over. Around them are the museum models of reptile to birds history.)

And dolphins were once four legged animals.
No way!!
(Suitable display. Boy in shock.)

Sure, whales, too. That’s why they still breath air.
WHALES!? I feel dizzy…!
(Double page image. Suitable display of prehistoric mammal to whale. Girl is standing on whale. Boy is trying to sit down.)

Moths with eye patterns on their wings got eaten less by birds, so more moths with eyes on their wings survived. Now moths have patterns on their wings!
Moths? Evolve?!
(Bird being frightened/startled, by moth with eye pattern on wings.)

Wait, wait, wait! You’re saying this was my great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great… um? Uncle…?
Maybe.
(Boy face-to-face with caveman model. Girl behind him, looking at plants.)
And everything evolves over time?
Even insects and plants.

What if I don’t want to believe you!
But it’s science! You believe the world is round, don’t you?
Well…
(Boy, arms crossed, chin defiantly in air. Girl exasperated.)

And in gravity?
Um…
And in medicine, and time, and-
Yeah, yeah.
(Girl explaining, not realising boy is floating away.)

Well, you believe in dinosaurs don’t you?
Oh, boy!
There you go. Science!
(Double page spread. Boy and girl in front of three stages. First, a dinosaur fossil dig. Second, a T-Rex skeleton construct being examined by scientists. Third, a roaring T-Rex. Boy is super excited.)

(Boy and girl standing in front of huge T-Rex, that is looking down at them.)

SNAP!
(Boy and girl running, just beating dinosaur mouth snapping shut behind them.)

I still say there’s something wrong with… AH_HA! If EVERYTHING evolves, we do, too! This model is only half done!
(Boy, walking past girl and caveman, arms full of pens and paper and building materials.)

Let’s see.
(Boy building. Girl and caveman, watching.)

THIS is how I think we will evolve!
Now, wait a minute…
(Double page again. Boy holding hand out, showing; same evolution of humans model, with same figures, but they keep going, evolving until humankind is a flying stingray with dome over brain. Girl leaping back in shock.)

Or this!
Now I need to sit down!
(Same thing, but evolves until humans are giants that don’t even fit on the page. Girl is super dizzy.)

Or…
Alright, already! I get it! I get it!
(Same thing, but now human evolve to being brains in jars on stilts. Girl is shouting/angry.)

Hang on! You’re saying we are a part of evolution?
Yep!
Then one day, our ancestors will look at us like we look at cavemen.
(Girl now thinking. Boy happy, chest out. Admiring his brains on stilts, as he puts robotic eyes on it.)

(Brain looking at boy and girl and caveman side-by-side.)

Ugg!
(Boy and girl wincing, tongues out in disgust.)

Hahahaha!
That’s the funniest thing ever!
(Boy and girl rolling around laughing. Every model of exhibition is standing in a semi circle, looking at them.)

Cavemen…
Evolution…
(Boy and girl sitting back-to-back, wiping away tears of laughter.)

I love going to the museum!
How fun is science!?
(Boy and girl, chests out, almost marching with happiness, out of museum room.)

 
The End.