Mark Smith joins the Flintstones in a Yabba-Dabba-Doo adventure

Fred Flintstone was so excited! He and his pal, Barney Rubble, were going to enter the Bedrock Olympics. The winner would take home a gold medal and a year's supply of Bronto meat. But Fred wanted to surprise Wilma and Pebbles with his prize if he won, and he didn't know how to tell his boss he needed the day off.

"Explain to your boss how important these Olympics are to you. I'm sure he'll understand," said Mark Smith, age 4, from Denver, Colorado. "Steve, Tracy and Aunt Susan always said that honesty is the best policy.

In the meantime, I can stay here and help Wilma," Mark continued. "I've always wondered what a day is like here in the Stone Age."

Fred perked up again! "Okay, Mark," said Fred as he headed off to work.

Dino chased after the Flintmobile with Fred's lunch pail. "Don't forget your lunch, Fred," Wilma shouted after him. "Honestly, he'd forget his head if it wasn't attached to him."

When Fred got to work, he started looking for his boss from on top his Dinodozer. Suddenly Fred heard the quitting time squawker. Awaaak! Awaaak!

"The quarry's shut down today, Flintstone," called out the quarry foreman. "Mr. Slate wanted to go to the Bedrock Olympics."

"Yabba-Dabba-Doo!" shouted Fred. "Bedrock Olympics, here I come!"

"I can't wait to see how some of your Stone Age stuff works, Wilma," Mark said as he and Wilma went back into the house.

"How about if I show you how we clean in the Stone Age?" asked Wilma.

"Sure!" said Mark, uncertain that house cleaning could be fun.

"Look, Mark, here's my vacuum cleaner," Wilma said, as she walked a baby mammoth across the floor. Mark was amazed at how much dirt it sucked up with its trunk. "And you'll love the way we hang out our clothes to dry," Wilma continued.

Mark giggled when he saw Wilma using bird beaks as clothes pins. "Boy! House cleaning really can be fun in the Stone Age," laughed Mark.

"Yes, I suppose it can," said Wilma. "Well, I better go do the grocery shopping now or there won't be any dinner tonight."

Uh oh, thought Mark, if Wilma accidentally bumps into Fred at the Bedrock Olympics, it'll ruin the surprise. "Let me do the shopping for you, Wilma," Mark said quickly. "You can stay here and relax."

"Why, Mark," said Wilma, "that's very kind of you."

Mark rushed out to do the shopping and to see how Fred was coming along.