“Today,” started Mr. Wathorn, Larry's teacher, “I will teach you the meaning of the word 'extinct'.”

“Great!” cheered Larry.  “I've heard the word used often in regards to ancient plants, but I never knew what it meant.”

“Why didn't you use the library's dictionary?” asked Mr. Wathorn.

“The library?” exclaimed Larry, in shock.  “I've never been able to find the Koopa Library.  The castle is so large!”

“Well, it doesn't matter,” consoled Mr. Wathorn.  “Unfortunately, I don't think you really want to know what 'extinct' means.  But you have to know it because it is on the test.” Larry opened his mouth to speak but Mr. Wathorn continued, “Don't get into why you have to do well on the test. That's another Scribble.”

“Oh, of course,” nodded Larry.

“'Extinct',” explained Mr. Wathorn, “means that a living thing is no longer living.  All of it's members are dead.  There are no more of the species.  They will never appear again.  The living thing is gone.”

“I don't understand,” said Larry, scratching his head.  “You used living and not living in the same sentence and I lost you.”

Mr. Wathorn thought quickly and found an example.  “You see, all the dinosaurs died out millions of years ago.  We can discuss how they died in another Scribble, if you like.  But the point is, there are no more dinosaurs on the planet.  They are all gone, and they will never appear again.  Therefore, they are extinct.”

“Now I understand!” smiled Larry.

Suddenly,. a green figure burst through a window in front of the classroom and bounded up to Mr. Wathorn's desk.  “Yoshi not dead!” said the figure (wonder who it is).

Larry thought it over for a minute and agreed.  “Yoshi is right.  He can't be dead because he is standing right here and he spoke.”

“That is a lot of evidence,” concluded Mr. Wathorn, “but all the science and ancient history textbooks say dinosaurs are extinct, so they must be right.”

“Yoshi hungry!”

“You're outvoted!” Larry laughed. “Yoshi and I say dinosaurs are not extinct, and we are the majority.”

“That's not fair!” insisted Mr. Wathorn. “First, if Ludwig were here, he would agree with me, and then it would be a tie.  Second, you are outvoted by the textbooks. Third, Yoshi never said dinosaurs weren't extinct. Fourth. we don't live in a democracy.”

“Well, I'm a Koopaling, and I say that dinosaurs are not extinct, so tough darts!” stomped Larry.

Yoshi nodded, ate Mr. Wathorn, who was a very tasty Koopa Troopa, and bounded out the window.

Larry sighed. “I still don't know if I understand what ‘extinct' means!” he pouted.