Folk tales and fairy tales: From Bear Lake Monster to Molly Pitcher

The Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona is home to petrified wood — after millions of years, wood mineralized into rocks. Around the park, there are signs instructing visitors to not take anything home.
And legend has it — there’s a curse on a person who does.
The curse of the petrified forest, as Legends of America calls it, started in the 1930s when visitors who had taken petrified wood home began having bad luck. The Rainbow Forest Museum at the park houses a room devoted to telling the stories of people who have experienced this curse and it’s not uncommon for the park to receive written confessions when people return petrified wood.
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park in Utah has an identical legend surrounding it. According to KSL-TV, the residents of Escalante are aware of the legend.
The West has a rich history of legends and folk tales — the Wild West atmosphere, desert and mountainous landscapes and rumors of monsters lurking in lakes have surfaced as tales have circulated. Folk tales by nature communicate the beliefs and culture of peoples who live in a specific area.
Folk tales and fairy tales: From Bear Lake Monster to Molly Pitcher