CLOD-HOPPER HOLLOW, MN-Area girl discovered a rare, endangered species of rock fish Sunday while participating in a rock re-distribution operation at the construction site of the World's Largest Zen Garden. Development of the Zen Garden was immediately halted and local officials were notified.

Photo: An on-site photo of fish discovered by area girl. Experts believe this is a species once believed to be extinct. "At first I thought it was just a rock," Clod-Hopper Hollow child and ametuer rock collector Mollie McGee said. "but I thought I saw it wiggle a little. It tried to swim away when I went to pick it up."

According to credible sources, the girl spotted the smallish rock fish among the ordinary rocks scattered about the development site at approximately 4:30 p.m., just a few short minutes after the second phase of a rock re- distribution operation had commenced. The girl then ran off to put the fish "in her collection."

The Mayor was present at the excavation site as part of a golden-shovel, ground breaking ceremony. "One minute I was cutting the ribbon, daydreaming about how nice it was going to be to make designs in the dirt like the monks and buddas do on them there TV shows," Mayor Mudd said. "the next minute we're in litigation out the wazoo!"

"That's when the authorities from the Mudville Department of Fishing and Wild Life stepped in," Mayor said. "If that fish was worth some cash, or at least good for some down-time, I wasn't going to let that little girl grab the spotlight without phennageling up some good old-fashioned bureaucratic bull-crap."

According to the Mayor, local activists swarmed the site and protested the removal of the fish from its natural habitat. "Out of nowhere, we have these tree-huggers all over the place, all up in my face," said the Mayor. "We don't really even have any trees yet!"

Area rock specialists identified the fish as an endangered and threatened species as listed by the Mudville Fishing and Wild Life Service and the Clod-Hopper Hollow Malt-Beverage Quality Control Service. The 'Desert Gobi' had not been seen in these parts for over two years and is believed to be extinct, as well as imaginary. Officials are concerned about this particular species of fish because information has been gathered to support the claim that the species are both endangered and imaginary.

Developers were furious about the halt order, claiming the injunction, which was handed down by Mudville District Mayor Melvin Mudd at 4:38 p.m., shortly after the alleged discovery of the said fish, was "based on assumptions, presumptions or conclusions, but not on facts or based on any evidence, documents or data," said an area land baron. "Mudville Flats is a dump, and Clod-Hopper Hollow, well..."

Under the Mayor's habitat plan, developers of the World's Largest Zen Garden would have to spend over $150,000 to create a modest rock fish preserve. The premanufactured housing owners association would help by advising local residents not to let their cats out.

"Our outdoor areas were once filled with rock fish, and in the past, people landscaped without worrying about the future. It seemed as though there was an unlimited amount of rock fish to be found. But overseeding and sodding has changed this and caused the believed extinction."

During the discovery, Mudville police officials entered the McGee household and seized more than 150 rocks, including a couple that looked more like lumps of sculpey clay. In addition to physical evidence, Mudville police have collected considerable eyewitness testimony. More than 11 Mudville residents have come forward to report seeing Molly McGee plant the fish as a hoax, and several said they witnessed McGee flagrantly placing the fish at the site.

"I told them I found the rock over there," said Molly McGee of Mudville. "That's my story and I'm sticking to it, I think they want to use me as a patsy."

Perhaps the most damaging testimony has come from the developer of the Zen Garden. Fatigued from several hours of rock re-distribution, Mayor Mudd on Tuesday told Mudville police that while he was zoning for the Zen Garden, he was dreaming of a beer garden. The developer claims the Mayor is "sand-bagging."

"Certainly," said the Mudville area developer, who requested to remain unidentified at this time, "this is a scam to get out of picking up rocks, along with the "it's too hot", "too many bugs", and the "we have to wait till Fall to plant the seed anyway" excuses.

It was also stated that the clumps of grass and weeds need to dry up a little and blow away.

McGee's brother and step-sister, Marty and Eunice, residents of Clod-Hopper Arms in Mudville Flats, MN, are being sought for questioning in connection to the case: Mudville police suspect that they may have been involved in the alleged fish-planting scam.

But for all the evidence collected, officials suspect the case will likely be extremely difficult to prosecute. "Molly was very careful to cover her tracks," he said. "She even used rubber gloves to paint the rock as not to get her fingerprints on it."

"The Mudville Flats case is not an isolated incident," said the Mudville Flats police chief." There are 'literally piles' of such rocks strewn across backyards in these parts each year what never come to be relocated.

"This type of scam is as old as the hills," the chief said. "A man finds himself in a situation where he has to pick a shitload of rocks. Or maybe he's broke and really just wants to go fishing and kick back with a few cold ones. So what does he do? He dreams up some scam to get out of work for a few days. It sounds crazy, because he is."