Picture it: a curious young boy at a museum. An ancient artifact unprotected by glass. You can guess what happened next. On Aug. 23, reports CNN, a 4-year-old boy visited the Hecht Museum in Haifa, Israel, with his parents. The boy noticed a large ceramic container and, according to his father, “pulled the jar slightly,” wanting to see what was inside — accidentally smashing the 3,500-year-old relic in the process. Museum officials kept their cool. “Things like this happen,” said museum head Inbal Rivin. The museum displays some items without protective cases, a nod to founder Reuben Hecht’s belief in allowing the public to experience archaeological finds with as few barriers as possible. Restoration efforts already are underway.

Book lover booked

A 71-year-old man in Rome woke one night to find a stranger in his home ... reading a book. The BBC reported on Aug. 24 that the 38-year-old intruder claimed he broke in thinking it was the home of a friend. He spotted Giovanni Nucci’s book “The Gods at Six O’Clock,” a retelling of the Iliad, and settled in for story time. When the homeowner awoke and confronted him, the intruder was arrested. News of the incident made its way to the author, who said he’d like to give the man a copy of the book: “I’d like him to be able to finish it.”

Better late than never

The U.K.-based Royal Mail service delivered a postcard to the Swansea Building Society in Wales 121 years after it was postmarked. The BBC reported on Aug. 21 that the postcard was addressed to “Miss Lydia Davies” and signed by “Ewart,” who apologizes for not picking up a “pair” of an unknown item: “I am so sorry, but I hope you are enjoying yourself at home.” West Glamorgan Archives confirmed that a John Davies lived at the address in question with his wife, Maria, and six children — including Lydia, who would have been 16 when the postcard was sent.

Step aside, Punxsutawney Phil

A groundhog made headlines In Hollidaysburg, Pa., about an hour from Punxsutawney — but not for predicting the weather. Patrons playing the claw machine at an arcade realized that one of the “stuffed animals” was blinking back at them, reported the Associated Press on Aug. 14. Employees of the Meadows contacted the machine’s owners, who passed the buck to the police department, who called in the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Game wardens were able to extract the critter and set it free in a nearby field. The Meadows wasted no time capitalizing on the incident, making T-shirts that said “Respect the Groundhog” and naming a custard after their furry visitor.

All wet

Some people yell or throw things when they get mad. Not Dr. Giovanni Baula. According to court records in St. Petersburg, Fla., on two occasions, the doctor expressed his ire with Dr. Dylan Dinesh by dousing the latter’s office doors with gallons of fluid that smelled like urine. As the Smoking Gun reported, court documents say the liquid “soaked into the front wooden doors, causing irreparable damage.” Baula was charged with a felony count of criminal mischief and released after paying a $5,000 bond.

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