May 24, 2007
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - It took a Missouri toddler a matter of minutes to dance on and destroy an intricate sand pattern that took eight Tibetan monks two days to create.

The monks are not upset.

The toddler "did a little tap dance on it" while his mom took a package to a post office in the Union Station hall in Kansas City.

A security tape shows the boy's mother returning to the sand work, called a mandala (MUHN'-duh-luh), grabbing her son by the arm and walking out of camera range.

The monks are on a yearlong tour of the United States and Canada to raise money for their monastery. The original monastery in Tibet was destroyed. They were about halfway finished when they left for the day Tuesday, roping off the artwork before they left.

The lead monk said it was "no problem," adding, "we will have to work harder" to get it finished before Saturday. It will then be swept up and offered to onlookers for their gardens. The rest will be placed in the Missouri River.