desymbol: Man Shares An Unbelievable Story On How He Mailed A Toy Company With A Request To Make An Aardvark Plushie When He Was A Kid And They Did It

Recently, one thread on Twitter went viral in which a person asked people to tell stories about themselves that everybody thinks are lies. People shared the weirdest, the most incredible and the most bizarre experiences of theirs, but one particular story struck a chord with many Twitter users.

A man named Clark Neily – a lawyer whose focus is criminal justice – shared a heartwarming tale of how one toy was actually made after him. When he wrote a letter to the toy company, it wasn’t even the boy’s intention to get them to name a stuffed aardvark after him. He just wanted the company to make aardvarks, as it had recently become his favorite animal. Scroll down below to read the adorable letter that a then-second-grader wrote and the awesome reply he got from the Possum Trot.

More info: Twitter

This stuffed aardvark from the Possum Trot company was named Clark for one wholesome reason

Image credits: ConLawWarrior

Possum Trot was a toy manufacturing company established in 1969. It was started with Federal funds in order to create job places for people struggling with poverty in the mountainous areas of Kentucky. The company made stuffed animals, popular in the seventies to early eighties. The story goes that beginning from the eighties and all through the nineties, it was kept only as a sewing factory and Possum Trot didn’t make toys anymore. Rumor has it, they make military uniforms now.

Recently, this man shared a story of how he got the toy company to name a toy after him

Image credits: ConLawWarrior

One Twitter user asked people to tell “a story about yourself that sounds like a lie but is absolutely true,” Clark really delivered.

“I wrote a report about aardvarks in 2nd grade and got so into them that I wrote a letter to a stuffed-animal [company] suggesting they add one to their lineup. About 6 months later, I got a big box with a stuffed aardvark and a letter saying, “We took your suggestion, and we named it Clark.”

He shared the letter that he sent as a kid

Image credits: ConLawWarrior

Clark’s adorable letter said:

Dear Possum Trot,

I have been a fan of yours for many years. When I went into a toy shop, I saw one of your beavers. Immediately, I fell in love with it. My sister was absolutely fascinated with your possum.

Last year, I did a report on Aardvarks and now they are my favorite animals; and I was wondering if by any chance you would make an aardvark. This is often an animal that gets confused with anteaters. Some people say big deal, what’s the difference. There really is a difference, anteaters’ tails are shaggy, [their] snout is longer and they have shorter ears. I’ll draw you a picture.

Sincerely, Clark Neily
P.S. Don’t get mixed up
P.P.S. Please write and tell me your decision

Clark had also put time and effort into explaining the difference between an aardvark and an anteater, saying that people often confuse the two. The boy even drew both the animals, indicating their names with an arrow pointing to the correct drawing. Apparently, Clark was very serious as he reminded the company not to get ‘mixed up.’

And the reply that he received from the company

Image credits: ConLawWarrior

After a while, the boy got a reply from Possum Trot which is as wholesome as you can imagine. The letter read:

Dear Clark:

We know you probably think that Possum Trot is just another company that really doesn’t care and we are sorry it has taken so long to answer your letter, but we have been thinking of you. Enclosed you will find our new Aardvark. We took your letter very seriously and we hope our Aardvark meets with your approval. We look forward to hearing from fans like you and we hope you will continue to let us know what you think of our toys.

The new Aardvark will be in stores for this Christmas, but we wanted you to have one of the first ones produced. Also, we hope you do not mind that we have named our Aardvark Clark. We hope that this letter finds you and your sister in good health and spirits.

Sincerely,
Your Friends At Possum Trot

Together with the letter, the company sent Clark the stuffed aardvark that they made, informing the boy that they are waiting for his approval.