College student finds hidden treasure in Oklahoma in a fairy tale book

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- Reading has enriched college student Jason Davis -- by $280,000.<br/><br/>Davis won the prize in a nationwide treasure hunt that is part of "A Treasure's Trove: A Fairy Tale

Wednesday, June 22nd 2005, 5:43 pm

By: News On 6

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- Reading has enriched college student Jason Davis -- by $280,000.

Davis won the prize in a nationwide treasure hunt that is part of "A Treasure's Trove: A Fairy Tale About Real Treasure for Parents and Children of All Ages."

The book, published in November, has clues that lead readers to 12 gold tokens hidden around the country. The gold coins can be redeemed for jewels shaped like the insect characters in the books.

Author and publisher Michael Stadther personally hid the tokens. The jewels have a combined value of more than $1 million.

Davis, 28, who is majoring in cognitive neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, studied an acorn pattern in the book and followed it to Foss State Park in Oklahoma. He found the Firefly token in a knothole in a tree.

The token was redeemable for a jeweled firefly with a 5.91 carat Burmese ruby, with yellow and clear diamonds. The jewel, the second-most valuable of the 12, was the sixth found so far.

To get to the jewel, Davis had to borrow $320 for the two-day bus trip to Oklahoma and then walk 10 miles in baking heat.

Davis plans to use some of the money for law school and a new car.

And it means he won't have to worry about making the rent.

"I don't really have to be nervous about losing a job or living paycheck to paycheck anymore," he said Tuesday.