Dolly the Gentle Dinosaur Says Goodnight
In a wide green valley, where the ferns grew tall and the rivers ran slow, lived the biggest, gentlest dinosaur of them all. Her name was Dolly, and she had a very long neck, a very long tail, and the kindest heart in the whole land.
All day long, Dolly was busy helping. Her huge feet went thump, thump, thump across the valley as she walked. When the little creatures couldn't reach the sweet, juicy leaves at the very tops of the trees, Dolly stretched up her long neck and gently brought a branch down low for them. When a baby bird tumbled out of its nest, Dolly lifted it back with the softest touch of her nose. When the smallest dinosaurs wanted to cross the wide river, they climbed up onto her broad, warm back and rode safely across.
But when the sky turned pink and then purple, and the first stars began to peek out, it was time to rest — and Dolly's great big body still felt full of thumps and busyness from the day.
So she lay herself down, slow and careful, in a soft bed of warm ferns. And she listened.
The river whispered as it wandered by. The evening wind hushed through the tall trees. A single firefly blinked nearby — on, and off, and on — slow and soft as a tiny lantern.
Dolly took one enormous, slow breath in, so deep that the ferns all leaned towards her. Then she let one enormous, slow breath out, so gentle that the ferns swayed softly back. In… and out. In… and out.
With each great, slow breath, the thumps inside her grew quiet. Her long neck curled around like a cosy pillow. Her heavy eyelids began to droop.
All the little creatures she had helped throughout the day came and curled up around her — some against her warm side, some in the curve of her tail — safe and snug beneath the gentle giant.
"Goodnight, Dolly," they all yawned together.
And the biggest, gentlest dinosaur in the valley fell fast asleep under the first soft stars, with the whole little valley sleeping safely around her.