Millions of years ago, in a lush, neon green forest of ferns, there lived two young dinosaur friends. And they were the best of friends.
Tupo was heavier and looked a bit like a rhino with a large collar-like shield around his neck. He was a triceratop. When he got angry or excited, his shield would change colour becoming scarlet red. Tupo's best friend was a parasaurolophus called Paphu who was taller than his friend and had a long tail, somewhat resembling modern day kangaroos. Paphu also had a hornlike crest on his head, similar to that of a unicorn but a bit curved to the back.
Tupo and Paphu were friends since they had hatched and they spent a lot of time together. That is all the time their mothers would let them stay away from learning useful skills from their elders. Tupo and Paphu were good dinosaur children and they liked to compete with each other looking for the most exotic flowers to eat and playing war pretending to be T-rexes. They also loved taking long cooling bathes in the mud, jumping on the stones in the stream trying not to fall in the water and playing hide and seek. They were inseparable.
One day when they were looking for jade stones near a large cave, Tupo hid behind a group of rocks at the entrance to the cave to frighten his friend. When Paphu approached it, Tupo jumped out with a scary roar and then started laughing seeing Paphu's terror. Fearsome Paphu made a very loud noise with the crest on his head for the first time. The cry scared unexpecting Tupo very much.
- What did you do that for? - asked Tupo in an angry and a little shaky voice. His shield, meanwhile, started turning scarlet red.
- Papa tought me this warning cry today and he said I should practice it. He said that that's what my crest was for and one day I would need it to warn others of danger or to call for help if I was in trouble. You got me so scared, I just made the call and it worked! - commented Paphu laughing uncontrollably seeing how much he scared his friend with the cry.
- Nonsense - responded triceratop still a bit shaky - it was just a joke and you scared me a lot for no reason. Now everyone will rush here to help you and they will be angry with me, or worse, a T-rex will find us and have us for lunch. It was silly and unnecessary! - exclaimed furiously Tupo.
- Well, you say that because you can't make a cry like that yourself! Besides, why is it okay for you to scare me, and wrong if I do the same to you?! - Paphu riposted angrily and ran away before Tupo could reply.
The boys had never argued before and they did not see each other for the whole month. It was a long, long, boring month for each of them. When they finally met, Paphu apologised for saying mean things and running away. Tupo smiled in response and said he was no longer angry and accepted the apology, extending one himself.
- Besides, I have my shield which is most extraordinary and very scary, don't you think?
- It truly is - replied his friend remembering how the shield got puffed up and changed colour. Then, Paphu proposed - Friends forever?
- Yes, we never stopped being friends. We just wasted a lot of time being angry - answered Tupo and quickly suggested - Would you like to go on a treasure hunt?
- What did you do that for? - asked Tupo in an angry and a little shaky voice. His shield, meanwhile, started turning scarlet red.
- Papa tought me this warning cry today and he said I should practice it. He said that that's what my crest was for and one day I would need it to warn others of danger or to call for help if I was in trouble. You got me so scared, I just made the call and it worked! - commented Paphu laughing uncontrollably seeing how much he scared his friend with the cry.
- Nonsense - responded triceratop still a bit shaky - it was just a joke and you scared me a lot for no reason. Now everyone will rush here to help you and they will be angry with me, or worse, a T-rex will find us and have us for lunch. It was silly and unnecessary! - exclaimed furiously Tupo.
- Well, you say that because you can't make a cry like that yourself! Besides, why is it okay for you to scare me, and wrong if I do the same to you?! - Paphu riposted angrily and ran away before Tupo could reply.
- Besides, I have my shield which is most extraordinary and very scary, don't you think?
- It truly is - replied his friend remembering how the shield got puffed up and changed colour. Then, Paphu proposed - Friends forever?
- Yes, we never stopped being friends. We just wasted a lot of time being angry - answered Tupo and quickly suggested - Would you like to go on a treasure hunt?
ACTIVITIES
