But this was as good a time as any. Arlo joined Spot and howled, too.
Under the giant sky and a million twinkling stars, the two friends howled at the moon, releasing their sadness into the night.
“Arrrroooooooowah!”
The next morning Arlo woke to Spot running in his sleep, making growling noises, and pounding into Arlo’s nose with his feet. The dinosaur snapped awake and lifted his head away from the barrage of toes and heels. Then Spot woke up; he looked up at Arlo with a big grin. Arlo smiled back.
It was time to start their day. They got up and began walking along the river. Almost out of nowhere, dark clouds appeared and instantly grew darker. The wind picked up and started blowing the leaves off the trees. Soon branches began cracking and whipping through the air. As the wind grew stronger, debris flew toward them, and Arlo started to panic.
BOOM!
The sound of thunder startled Arlo, causing him to flinch and shudder. He looked at Spot, ahead in the distance, and screamed to him. “We should stop!” But Spot couldn’t hear him over the angry sounds of the sky.
The thunder roared even louder and lightning flashed as the storm intensified. It reminded Arlo of that day in the wilderness with Poppa. It was as if he could see himself and Poppa in the pass, the rushing water coming toward them, and that terrible feeling….Arlo remembered Poppa screaming for him to run, right before the water took him away forever. The thought of it made Arlo feel even more frightened and he started to run, as if trying to escape the storm.
Spot saw Arlo and turned back to follow him.
Terrified, Arlo scrambled up a hill.
BOOM!
The deafening sound of the thunder, now right overhead, caused him to slip and fall down a muddy slope.
A large old tree, having been taken down by the wind, lay on its side. Its giant root ball had been ripped up from the ground and was big enough for Arlo to hide under. He ran to it and pressed his body against it, trying to shield himself from the maelstrom. Arlo stayed there, curled up and trembling, wishing for the storm to pass.
When the wind finally calmed and the sun’s rays cracked through the clouds, the light revealed the devastation it had left in its wake. The wilderness looked completely different. Trees were knocked over, shelters destroyed, and debris was scattered everywhere. It was as if the wilderness had been turned inside out.
Spot, with his nose to the ground, sniffed around in search of Arlo. He dug through a pile of leaves and found him, still curled up under the giant root ball. The dinosaur stumbled forward and looked around, panicking at the sight of the wilderness.
“Wh-where’s the river?” Arlo asked, whipping his head around nervously. “I’ve lost the river!” Frenzied, Arlo ran, looking every which way, searching for signs that would lead him home.
Then a shadow passed overhead, blocking out the sun. Arlo looked up and saw a group of Pterodactyls, giant winged reptiles, flying in formation like a search-and-rescue team. It seemed that they were looking for signs of life in the wreckage below. Arlo was overjoyed to see them and figured they could help him get home. He urgently called up to them, waving his arms. “Help!”
But as soon as Spot saw the Pterodactyls, he scurried off to hide.
Three Pterodactyls touched ground in front of Arlo as the others continued on their way.
“You wounded, friend?” asked one.
“No, I’m not hurt,” answered Arlo.
The first Pterodactyl turned to the other two. “Coldfront. Downpour. Search for others.” The two headed off and went through the rubble, searching.
“Wait, I’m lost,” said Arlo. “I need to get home, to Clawtooth Mountain.”
“Mountain range with three points?” he asked
“Yes!” Arlo said, thrilled that he had heard of it.
“I’ve been there,” he said. “But spit, kid, you’re not even close. Still I know the way.”
Relieved, the young dinosaur smiled and introduced himself, “My name is Arlo.”
“I used to have a name like that once, but that was before I found the storm. The storm swept me up…and I was afraid for my life. But the storm gave me a relevation, and I wasn’t scared anymore,” he said.
“Relevation?” Arlo asked.
“Yeah, Re-LE-VA-tion!” the Pterodactyl repeated. “I was at a real low point, you know, and the storm swept me up in a…real high point and then left me at a higher RELEVATION.”
As he talked, the Pterodactyl raised his wings high and waved them back and forth.
“Wow,” Arlo said.
“That’s when the storm gave me my new name,” he explained. Then he turned to one of the other Pterodactyls. “Because what do we say?” he asked.
“Oh yeah, the storm provides,” Downpour repeated.
The spooky Pterodactyl finally introduced himself to Arlo. “You can call me Thunderclap,” he said.
“Can you help me get home?” asked Arlo. He was starting to feel a little uncomfortable.
“Oh yeah, you betcha,” said Thunderclap, looking around.
Then the other Pterodactyl, Coldfront, called out, “I found someone! Over here!” He tried to lift up a heavy, cracked log, and Downpour flew over to help.
A little critter stuck his paw out from the rubble, scratching and clawing, trying to get out.
“You know, we could use your help over here,” Thunderclap said to Arlo.
Arlo nodded and walked over to them. The three Pterodactyls lifted one end of the cracked log while Arlo whipped his tail against it like an axe, whacking it until it split in half.
“Wahoo!” The Pterodactyls hooted and hollered with excitement, letting the other end of the log drop to the ground. They landed, pushed aside the rest of the debris, and then Thunderclap reached into the rubble and picked up the furry little creature.
“It’s a critter,” said Arlo.
“Now a freed critter, thanks to you,” Thunderclap said. He lifted it high and looked as if he were going to put it on the ground. But instead of releasing it, he threw back his head and dropped it into his long beak. He ate it!
Arlo was horrified. He looked around and saw Spot hiding under some debris. He was shaking, and Arlo could tell he was terrified. He had never seen Spot look so scared.
Thunderclap had clearly enjoyed his food. “You know, I just want to take a moment and thank the storm for this meal,” he said.
But then Downpour and Coldfront snapped at the foxtail hanging out of Thunderclap’s mouth. Thunderclap quickly whirled at the other Pterodactyls, and soon, all three were fighting and growling. But it was clear that Thunderclap was the most vicious.
“I’ve seen the eye of the storm, and I forgot what fear is…I’m not afraid of nothing,” he warned—his crazy eyes darting all over the place. Arlo slowly started to back up, toward the place where Spot was hiding. Then Thunderclap flew over, cutting him off. Arlo gasped. “Where you goin’, friend?” asked Thunderclap, menacingly.
Downpour and Coldfront landed behind Arlo. He was surrounded. Trapped.
“I-I’m—I need to get home,” Arlo stammered.
“And I said we would get you home,” said Thunderclap. He touched Arlo’s shoulder and began to sniff the air. “Friend, you have a critter of your own.”
Coldfront sniffed around, searching, too. “I smell it. One of the juicy ones,” he added.
“Where is it?” screeched Downpour.
The towering Pterodactyls stared down Arlo, waiting for an answer. Arlo pointed in the opposite direction of where Spot was hiding. “Over there, by that leaning tree.”
Downpour and Coldfront went over to the tree, using their claws and beaks to wildly scratch and scrape around the rubble, searching for Spot. But Thunderclap stayed behind, watching Arlo and staring deep into his eyes. Arlo accidentally gave Spot a worried glance, and Thunderclap immediately knew where the boy was hiding.
“The storm provides,” Thunderclap said matter-of-factly and flew over to Spot’s hiding plac
e.
“No!” Arlo yelled. Spot quickly scrambled, slipping right beneath Thunderclap’s claws, and took off running. Thunderclap flapped his wings and flew, chasing Spot from above. Arlo dashed toward them, scooped Spot up, and bolted as the Pterodactyls continued their pursuit.
Spot hopped on top of Arlo’s back and held on tight as Arlo raced as fast as he could. Arlo saw a big, long-neck dinosaur grazing and yelled to it. “Oh…help!”
He ran toward it with the Pterodactyls right behind him. When he got close enough, he saw it wasn’t a big, long-neck dinosaur at all—it was two dinosaurs—and they were T. rexes!
Arlo screamed as the ferocious T. rexes came roaring toward them. He turned to try and run the other way, but the Pterodactyls were blocking him. With nowhere to go and no idea what to do, Arlo curled up into a ball over Spot, protecting him.
The T. rexes were closing in, roaring so loudly it made Arlo shiver. But instead of attacking Spot and Arlo, the T. rexes grabbed the Pterodactyls with their teeth and flung them from side to side! After a few seconds of fighting, the Pterodactyls were scared off and flapped toward the horizon. Then the T. rexes turned and set their sights on Spot and Arlo.
Arlo, frozen with fear, could barely breathe as the T. rexes stomped toward him and Spot. One of them leaned right above Arlo, who was scared to death as he looked up at the T. rex’s enormous toothy mouth. Arlo flinched, closing his eyes tightly as he prepared to be eaten. But the T. rex put out her arm and helped him up.
“I hate those kind,” she said. “Lyin’ sons of crawdads. Pickin’ on a kid!”
Spot smiled up at her, panting, with his tongue hanging out and leaned against her leg. She put her hand down for Spot to sniff and scratched the top of his head. “Well, ain’t you the cutest thing,” she said, adoringly.
Arlo smiled. “Hmmm, he likes you.”
“Imagine that, Ramsey!” said the other T. rex, laughing and getting right in front of her. “Even with your stinky face.”
Ramsey snapped at him, annoyed. “Nash! Boundaries!” She used her arms to demonstrate. “This is my personal bubble.”
“Naw,” Nash said. “That ain’t your bubble. This is your bubble.” Nash climbed on her, and they started wrestling, punching, and kicking each other.
An even bigger T. rex angrily stomped over to them. “Nash!” he scolded. “Get out of your sister’s bubble.” Ramsey and Nash looked up at their father, Butch, and stopped wrestling. Once Butch turned toward Arlo, Nash gave Ramsey one last push.
Arlo looked up at Butch. The big T. rex towered over him. Arlo noticed an ugly scar across his giant face. He was an incredibly scary looking dinosaur! Butch eyed Arlo intensely, looking him up and down. “You got no business being out here,” Butch said.
“Yes, sir, I don’t. I’m trying to get home, but I lost the river. Please, my Momma needs me,” Arlo pleaded.
Arlo asked if they knew the way to Clawtooth Mountain, but the T. rexes didn’t have time to help. They were looking for their herd of longhorns and needed to find them right away.
“My genius brother lost our whole herd in one day,” Ramsey explained.
“I did not lose them, Ramsey!” shouted Nash defensively. “How many times do I have to tell you this? They just, um…they just wandered off!”
“And we still gotta find ’em,” said Butch. “We can’t help ya kid.” Butch started to move off, but Arlo stopped him. He offered the T. rexes a deal. He and Spot would help them find the herd if the T. rexes could take them toward Clawtooth Mountain.
“Spot can sniff out anything!” Arlo offered, trying to convince Butch to accept his offer. Butch thought about it for a moment and then agreed.
“Come on, Spot. Sniff it out, boy,” Arlo said. Ramsey held out a piece of longhorn fur for Spot to smell so he could get the scent and track the herd. Spot immediately took off, sniffing and hunting.
“Good boy, Spot!” cheered Arlo. But Butch wasn’t so sure this would work.
The T. rexes slowly followed Spot and Arlo while Spot continued, nose to the ground, sniffing in search of the longhorns.
“If you’re pullin’ my leg, I’m gonna eat yours,” Butch said, frustrated and impatient.
Arlo chuckled nervously and whispered to Spot to try and move a little faster. Spot picked up the pace, searching through the open range.
Moments later, Spot shivered and tapped his leg against the ground, thumping it with excitement. Arlo happily blurted, “He’s got something!”
The T. rexes anxiously ran forward. Then Spot lunged at the ground and snatched a bug. He gobbled it down, growling and chewing as Arlo nervously smiled.
“Ah, dang,” said Ramsey, disappointed.
Butch frowned as he circled back to Arlo. “That leg is looking pretty good about now,” he said.
Suddenly, Spot began to race around, barking excitedly.
“He found somethin’!” said Ramsey.
They followed Spot and saw a single longhorn’s track leading through some tall reeds. Beyond the reeds were dozens of tracks!
“Whooooeee!” cried Nash. “We got ’em!”
“Wait,” said Arlo, noticing a bright blue feather on the ground. “ Do longhorns have feathers?”
“Rustlers,” muttered Butch with a disgusted scowl. He realized that thieves must have taken the herd!
Arlo gulped. “Rustlers?” he asked.
Butch walked ahead and found a dead longhorn in the tumbleweed. “We gotta move,” said Butch. “Hya!”
The T. rexes took off, running swiftly and quietly. Spot and Arlo followed as they tracked the prints until the prints disappeared over the top of a small hill. When they got closer to the edge, the T. rexes crawled on their bellies to get a view of the herd a short distance away. The dinosaurs quietly watched the scene below.
Arlo crouched down, too. There—below the big blue sky—was the herd, quietly grazing in the tall grass. It seemed very peaceful.
“I don’t see any rustlers,” whispered Arlo, wondering where the thieves could be.
“They’re out there,” said Butch, inching forward. He turned to Arlo and squinted, sizing him up. “I got a job for you.”
“I’m not really good at…jobs,” Arlo responded timidly.
Butch pointed out to the right of the herd. “I need you to keep on the dodge and sidle up the lob lolly past them hornheads, just hootin’ and hollerin’ to score off them rustlers. We’ll cut dirt and get the bulge on ’em.”
“What?” Arlo asked, blank-faced.
“He just wants you to get on that rock and scream,” Ramsey said, clarifying. She pointed to a large rock in the field near the longhorns.
“They’ll come right at you,” added Butch. “You hold your ground. Don’t move.”
“ Don’t move?” asked Arlo nervously. “What if they have claws and big teeth?”
“ Don’t overthink it,” Butch said. Then he pushed Arlo right out into the field!
With Spot on his back, Arlo nervously looked around. He glanced at the T. rexes, and Butch nodded, encouraging Arlo to go on.
Arlo took a deep breath and tried to get over his fear. He moved slowly, creeping through the grass. When he turned back, the T. rexes were gone! He panted as he anxiously continued toward the large rock.
Once he reached it, he carefully climbed up to the top. Trembling, his legs shook and his knees knocked into each other as he tried to muster up some courage. He took another deep breath and, finally, opened his mouth to roar. A low, strained whimper came out. Spot watched as he tried again. But Arlo’s “roar” came out like a strangled whisper.
Taking matters into his own hands, Spot chomped down on Arlo’s leg and Arlo let out a piercing scream!
In an instant, Arlo saw the tall grass quiver and move. He could hear something coming toward them rapidly, but he couldn’t see what it was. His mouth went dry and he could barely breathe. Once again, Arlo was terrified.
Three of the thieves appeared: they were nasty-looking Raptor
s. Each had a mouth full of big pointy teeth and a sharp, curved talon on each foot. Arlo turned to see another one—even bigger than the others—coming right at him. He froze in fear.
“What are you up to, boy?” asked one.
“N-n-n-nothing,” Arlo said.
The female Raptor cackled. “Nothin’? What’s your name?” she asked.
“Uh…Ah-ah-Arl-Arlo.”
“Well, ah-ah-ah-Arlo, you don’t look like you’re doin’ nothing. What’s he look like he’s doing to you, Lurleane?” asked the big Raptor.
“Oh, come on, Bubbha, ask me! Ask me what I think they’re doin’,” said the other male Raptor.
“Pervis, shut your mouth!” Bubbha said.
“Looks like he’s trespassin’,” Lurleane snarled.
“And what do we do with trespassers? Tell ’em, Earl,” Bubbha said with a growl.
“We kill ’em!” Earl exclaimed.
In an instant, Earl lunged at Arlo. Arlo closed his eyes, sure he was a goner. But then Butch leaped out of the grass and grabbed the Raptor midair! The other Raptors jumped and bounced, and Nash swiped at them. The Raptors and T. rexes battled. Arlo was right in the middle of the chaotic brawl!
Pervis landed on a rock in front of Arlo and jumped at him. “I GOT YA!” he yelled, standing right over Arlo.
BOOM!
Butch head-butted Pervis and he went flying. Pervis landed with a thud, right in the middle of the herd. The noise stirred the longhorns up and they began to stampede. They trampled right over Pervis and were headed toward Arlo.
Arlo was petrified, but Spot barked and hopped onto his back, snapping him out of it. Arlo took off running.
Ramsey dashed toward the stampede and called to her brother. “Nash! The herd! Hya!”
“Giddyup! Come on now! Giddyup! Hya!” Nash shouted, following close behind.
Then Ramsey noticed a Raptor right behind Nash. “Watch out!” she screamed.
The giant Raptor jumped onto Nash and they began to fight. Nash got in a few good punches, but Bubbha managed to peg him down. Bubbha held up his claws, ready to strike, when Ramsey charged into the fight—nailing him with an impressive tail whip. THUMP!
The Good Dinosaur Page 4