Tiny Arms, Big Heart

Part One

Tess was a young Tyrannosaurus rex. She lived long ago, more than sixty million years back. Tess had one enormous problem.

Her arms were tiny, so she could not clap. She could not even scratch her nose. The other little dinosaurs giggled.

"Tiny arms!" they laughed. "What can you possibly do with those?" Tess looked at the ground and said nothing at all.

That evening, a small friend named Pip was lost. Pip had wandered into the ferns. The sun was going down.

"I will find Pip," said Tess. She lifted her nose and sniffed the air. Tess had a very good sense of smell.

She sniffed and sniffed. A faint smell of Pip drifted over the hill. "Follow me!" said Tess.

Tess ran on her powerful back legs. Thump, thump, thump! Her three-toed feet shook the ground.

On the hill, Tess looked out with her large eyes. She could see very well. There was Pip, next to a stream.

Pip was stuck on the wrong side of the water. Tess had no hands to pull Pip across. But Tess had a clever idea.

Tess stretched her tail across the stream like a bridge. Pip hopped over it, safe and dry. Tess gave a deep, delighted rumble.

They walked home together under the first stars. The little dinosaurs stopped giggling. "Thank you, Tess," they said.

Tess looked at her tiny arms and smiled. She did not need to clap. She had strong legs and a kind heart.