Long, long ago, long before our own time, dinosaurs lived upon the Earth, living their lives much as animals do. And in that age, which we call the Cretaceous, something happened which I shall tell you about today.

A young Velociraptor named Veli was out exploring, as young creatures do. He wandered through a landscape of red sand dunes and sandstone, keeping an eye out for anything he might fancy for a snack. He was not yet very experienced, but small lizards and other little creatures were enough to keep hunger at bay. He looked this way and that – and suddenly stopped.

There, beneath a bush, lay a baby dinosaur, utterly exhausted and apparently half-dead with thirst. It was of a different kind from Veli – a Protoceratops, and therefore prey to creatures of Veli's kind. It lay there looking so wretched and giving tiny, feeble squeaks that Veli simply could not help himself. He ran back, took some water into his mouth and dripped it in front of the baby's nose.

He did this twice more before the little one understood. It stuck out its tongue and lapped up the water.

Hooray! It had worked!

The baby grew visibly stronger and looked at Veli with curiosity. It was far too young to be afraid, but it was hungry. And so it struggled to its feet and tried to bite off a twig from the bush which had sheltered it. After a while it succeeded and chewed away at it with great devotion. Veli, meanwhile, ambled on. He was, after all, looking for food. Then he noticed that something was toddling along behind him.

Hang on – that was the Proto-baby!

Veli did not know what to do and stopped. The little one caught up with him and looked at him trustingly. And then Veli understood: it had no mother any more, and he had helped it. But really, he did not want to be regarded as its mummy! Unfortunately, he did not seem to be able to get rid of the little creature either. So, well … all right, then. It needed a name.

Pummel.

And Veli accepted Pummel as his companion.

Before long he spotted a little lizard. Snap! He caught it and dispatched it. Pummel watched him rather bewilderedly. You can eat that? Veli put a small piece down in front of him and looked at him expectantly. Pummel sniffed it, and a shudder ran through him. No. Definitely not his sort of food! He backed away and went on chewing his twig.

Aha. So that was not going to work. Veli ate the little piece himself. All the better. He only had to hunt for himself. But one thing was clear: he would have to stay near bushes, so that the little one could find something to eat too. Well, that was the least of his problems. There were more bushes than prey. Prey had to be chased; plants did not.

And so the two mismatched companions wandered along together at an easy pace.

The day was very hot and the air dry. They had long since left the waterhole behind, and both were becoming decidedly thirsty. Back? Hmm. Perhaps they should carry on. Maybe there would be water beyond the next dune.

Pummel grew slower and slower, which did not please Veli. But he slowed his own pace as well and turned towards some hills. It might be shadier there, and perhaps …

Yes!

A tiny pool in the shade of a rough sandstone wall quenched their thirst. And something was splashing about in it. What on earth could that be?

“Qurrrrraaaaaaaaaaaak!”

The sound rang out towards them, and a little nose appeared above the water. Then it disappeared again at once. Help! Eaters!

Pummel looked utterly surprised and curious and lowered his beak into the water, but all he could see was his own reflection. Veli, however, looked delighted. That sounded very much like food! And so he settled down in front of the pool and waited.

If only Pummel would move away! Yes. At last he lay down.

Veli waited.

The frog briefly stuck its nose out of the water again – and disappeared once more. Veli was disappointed. But he was patient. He waited, and time stretched on.

Oh dear. He had actually dozed off! No, that would never do. He sat up a little straighter.

The frog poked its nose out of the water again. Still those eaters! Oh dear. He really was going to have to think of something. The next time he surfaced, he briefly studied the surroundings of the pool.

Yes. That did not look too bad. There was a tree quite close by … Good. Very good. Tall and high enough. The frog assessed the situation.

Veli was sitting there, gradually sinking lower and lower, and Pummel had fallen asleep. Veli's eyes began to close.

That was the moment!

The frog – let us call him Gobs – cautiously crawled out of the water. Once his feet had found firm ground, he jumped. High and far, as only a frog or a grasshopper can jump. He landed on the lowest branch of the tree and quickly began to climb, higher and higher, as fast as he could.

Veli jerked awake. Where was the frog? Still in the water? He had dozed off again, after all – and Pummel was sleeping the sleep of the innocent.

Veli dipped a forefoot into the water and stirred it a little. Hmm. Nothing moved. Strange.

But Gobs had now reached a height at which he was safely out of the dinosaur's reach. There he sat, in the shade of branches and needles, safe and sound. Now all he had to do was wait until the two eaters went away.

Veli was baffled. Where had the frog gone? Then he heard a triumphant

“Qurrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!”

from an entirely different direction and spun round. His eyes fell upon the tree. But he could see nothing there that did not belong to a tree.

By now Pummel had woken up. The triumphant croaking had roused him. He sat up and looked at Veli's puzzled face. Veli set off to search the surroundings of the pool. The croak had to be somewhere! Nothing.

Gobs took great care not to croak again. Keep still until the two eaters have gone. That was the plan.

Pummel found himself a bush with edible leaves. They were rather tough, so they required plenty of chewing. Veli searched and searched, but eventually he had to give up.

Our two friends drank once more and then set off again, Veli considerably disappointed.

Gobs watched them go happily. His heart was beating less fiercely now, and he relaxed – though not too much, lest he fall out of the tree.

Funny. The chubby eater had not been interested in him at all, but the slender one with the strong beak … Oh yes, he had! Creatures like that were best avoided.

Veli and Pummel continued on their way. Every now and then Veli caught a small crawling creature, while Pummel plucked something from almost every bush they passed. Only one kind did he leave alone.

The sun had almost completed its journey across the sky when Veli began looking for shelter. He headed back towards the sandstone rocks, and before long he found a good overhang beneath which he could curl himself up. Pummel hurried after him and curled up at Veli's side.

And so, for the two of them, an exciting day came to an end.

Their first day together. After a night full of sounds, but otherwise undisturbed, they set off at dawn – hungry and thirsty. Pummel looked for a twig with juicy leaves, while Veli explored all sorts of hiding places in search of something to chew. Every now and then he was lucky. A little lizard had failed to disappear quickly enough, and so it was a satisfying morning. Pummel munched contentedly, and both hoped to find water soon.

They followed the sloping ground downwards and, sure enough, there it was. A small, shallow pool, well hidden behind a thicket of thorns. Veli looked distinctly disappointed. How on earth was he supposed to get through that thorny tangle without being scratched to bits?

Pummel, however, knew what to do. He tackled the bushes in front of them and bit and tore until he had made a gap. Veli shot through joyfully. Pummel could barely keep up. And then both of them flung themselves at the water. They filled their bellies as best they could before finally looking up.

And there it was. On a rise above them, a gigantic shadow appeared against the rising sun. And it was coming closer. Now they were in a hurry.

They needed to put a good distance between themselves and this enormous fellow and find the next bit of cover. A number of bushes behind some rocks offered just what they needed, and they scrambled underneath them. From there they watched what happened at the pool.

The giant thudded towards the water on his sturdy legs. First he drank. Then he decided that a morning bath might be a splendid idea. So he stomped into the water – and discovered that the bathtub was far too small for him. Never mind. He would simply have to drink and bathe his head instead. He was very much occupied with himself, but nevertheless he noticed a movement some distance away.

Veli and Pummel had noticed something too, and they waited rather anxiously for the new actors to appear. Yes. There were four Velociraptors. They appeared one by one in the distance and headed towards the water. When they spotted the big fellow, one Raptor after another stopped to assess the situation.

The great dinosaur lifted his head and looked at the newcomers, water dripping from him. Then he looked down at the pool. No. That was HIS water.

Hapli, as we shall call him, drew himself up to his full height and stamped a few steps towards the Raptors. He opened his enormous jaws and let out a tremendous roar. The Raptors backed away a few steps and hesitated.

Veli and Pummel flinched, but they kept watching intently.

Hapli was satisfied with their reaction and lowered his head to tear off a few twigs from a bush and chew on them. One foot in the pool, the other on the ground, he stood there watching the Raptors. They were still keeping their distance, but one of them lost patience. He set off at a run, in the tried-and-tested manner of a swift predator.

Hapli took a step backwards and pulled his foot out of the pool. Now the other Velociraptors dared to come closer too. Veli recognised his own kind. They were older and larger than he was, and his instincts told him one thing:

Stay away.

So he remained crouched among the bushes and behind the rocks, and Pummel did the same. The first Velociraptor reached the water and began to drink.

The others followed, one after another. Hapli did not like this at all. He preferred to move on, stomping along and stopping every now and then to mow down a patch of grass or tear at a bush. And so he came closer and closer to the hiding place of our two young friends.

Veli shifted uneasily. It was time to leave this place. But how?

And then one of the Raptors raised his head and scented towards their hiding place. The giant was in his way, so he lowered his head back into the water. But a second Raptor had become alert. Meanwhile Hapli continued on, unconcerned – straight towards the two hidden youngsters. Now the danger was obvious.

The giant did not care that two small creatures were hiding there. They meant nothing to him. But the bushes did. Veli had no choice. They had to leave.

He sprang up and Pummel shot to his feet and hurried after him. But Veli was not foolish. He ran in such a way that Hapli always remained between himself and the other Raptors. They had noticed the two young dinosaurs nevertheless. Easy prey! And so they set off, fast and purposeful.

But Hapli noticed them too. The vermin were back again – and coming straight towards him! Now he was angry.

He did not remain where he was. Instead, he charged towards the hunting party – surprisingly fast for such a giant – and before long he had sent the foremost Raptor flying into the air with a toss of his head. Then he turned towards the next. The hunt was forgotten. They had a gigantic opponent now, and they were far from certain that they could win a fight against him.

Veli and Pummel, meanwhile, paid no further attention to what was happening behind them. One quick glance to see how far the danger was behind them, and then on again, searching for a suitable hiding place. And it had to be found quickly! Fortunately, the land itself came to their aid.

They were among broken sandstone rocks, weaving between them, when suddenly a narrow gap opened in the rock. There was no time to find out what lay beyond it. Quickly – in! A little luck is always useful. It was empty. At least for the moment. And that was enough.

Meanwhile Hapli was showing the Raptors that four opponents were nowhere near enough for an enraged giant dinosaur. His head and long tail worked together. Raptors flew through the air, and anyone who fell found himself in danger of being trampled. Hapli was a terrifying sight in his fury. The four hunters had not expected this. They had no choice but to disappear as quickly as possible. They scattered in different directions. Anything to get away!

Hapli remained behind on the trampled, churned-up ground. They were gone. Now Hapli could return to his bushes in peace, and he became completely absorbed in the business of eating.

The Raptors, meanwhile, had scattered in all directions and were looking for another waterhole where Hapli was nowhere to be found.

Veli and Pummel stayed in their hiding place for a while longer. But eventually their adventurous spirits and their hunger won out, and they cautiously emerged, step by step. Wonderful! The air was clear, and so they trotted onwards once more.

A cry came from above – from the sky. But they did not look up, for it did not sound like danger. And they were right. It was only Azdar, the little pterosaur, who had watched the whole scene and was now flying on.

Veli had found a burrow full of small rodents and was busily digging them out. Pummel was far more interested in some clumps of tough grass which formed a veritable nest, sheltered beneath a dense thorn bush. And there, half-buried in the hot sand, lay a large egg.

Pummel backed away.

He could smell the traces of a large dinosaur and preferred to make himself scarce, although there was no sign of another dinosaur anywhere around. Fortunately, there was more grass nearby – grass without eggs! – and Pummel was able to satisfy his hunger too.

The sun blazed down from the sky, and the two now-satisfied and somewhat lazy companions looked for a shady place in which to take a little siesta.

As the shadows grew longer, Veli opened his eyes. Something was happening a few metres away! Little furry creatures were running back and forth – appearing and disappearing – and every now and then a high-pitched

“Piiiieeep!”

came drifting through the air. Pummel stirred too and stared. Hey, they were rather cute! Pummel ambled towards a little fellow who was just poking his head out of a hole – and suddenly found himself nose to nose with a Kryptobaatar. Meanwhile Veli dashed off, trying to follow several of the running Krypties. Pummel and the Kryptie sniffed one another. Then the furry creature disappeared underground, and Pummel turned his attention to a tuft of grass.

Veli, however, learned that hunting in a crowd was not possible. There were simply too many of the little scurrying creatures, and they were forever disappearing underground. So Veli tried digging out one of the burrows. With limited success.

The Krypties kept appearing somewhere completely different from where he expected them to, and there was always some tiresome little fellow standing on a tiny mound, keeping watch and making sure they disappeared in time. The air was filled with peep-peep sounds, and Veli's stomach was still growling.

Veli was lucky. It was not a Kryptie that offered itself as a meal, but a careless little lizard happened to cross his path. That saved Veli from starvation – or so it seemed to him as he contentedly swallowed his prey.

The Krypties all around were quite satisfied too, though they preferred to wait until the two unwelcome visitors finally moved on.

Meanwhile, it was time to think about a place to sleep. The sky had become overcast, and thick clouds were racing towards them. A sharp wind was blowing, so the two young dinosaurs searched among the sandstone blocks for a nice, deep overhang which could protect them from wind and rain. After some time they found one. It was almost a little cave. And it was empty!

Veli and Pummel slipped inside and made themselves comfortable. Before long, both were fast asleep while outside the rain came rushing down.

CRASH – drip, drip. Veli and Pummel jerked awake. Water was dripping through the ceiling of the cave. No! It was running. Their sleeping place was already thoroughly wet and decidedly uncomfortable.

Then something thundered, and sand and stones came rumbling down. Our two friends pressed themselves fearfully against the back wall of the cave, while in front of them a new wall of sand, stones and water came rushing down.

Oh dear!

The slope above them had given way and slid down the hillside – blocking the entrance completely. There they sat, utterly frightened, and it took them a while to calm down again. Outside, the rain continued to pour, and more and more water found its way into their cave. This was becoming distinctly unpleasant.

So they stirred themselves and examined the situation.

They eyed the mound of mud blocking the entrance, wondering whether perhaps a gap had remained – or whether they might follow the water flowing away. They sniffed and scratched. But that caused another small landslide.

Both leapt backwards and pressed themselves even more tightly against the rear wall. Part of the ceiling had collapsed in front of them, and a little waterfall had formed, reducing the remaining space even further. Despair began to take hold of the two creatures. They pressed themselves hard against the cave wall and against one another, two small creatures in trouble.

One of Pummel's claws slipped into a crack in the rear wall. Something gave way. At once Pummel poked his nose into the crack and pulled it back again, coughing and sniffling. Water had got into his nose.

Veli noticed.

Pummel began scratching at the crack, deeper and deeper, and Veli joined in and helped him. The crack widened a little. A tiny trickle of water emerged, but no mud. That encouraged our two friends. They scratched harder. Then, all at once, smaller pieces broke away from the wall.

The trickle became a little stream, and fresh air came into their part of the cave. Now there was no stopping them. They scratched like mad, and at last they had done it. Part of the wall gave way, opening a passage into another cave.

Water was coming through the ceiling there too, but mostly through a multitude of cracks.

And between two sections of the cave wall there was a broad gap through which rainwater poured into the cave. An exit! At once the two imprisoned creatures hurried towards it and sniffed through the gap, which was scarcely wider than Pummel. Outside it was still dark and raining, though not as heavily as before.

The two withdrew into the cave once more and found themselves a dry place where they could continue their sleep. Their excitement had subsided, and soon they were fast asleep again.

The next morning the sun rose bright and clear. Our two friends poked their noses through the gap into the open air and blinked. Then they squeezed through the narrow exit and looked around.

The world looked as though it had just been washed clean. And they rushed off. Pummel seized a clump of grass, while Veli chased after a lizard. And the world was quite all right again. 

And so our two friends wandered peacefully onwards together, walked out of the picture, and vanished from our sight.