The Kulindadromeus

The fire at Base Camp crackled. POP! SNAP! It smelled of woodsmoke and, just a little bit, of Bram’s burnt porridge.

Ned sat cross-legged on the ground. He opened Grandfather’s big, leather notebook. The pages whispered as he turned them. WHISPER. RUSTLE.

He stopped on a new page. The drawing was blurry, smudged by time. It showed a small dinosaur, long and low to the ground. But it wasn't covered in scales. It was covered in thick, bristly quills. Underneath the sketch, Grandfather had written a note. Ned read it aloud. "Not for fighting—for something else."

Professor Hatch leaned over Ned’s shoulder. "Fascinating! What do you suppose they're for?"

Ned looked up at the thin, wispy clouds high above the Plateau. The air up here was chilly. "I have a hypothesis! An idea we can test!"

The whole crew looked at Ned.

"Maybe the quills aren't for defense," Ned said. "Maybe they are a tool. A tool for staying warm in this cold, thin air."

Vera zipped up her jacket. "Then we'd better get rolling. To the Steam-Crawler!"

The big metal door of the Steam-Crawler opened with a heavy sound. CLONK! Everyone climbed inside. The engine started with a low rumble, like a giant waking up from a nap. RRRUMBLE… CHUGGA-CHUGGA-CHUGGA.

Vera took the controls. "Next stop, the Tangle!" she called out.

The Steam-Crawler rolled away from the warm fire and into the deep, dark green of the jungle. The air changed right away. It grew cool and damp, and smelled of wet earth. Big, wet leaves slapped against the windows. SPLAT. SPLAT. The light from the sky disappeared. Everything was shadows and deep green.

"The air is so thick and drippy in here," Vera said. Little beads of water slid down the brass pipes inside the Crawler. DRIP. DROP.

A dark shape zipped through the undergrowth. WHOOSH! "There's one!" Ned whispered, pointing. But it was too dark to see any details. "We can't see its quills."

Vera pointed up through the canopy. A tiny patch of blue sky was starting to get cloudy. "That's the Sun-Bridge clearing. But the afternoon clouds are moving in. We have to hurry!"

"We need more steam!" said Bram.

Vera grinned. "You heard the engineer! Let's do the Steam-Chant!"

She started the beat. Chuffa-chuffa-CLACK! Chuffa-chuffa-CLACK! The engine picked up speed. Chuffa-chuffa-CLACK!

The Steam-Crawler lurched forward over a huge, twisted root. BUMP!

CLANG!

"Ow!" said Bram. He rubbed his foot. Then he giggled. "My wrench found my toe again."

The Crawler pushed through a final wall of tangled vines. SCRAPE. RIIIP.

And then, light. A perfect circle of golden sunlight poured down from the sky. It turned the little clearing into a warm, bright stage. They had made it to the Sun-Bridge.

Vera shut off the engine. HISSsssssssss. Everything was quiet.

A tiny rustle came from the bushes. RUSTLE. RUSTLE.

A small dinosaur darted into the center of the light. It was just like the drawing! It was covered in smooth, brown and green quills that lay flat against its body. It shivered a little in the cool air.

It sniffed a flower. It chased a buzzing fly. Then it stopped. It stood perfectly still, right in the warmest part of the sunbeam.

Ned leaned forward. "Look closely," he whispered. "What's it doing?"

Then, something amazing happened. All the quills on the dinosaur's back and sides stood straight up. FWUMP!

They spread out, making the little dinosaur look twice as big and fluffy. It closed its eyes and tilted its head back, soaking in the warmth. It looked so cozy. After a moment, it stopped shivering.

Ned gasped. "The quills! They’re catching the sunlight!"

Professor Hatch’s eyes were wide. "Scientific Fact! Absolutely extraordinary!" he boomed. "The quills spread out to create a bigger surface, to soak up every little bit of that golden sunshine! It's like a cat fluffing up its fur to get cozy in a sunbeam. We'll name it Kulindadromeus. That means 'Kulinda River runner'!"

Just then, a cloud slid over the sun. The Sun-Bridge was gone. The clearing turned back to green shadow.

WHOOSH! The little Kulindadromeus, all warmed up, disappeared back into the Tangle.

The journey back was quiet. The Steam-Crawler chuffed softly through the dripping leaves. Chuff. Chuff. Chuff.

Soon they could smell the cheerful, smoky scent of the campfire. They were home. Bram got out the big Census Log. He opened it to a fresh page and picked up the heavy metal stamp.

He pressed the stamp into the ink. SQUISH. He lined it up on the page and pushed down hard. KA-CHUNK!

"Discovery Number Nine," Bram announced. "Logged!"

Ned was already busy in Grandfather's notebook. He was finishing the blurry sketch. He carefully drew the Kulindadromeus with all its quills fanned out, looking happy and warm in the golden light.

Bram wiggled his toes by the fire. "Next time," he said with a smile, "I'm bringing a cushion for my wrench."

Everyone laughed. The fire popped and crackled, sending sparks dancing into the evening sky.