In the lush, verdant heart of the Jurassic, where the sunlight bathed every leaf, and the air hummed with the rustle of life, Brachy the Brachiosaurus wandered alone. Towering above the ferns and cycads and the tallest of pre-historic trees, he cast a long shadow on the forest floor, but inside, Brachy felt really small.
He used to watch his friend with envy; his two best friends were Zazu the Velociraptor and Tika the Pterodactyl, both of whom zipped through the jungle with effortless speed and grace. The former had sharp claws and nimble legs with which he could dart through the thickest of forests, cutting through bushes and weaving between skyscraping trees with unbelievable agility. The latter had broad, leathery wings and could soar above the highest clouds and dive with thrilling precision.
Brachy, on the other hand, had one quality that he saw in himself, and that, too, as a flaw: he was tall, very, very tall. With his height came a lumbering gait and an unusually long neck, which made him feel shy and unconfident in comparison.
“I’m too tall,” Brachy would often mutter, looking at his reflection in the lake. “I can’t run like Zazu or fly like Tika. What good am I?”
That evening, as the trio gathered by their favourite watering hole, Brachy’s insecurities bubbled to the surface. “Zazu,” he began hesitantly, “don’t you ever feel slow? Or… well… stuck on the ground? Or maybe shy?”
Zazu, who was busy sharpening his claws on a nearby rock, paused and tilted his head, “Slow? Me? Nah! I’m built for speed, but why would you care about that Brach? You’re tall enough to reach the juiciest leaves others can only dream of tasting, myself included.” He grinned, but Brachy didn’t smile back.
“And Tika,” Brachy continued, turning to his airborne friend, “what’s it like to fly? Do you ever wish you could… you know, walk more?”
Tika landed delicately beside him, folding her wings. “Walk? Oh, Brachy, walking is fine, but flying is freedom to me. The sky is endless, and I can see everything from up there—every hill, every river, every herd of dinosaurs. But what’s wrong? Are you okay? You don’t usually ask questions like this.” She was concerned.
Brachy hesitated and sat back with his long neck drooping: “It’s just… I feel like I don’t belong. I’m not fast like Zazu, nor can I fly like you. I’m just… big, tall, unlike anyone else. It’s awkward.”
Tika and Zazu exchanged a glance. “Awkward?” Zazu exclaimed, leaping to his feet. “Brachy, you’re the biggest dinosaur I know! You know how I always boast with my school friends about you? You can see dangers coming from miles away. That’s not awkward, silly—it’s incredible!”
Brachy sighed. “Then why don’t I feel incredible? I feel rather useless.”
The two smaller dinosaurs huddled together, whispering, while Brachy stared at the moonlight dappling the water. He wished he could shrink into the shadows and disappear from their pitying eyes.
The next morning, a loud commotion broke out near the forest’s edge. Brachy stretched his long neck to see what was happening: A pack of Allosauruses, with their sharp teeth gleaming, was stalking a herd of Triceratops calves, and the calves were bleating in terror, for their stubby legs were no match for the predators’ speed.
“Tika, can you fly over and warn them?” Zazu asked urgently.
Tika shook her head. “I could try, but they wouldn’t hear me from up there. The Allosauruses are too close.”
“Ah, Maybe I can distract them,” Zazu said, bouncing on his feet, but even he looked uncertain. “I’m fast, but I’m not faster than an Allosaurus.”
Brachy took a step forward, his heart pounding. “I’ll help,” he said, his voice trembling.
“You!?” Zazu asked, surprised.
“Yes. I may not be fast or able to fly, but I can reach places you can’t. And I’m bigger than any of those Allosauruses.”
Then, with determination in his head and heart, and without waiting for a reply, Brachy lumbered toward the scene. His heavy footsteps thundered across the ground and shook the ferns and startled the little earth-dwelling beings. The Allosauruses were also startled by the sudden tremors, initially considering it an earthquake. However, they realized the trouble they were going to be in when they turned to see the towering Brachiosaurus bearing down on them.
Brachy reared up on his hind legs, and his shadow stretched across the clearing like a massive storm cloud.
“Leave them alone!” he bellowed with his deep, resonant, and determined voice.
The Allosauruses’ predatory confidence faltered after witnessing Brachy’s size and, more than that, his resolve to protect the calves. Thus, reconsidering the odds, they ultimately slunk away – thinking the calves weren’t worth the risk of tangling with a giant.
The Triceratops herd quickly regrouped and gathered their frightened young. Brachy, still trembling from the adrenaline, lowered himself back to the ground. Although his heart was racing, a warmth filled him where fear lay initially, for he had carried out a feat no one else dared or could do.
Zazu and Tika arrived moments later, both out of breath. “Woohoooo! Brachy!” Zazu exclaimed, his eyes wide with admiration. “That was amazing! You scared them off like it was nothing.”
“I wasn’t sure I could,” Brachy admitted in a shy voice. “But I had to try. I just couldn’t let them harm the Triceratops babies.”
Tika landed on his shoulder and reassured him, “Brachy, don’t you see? None of us could have done what you just did. Zazu is fast; I can fly, but it’s you who is the stronger and braver one –”
“And tall enough to protect others!” Zazu added with a meaningful smile. And for the first time in forever did Brachy laughed happily about his height.
“And that is your gift,” Tika continued.
Brachy’s heart swelled. He had spent so long comparing himself to his friends, wishing he were different, that he had forgotten to see what made him unique. “Maybe being tall isn’t so bad after all.”
“Not bad?” Zazu laughed. “It’s incredible! You’re a hero, Brachy.”
And from that day on, Brachy walked a little taller, literally and figuratively. He realized that the kingdom of life had all fast and slow, grounded and airborne, small and large dinosaurs – each with its own role to play.
When the three friends gathered by the watering hole that evening, Brachy felt no need to compare himself to Zazu’s speed or Tika’s flight. He had understood that he belonged, just as he was.
As the moon rose over the ancient forest that night, Brachy lifted his head high, his long neck brushing the starlit sky, proud to be himself, no longer feeling small or shy or unconfident.
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