In a valley surrounded by ancient, misty mountains, where leafy ferns grew taller than houses and the sun shone golden through a tangle of green, lived a family of gentle, plant-eating dinosaurs called Maiasaura. Among them was the tiniest, fluffiest dinosaur chick you could imagine. Her name was Pippa, and her favorite game was chasing sparkling dragonflies through the soft, mossy grass with her brothers and sisters.

One bright morning, as the warm sun danced atop the dew drops, Pippa woke up feeling extra brave and curious. She sniffed the air, which always smelled like sweet flowers and damp earth, and wiggled her tiny tail with excitement. Today, she decided, she would explore just a *little bit* further than usual.

Pippa strutted ahead, her little legs carrying her along a winding path between ferns and ancient, giant horsetail plants. The dragonflies buzzed and zipped, and Pippa giggled as she tried to catch them with her beak. The world was so big and full of new smells—each step was more exciting than the last.

She wandered and wandered until the sounds of her family faded into the distance. The world grew quieter, except for the chirp of a distant cricket and the gentle swish of wind in the leaves. Suddenly, Pippa realized she was alone. She spun in a circle, searching for familiar faces, but all she saw were towering trees and unfamiliar flowers.

Pippa’s heart thumped hard in her chest. She remembered what Mama Maiasaura always said: “Stay close to the nest, little ones!” But now, the nest was nowhere in sight. She blinked back tears, feeling small and scared, but then she took a deep breath, trying to be as brave as she could.

Just then, a rustling came from behind a bush. Pippa’s toes curled as she watched a pointy nose and twitching whiskers appear. Out hopped Bristle, the wise old forest mouse.

“Hello there, little one,” Bristle squeaked kindly. “You look a bit lost. My name’s Bristle. What’s yours?”

“Pippa,” whispered the chick. “I can’t find my family.”

Bristle wiggled his whiskers sympathetically. “Don’t worry, Pippa. The forest is big, but friends always help each other. I know these woods like the back of my paw. Let’s see if we can find some clues together.”

So, with Bristle leading the way, the two new friends set off through the emerald forest. Bristle showed Pippa how to look for footprints in the soft mud and how to listen for the gentle calls of other Maiasaura families.

As they walked, a shadow passed overhead. Pippa looked up and saw a bright green parrot gliding from branch to branch. It was Petal, the chattiest bird in the whole valley.

“Squawk! Who’s this tiny traveler?” Petal called, landing gracefully on a low branch.

“This is Pippa,” explained Bristle. “She’s looking for her family.”

Petal ruffled her feathers. “I know all the treetops in this forest. Climb on my back, Pippa, and I’ll help you search from above!”

Pippa was a little nervous, but Petal’s feathers were soft and her voice was encouraging. With a careful hop, Pippa climbed onto Petal’s back. Up, up into the air they soared, Petal’s wings fluttering powerfully. From above, Pippa saw sparkling rivers, rolling hills, and even the distant shadow of a tall mountain.

“Do you see your family?” Petal asked, circling gently above the trees.

Pippa looked and looked, but all she saw were other dinosaurs—some with spiky backs, others with long necks, but not her family. She shook her head, a little disappointed.

Petal landed softly near a bubbling stream, where Bristle was waiting. “No luck?” asked Bristle, patting Pippa’s foot.

“Not yet,” Pippa sighed. But she didn’t want to give up. She thanked Petal and decided to keep searching.

As they rested by the stream, a gentle voice hummed from the water. Out popped Saffron, the friendly river turtle, her shell glistening in the sunlight.

“Lost, are you?” Saffron asked, sliding onto the pebbly shore.

“Yes,” said Pippa. “I need to find my family’s nest.”

Saffron thought for a moment, then smiled. “The river travels far. Climb onto my shell, and I’ll show you places you’ve never seen before. Maybe your family is near the water’s edge.”

Bristle climbed onto Pippa’s head, and together they rode on Saffron’s broad, smooth shell. The river carried them gently past tall cattails, lily pads with tiny frogs, and banks where dragonflies danced. All along the way, Saffron pointed out nests—some belonged to ducks, others to noisy, squawking baby pterosaurs—but none belonged to Maiasaura.

Pippa’s heart felt heavy, but she remembered Mama’s advice: “When you’re lost, always ask for help—and look for the kindness of others.” Pippa thanked Saffron for her help and stepped carefully back onto shore, Bristle at her side.

The sun began to dip lower in the sky, painting the clouds with colors of pink and gold. Pippa felt sleepy, but she knew she had to be brave a little longer. Just then, a gentle, lumbering figure appeared from behind a patch of ferns—the oldest creature in the forest, Grandpa Moss, the giant, slow-moving stegosaurus.

Grandpa Moss’s tail was covered in plates that shimmered in the fading light, and his eyes were kind and wise.

“Hello, young one,” he rumbled. “You look tired. Why don’t you rest awhile on my back?”

Pippa climbed onto Grandpa Moss’s wide, warm back. As he walked slowly through the forest, he told her stories about the days when he had been a hatchling, and how he had gotten lost once, too.

“I followed the sweet smell of Mama’s favorite plant,” Grandpa Moss recalled. “She loved tasty, purple-sprouted ferns. Maybe your family has a favorite, too?”

Pippa’s eyes brightened. She remembered! Her family loved the golden-leafed sunflowers that grew on the eastern edge of the forest. Maybe they were searching for food there!

With new hope, Pippa thanked Grandpa Moss and set off in the direction of the rising moon, nose twitching, eyes alert. Bristle ran ahead, sniffing the air.

As they journeyed on, the woods grew darker, and shadows stretched across the ground. Pippa’s legs were tired, but she pressed on, remembering her family’s hugs and warm songs at bedtime.

Suddenly, Bristle stopped and pointed with his tiny paw. “Look, Pippa! Over there—golden sunflowers!”

Pippa hurried ahead, her heart racing. She pushed through the tall stalks of sunflowers, taller than trees, the petals glowing in the moonlight. She sniffed the air and listened closely.

And then—softly, gently—she heard it. The low, sweet hum of her Mama Maiasaura’s lullaby, the one she sang every night before the stars came out.

Tears of happiness filled Pippa’s eyes. She rushed forward, and out of the shadows stepped her family—Mama, Papa, and all her brothers and sisters. They gasped with joy and rushed to her, wrapping her in a warm, feathery hug.

“Oh, Pippa!” Mama cried, nuzzling her cheeks. “We’ve been searching everywhere for you!”

“I was lost,” Pippa explained, “but Bristle and Petal and Saffron and Grandpa Moss helped me. They were so kind.”

Pippa’s brothers and sisters listened in awe as she told her tale—how she flew with Petal, traveled the river with Saffron, and learned wisdom from Grandpa Moss.

Her parents thanked all the forest creatures who had helped their precious chick. The animals gathered together, sharing stories and laughter, and enjoyed a nighttime feast of sunflower seeds and sweet, juicy berries.

As the moon rose higher and the stars twinkled above, Pippa curled up in the soft, leafy nest beside her family. She felt safe, happy, and very, very loved. She whispered a quiet thank you to her new friends and to the magical forest that had watched over her.

That night, as Pippa drifted off to sleep, she dreamed of soaring above the treetops with Petal, floating down rivers with Saffron, and listening to stories with Grandpa Moss. She learned that even when the world feels big and scary, bravery and kindness will always light the way home.

And so, in the heart of the ancient forest, with family and friends close by, little Pippa slept soundly—knowing she was never truly alone.

The end. Goodnight, little adventurer.