Chapter I
Distant Memories
The day started like every other in the Great Valley. Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Spike and Petrie had met on a play-meadow near a tunnel leading through the Great Wall to the mysterious beyond, as they had appointed to on the eve. They had passed their time with different games for a long while, when Littlefoot suddenly halted in the sharptooth and leafeater game and set his look up at the tunnel. Spike who played the sharptooth at that moment (he often had to play the sharptooth, because he was the slowest of them, so he was easy to catch) saw his chance. Full of enthusiasm and with full force he plunged on Littlefoot tearing him from his feet. Littlefoot seemed to be pulled out of deep thoughts, he gave a surprised cry. "You are the Sharptooth now, Littlefoot!" Ducky shouted, starting to flee, while she chattered her "Yep, yep, yep!" Spike, who didn't want to be the sharptooth again immediately jumped to safety with some great leaps. Littlefoot, who hadn't recovered from his surprise until now screamed after them: "Stop! Wait friends!"
Cera, Spike and Ducky turned and came back comfortably accompanied by Petrie, who had just flown to safety in the top of a low tree standing nearby. There had always been the strong rule that every game had to interrupt if anyone shouted to the others. Usually the shouter had a suggestion for a new game. When everybody had gathered around him Littlefoot pointed up at the tunnel with his head and asked pensively: "Do you still remember?" The others exchanged blank looks and Petrie asked: "What shall we remember?" and Cera added: "Yes, what do you mean Littlefoot?" He answered a bit impatiently: "Well this tunnel. Here we then have entered the Great Valley for the first time." "Yep, yep, yep!" Ducky chattered eagerly afterwards. Spike nodded and hummed some agreeing sounds. "That's true", said Cera. "You are right", croaked Petrie.
"Remember how we came to know each then?" Littlefoot asked. "Oh yes!" Petrie croaked, "I can remember very well!" While speaking these words Petrie hung on a branch of a palm standing nearby. At first the branch bend down under Petrie's weight, but then it sprung back to its previous position, flinging Petrie high up into the air.
He flew in a high arc toward Littlefoot and Ducky and spread out his wings first in the very last moment before hitting the ground.
Petrie landed softly just before Littlefoot and Ducky. He had given a very accurate play of his first meeting with Littlefoot and Ducky and he earned the approval of his friends before climbing on Littlefoot's head, where he had sat for most of the time during their journey to the Great Valley long ago. "And remember how we have found Spiky",
Ducky said absorbed in her thoughts. "And the long journey to the Great Valley",
Cera mumbled. "Do you remember our fight with the sharptooth?"
"How should we ever forget that?" Ducky asked, "You have returned just in the right moment then, oh yes you have." "We would have never managed to throw the sharptooth down in the pond with the shaky rock without you Cera", Littlefoot said.
Cera enjoyed the attention of her friends. "Petrie has flied first time there",
Petrie croaked swinging himself in the air with a few strong flaps. He flew a wide loop and landed in front of Littlefoot and Cera on a small boulder. "You have quarreled very fierce before that", he said turning to them. Cera's face changed to a mixture of defiance and embarrassment. She didn't liked to remember this quarrel, because she knew that it has been mainly her fault. And if there was anything Cera couldn't endure, then it was to admit her own mistakes. Then, on the journey to the Great Valley Cera had called Littlefoot's dead mother in a fit of fury and disappointment a stupid longneck.
Littlefoot's mother had rescued not only Littlefoot's, but also Cera's own life. Cera didn't like to admit that too. Littlefoot's mother had rescued them from the same sharptooth that they had later tumbled in a pond with a shaky rock. She later died of the wounds the sharptooth had inflict on her during the fight. When Cera later had pronounced the insult on Littlefoot's mother and refused to retract it, it has come to a fierce fight between Littlefoot and Cera and after that they continued their way separately for a while. When Cera had then returned just in time to help their friends against the sharptooth, and so rescued all their lives, the quarrel dad been forgotten. Cera had always been very lucky and relieved about this. But now everything seemed to begin anew, because Littlefoot said in this instant: "Cera.", he hesitated a moment before he continued his sentence, "...you have never taken back, what you have said about my mother." He hesitated again before continuing: "Please take it back." Littlefoot had said the last words as friendly as he could, but Cera's pride was hurt nevertheless. She didn't want to confess her fault and she didn't want to take the sole responsibly for belonging to the past quarrel. After all it has been Littlefoot who had turned violent first. If Cera had known what she would have spared herself, her response would have been another.
Distant Memories
The day started like every other in the Great Valley. Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Spike and Petrie had met on a play-meadow near a tunnel leading through the Great Wall to the mysterious beyond, as they had appointed to on the eve. They had passed their time with different games for a long while, when Littlefoot suddenly halted in the sharptooth and leafeater game and set his look up at the tunnel. Spike who played the sharptooth at that moment (he often had to play the sharptooth, because he was the slowest of them, so he was easy to catch) saw his chance. Full of enthusiasm and with full force he plunged on Littlefoot tearing him from his feet. Littlefoot seemed to be pulled out of deep thoughts, he gave a surprised cry. "You are the Sharptooth now, Littlefoot!" Ducky shouted, starting to flee, while she chattered her "Yep, yep, yep!" Spike, who didn't want to be the sharptooth again immediately jumped to safety with some great leaps. Littlefoot, who hadn't recovered from his surprise until now screamed after them: "Stop! Wait friends!"
Cera, Spike and Ducky turned and came back comfortably accompanied by Petrie, who had just flown to safety in the top of a low tree standing nearby. There had always been the strong rule that every game had to interrupt if anyone shouted to the others. Usually the shouter had a suggestion for a new game. When everybody had gathered around him Littlefoot pointed up at the tunnel with his head and asked pensively: "Do you still remember?" The others exchanged blank looks and Petrie asked: "What shall we remember?" and Cera added: "Yes, what do you mean Littlefoot?" He answered a bit impatiently: "Well this tunnel. Here we then have entered the Great Valley for the first time." "Yep, yep, yep!" Ducky chattered eagerly afterwards. Spike nodded and hummed some agreeing sounds. "That's true", said Cera. "You are right", croaked Petrie.
"Remember how we came to know each then?" Littlefoot asked. "Oh yes!" Petrie croaked, "I can remember very well!" While speaking these words Petrie hung on a branch of a palm standing nearby. At first the branch bend down under Petrie's weight, but then it sprung back to its previous position, flinging Petrie high up into the air.
He flew in a high arc toward Littlefoot and Ducky and spread out his wings first in the very last moment before hitting the ground.
Petrie landed softly just before Littlefoot and Ducky. He had given a very accurate play of his first meeting with Littlefoot and Ducky and he earned the approval of his friends before climbing on Littlefoot's head, where he had sat for most of the time during their journey to the Great Valley long ago. "And remember how we have found Spiky",
Ducky said absorbed in her thoughts. "And the long journey to the Great Valley",
Cera mumbled. "Do you remember our fight with the sharptooth?"
"How should we ever forget that?" Ducky asked, "You have returned just in the right moment then, oh yes you have." "We would have never managed to throw the sharptooth down in the pond with the shaky rock without you Cera", Littlefoot said.
Cera enjoyed the attention of her friends. "Petrie has flied first time there",
Petrie croaked swinging himself in the air with a few strong flaps. He flew a wide loop and landed in front of Littlefoot and Cera on a small boulder. "You have quarreled very fierce before that", he said turning to them. Cera's face changed to a mixture of defiance and embarrassment. She didn't liked to remember this quarrel, because she knew that it has been mainly her fault. And if there was anything Cera couldn't endure, then it was to admit her own mistakes. Then, on the journey to the Great Valley Cera had called Littlefoot's dead mother in a fit of fury and disappointment a stupid longneck.
Littlefoot's mother had rescued not only Littlefoot's, but also Cera's own life. Cera didn't like to admit that too. Littlefoot's mother had rescued them from the same sharptooth that they had later tumbled in a pond with a shaky rock. She later died of the wounds the sharptooth had inflict on her during the fight. When Cera later had pronounced the insult on Littlefoot's mother and refused to retract it, it has come to a fierce fight between Littlefoot and Cera and after that they continued their way separately for a while. When Cera had then returned just in time to help their friends against the sharptooth, and so rescued all their lives, the quarrel dad been forgotten. Cera had always been very lucky and relieved about this. But now everything seemed to begin anew, because Littlefoot said in this instant: "Cera.", he hesitated a moment before he continued his sentence, "...you have never taken back, what you have said about my mother." He hesitated again before continuing: "Please take it back." Littlefoot had said the last words as friendly as he could, but Cera's pride was hurt nevertheless. She didn't want to confess her fault and she didn't want to take the sole responsibly for belonging to the past quarrel. After all it has been Littlefoot who had turned violent first. If Cera had known what she would have spared herself, her response would have been another.