Prologue

Life was good in the Great Valley. It was a place where leaf-eating dinosaurs, unafraid of the sharpteeth which they knew were all beyond reach of them, spent their days eating and, in the children's case, playing.

The Valley's most famous children were, for once, out of all trouble and playing blissfully in the Tall Trees. Their game was called "Catch the Hopper." Ducky was the hopper for two reasons: First, because being small, green, and water-loving, she was best suited to the role. Secondly, because when Petrie wanted to be the hopper, the whole gang said "NO FAIR!" How could they expect to catch a flyer?

According to the rules, Ducky had a head start. The others had to count to ten before they could go after her. She won if she was the first to reach the goal tree. If she didn't, the one who caught her was the winner.

"Ready...set...go!" announced Littlefoot. Ducky started to hop towards the goal tree at top speed, while the others counted "Onetwothreefourfivesixseveneightnineten" and started after her. Of course Spike couldn't talk, so he merely tapped the ground ten times.

Petrie was the first to catch up with her, but when Ducky saw him zooming down towards her, she laughed and ran in another direction. Petrie couldn't stop in time and ended up slamming into the ground. "At least ball-fruit not fall on head," he muttered as he got up and walked unsteadily towards the nearest tree.

Cera rushed past him. When Ducky saw the yellow threehorn gaining on her with that I'm-going-to-get-you look on her face, she quickened her pace, but Cera came ever closer. That was when Ducky stopped. When Cera came close enough, Ducky quickly hopped onto her horn, scrambled up her frill, down her spine, and hopped off the end of her tail. "Huh?! Hey!" cried Cera as she screeched to a halt and set off after the "hopper" again.

Ducky laughed to herself as she hopped towards the goal tree again, only to see Spike running towards her with his mouth open in glee. I do not want Spike to catch me with his mouth. No, no, no! she thought, remembering the last time she had been inside Spike's mouth. So she hopped extra-high and caught onto a branch. Spike ran past the tree, wondering where his "sister" had gone.

Ducky dropped down from the tree and resumed her journey towards the goal tree. Almost there. If I can touch it I will win! Yep, yep, yep! She stretched out her arm only to have Littlefoot suddenly appear from behind the tree and catch her with his tail before she could touch it. Knowing from experience how hard to catch Ducky could be when she wanted, he had decided to let his friends keep running after her while he himself made straight for the goal tree and hid behind it, waiting for her to reach it.

"I win!" announced Littlefoot.

"Cera! Time to come home!" sounded a voice that could only belong to Cera's dad, John Topps Threehorn. He had the most powerful pair of lungs in the valley, and the worst temper, so Cera didn't dare dawdle and set off immediately, still too out of breath to say goodbye.

"Well, I guess it's bedtime," said Littlefoot. The rest of the gang responded with their customary "Awwwwww" before saying their goodbyes and setting off in separate directions.

That night Littlefoot was woken from his dreams by an all-too-familiar roar. "Aah! Sharptooth!" he cried.

"Calm down, little one," said Grandma. "The sharptooth must be outside the Valley and just angry because he can't get in."

"I...I hope so," whispered Littlefoot.

As the longnecks drifted back to sleep again they somehow managed not to hear the heavy thud that sounded like a pile of rocks hitting the ground.