Leo and the Valley That Roared

Leo and the Valley That Roared

In the village, Leo ran through the park as if the paving stones were islands. He loved orange, and his toy dinosaur was orange too. When he wanted to roar, he put his hands together in front of his mouth. “Roooo!” Slowly, and with respect.

That night, in his bedroom, Leo knelt beside his bed with his dinosaur. “I wish I could meet a real one,” he whispered. “But if it were little, I’d speak to it softly.” Then the floor went boom, very gently, like a drum under the bed.

The time portal opened with a golden sigh.

Leo took one step and smelt wet earth. Before him lay a valley of giant ferns and faraway volcanoes. Something was trembling among the leaves. He went closer, very slowly. Crack! Out of the egg peeped a long-necked baby, blinking.

The baby shook off a little piece of shell. “My name is Lulo,” he said, in a croaky, flutey voice. Leo smiled without touching him. “I’m Leo. I’ll come with you.” Lulo took one little step, then another. They both understood the same thing: together felt less frightening.

Lulo lifted his neck and looked all around. He saw no other long necks. Only ferns, mud and a wing-shadow crossing the sun. Far away, the ground trembled. “My family,” said Lulo. “We’ll find them,” promised Leo.

They climbed the highest hill in the valley. Lulo slipped in the mud, but Leo waited. Slowly, and with respect. From the top they saw tiny specks that were really giants: the family, on the other side. They were ever so far away. Leo felt a knot in his tummy.

They sat among warm stones. The wind carried smells of torn leaves and hot water. Leo listened to Lulo breathing. Then he remembered his roar in the park. Perhaps they didn’t need to run. Perhaps they needed to call.

Leo put his hands together. Lulo took a breath.

They both took a deep breath. “Uooooo!” called Lulo. “Uooooo!” called Leo, with his hands like a bowl. The voice leapt through the ferns, brushed the volcano and crossed the valley. The family lifted their heads.

The family came slowly, making the earth tremble. Lulo ran to some enormous, happy legs. One long neck bowed its head to Leo. “You were brave,” whispered Lulo. And Leo understood: being brave means helping someone who is different.

The portal shone once more, gentle as a great big firefly. Leo went back to his bedroom with mud on one shoe and an enormous joy inside him. He hugged his orange dinosaur. Before he went to sleep, he put his hands together and whispered: “Slowly, and with respect.”