What if dinosaurs still lived with us?
Scarlett loved to think about amazing things like that! She was only two years old, but Scarlett had a super smart brain. One sunny day, Scarlett was playing in her backyard in San Diego. Her mom, who loved stories almost as much as Scarlett loved cats, was reading a book nearby.
"Mommy, what sound does a dinosaur make?" Scarlett asked.
Mom smiled. "Well, nobody knows for sure, sweetie. But some people think they might have roared like this," she said, and let out a big, playful growl.
Scarlett giggled. "Roar!" she shouted, and then went back to digging in her sandbox.
As Scarlett dug, she imagined all sorts of colorful dinosaurs munching on leaves and stomping around her backyard. She wished she could see a real dinosaur! Scarlett was very creative. She knew that being creative means using your imagination to make something new. And Scarlett wanted to invent a way to bring dinosaurs back to life!
Suddenly, her shovel hit something hard! It was a big, sparkly rock. It shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow. Scarlett picked it up.
“Wow!” she exclaimed. She showed it to her mom.
"That's a pretty rock, Scarlett," Mom said. "Maybe it's magic!"
Scarlett giggled. She loved magic! She held the rock tight and closed her eyes. She wished and wished for a dinosaur. When she opened her eyes… there, in the middle of the backyard, was a big, green dinosaur!
It wasn’t huge and scary like in Scarlett’s books. It was small and cute, with big, friendly eyes. And it was wearing a tiny little hat!
"Hello!" said the dinosaur. "My name is Dino. Did you use your creativity to bring me here?"
Scarlett was so surprised she could barely speak! "You… you can talk?" she finally stammered.
Dino chuckled. "Of course, I can talk! I'm a magic dinosaur." He pointed to the sparkly rock in Scarlett’s hand. "That rock is a Wishing Rock! It makes wishes come true."
Scarlett was so happy! She spent the whole afternoon playing with Dino in the backyard. They built a sandcastle, swung on the swings, and even had a tea party with Scarlett’s stuffed cat. Dino told her all about the time of the dinosaurs, millions and millions of years ago.
Soon, it was time for Dino to go. "I had so much fun, Scarlett," Dino said. "Thank you for being so creative and bringing me here."
“Will I see you again?” Scarlett asked, hugging Dino goodbye.
Dino winked. “Maybe! But remember, the Wishing Rock only grants one wish a day.”
Then, in a puff of sparkly dust, Dino was gone! Scarlett ran to her mom and told her all about the magic rock and their amazing adventure.
That night, snuggled in bed, Scarlett held the Wishing Rock tight. She realized that even though dinosaurs weren't real anymore, she could still use her imagination and creativity to have amazing adventures every day. And who knows, maybe she would even see Dino again tomorrow!
