Rex Can't Hide

10 pages · 5 min · ages 4+

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“One. Two. Three.” Stego counted with his eyes shut. Stego always counted very, very slowly. Topsy ran and hid in the bushes. Rex looked down at his big green feet and his big green tummy. Rex was green. The grass was green. The hills were green. “I want the best hiding place in the whole jungle,” Rex whispered. “Nobody will ever find me.”

Rex ran behind a tree. It was a skinny tree. Rex stood very still. His tail stuck out on this side. His head stuck out on that side. His tummy stuck out everywhere. Rex liked this tree. Rex felt very hidden.

“Ready or not, here I come!” said Stego. He opened his eyes. He did not even turn his head. “Found you, Rex.” “Rex can't hide!” said Rex. Topsy was still hiding. Topsy was very good at it. Stego chewed a dandelion. “Again,” said Stego, and he shut his eyes.

Rex picked a big leaf to hide behind. He tried to hold it over his eyes. But Rex's arms were too short. So he balanced the leaf on his nose instead. It covered one eye. “If Rex can't see Stego,” Rex whispered, “Stego can't see Rex.”

“Ready or not, here I come!” said Stego. Stego looked at Rex. Rex looked at the leaf. The leaf slid off his nose. Flop. “Found you, Rex.” “Rex can't hide!” said Rex. From inside the bush, somebody giggled. It was Topsy. Stego did not look at the bush at all.

Rex had a bigger idea. He would hide under the water! He ran to the pond and jumped right in. Splooooosh! All the water jumped out of the pond. It landed on the grass. It landed on the bushes. It landed on Stego.

Rex sat in the empty pond. A frog sat on his head. Stego stood there, dripping. “Ready or not,” said Stego. He wiped his eye. “Found you, Rex. Where did the pond go?” “Rex can't hide!” said Rex. The frog said, “Ribbit.”

Rex climbed out and flopped down on the green hill. He felt sad. “Rex is too big to hide,” he said. A little bird flew down and landed on Rex's back. It pecked at his spots. It hopped about. Then it sat down and tucked its head in to sleep. The bird was sleeping on Rex like he was a hill! Rex looked at his green tummy. He looked at the green hill. Rex had an idea.

“Ready or not, here I come!” Stego looked behind the skinny tree. No Rex. He looked in the empty pond. No Rex. He climbed up the green hill. The hill was a bit bumpy. The hill was a bit warm. Stego sat down on the hill for a rest. The hill giggled. “Where is Rex?” said Stego. The hill giggled louder. The hill could not stop. Rex jumped up. “Rex can hide!”

Now it was Rex's turn to count. “One, two, ten! Ready or not, here I come!” Topsy was hiding in the bush. Stego was not hiding anywhere. Stego stood in the middle of the grass with his eyes shut. “Stego is a rock,” said Stego. Rex looked at Stego. “Found you, Stego!” Stego opened one sleepy eye. “Stego can't hide,” said Stego.