The Egg Nobody Could Name
8 pages · 6 min · ages 6+
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Mila was tucking dry golden straw around an enormous speckled egg with her bare hands. "I want to see what is inside before Mom calls us inside for lunch," Mila said. If the egg rolled down the grassy hill, it would tumble straight into Mr. Crabtree’s prickly gooseberry patch and crack. Otto pushed his thick yellow glasses up his nose. "It is a baby dinosaur," Otto said. A plump white hen strutted over and clucked loudly at the warm, clover-scented shell. Mila cleared her throat. "Listen close, little friend, tell me true!"
Mila sat back on her heels and cupped her hands around the blue speckles. "Listen close, little friend, tell me true!" Mila sang a gentle lullaby and placed a yellow dandelion on top like a farm chick's bonnet. The egg did not chirp. Instead, it gave a loud Hiccup! and rolled backward over Otto’s red boots, glowing like a purple lantern in the shade. Mila felt the cool, humming shell with her fingertips. "That is not a chick," Mila said. Otto tapped the glowing shell with a stick. "Definitely a glowing dinosaur," Otto said.
The purple shell began to shake from top to bottom with a loud rattle. KER-CHOO! A bright cloud of pink sparkles puffed into the air, dusting Mila’s nose with the smell of sweet strawberries. CRACK! Out tumbled a round ball of lavender fluff with velvety bat ears, a curly piglet tail, and two tiny silver wings. Mila felt her heart dance with pure joy as the strange creature blinked its huge starry eyes. "It is definitely not a duck," Mila said. Otto wiped glitter from his shirt. "Definitely a winged dinosaur," Otto said.
Mila knelt beside the fluffy ball and clapped her hands together to get its attention. "Listen close, little friend, tell me true!" Mila offered a gentle bird name in a soft voice. "Are you named Feather-Pip?" The lavender creature wrinkled its button nose, and its bat ears folded flat. ACHOO! It sneezed a burst of golden stars straight onto Otto’s yellow glasses. "Feather-Pip is the wrong name," Mila said, brushing warm sparks from her denim overalls. Otto blinked behind his shiny lenses. "Feather-Pip is not fierce enough," Otto said. "Dinosaurs never sneeze stars."
Mila puffed out her chest and marched around the apple tree with loud, stompy steps. "Listen close, little friend, tell me true!" Mila shouted like a grand royal trumpeter. "Your name is Emperor Maximilian von Thunder-Claws the Mighty!" The creature's curly tail spun like a helicopter propeller, and its round tummy swelled like a balloon. KAPOW-CHOO! A giant hurricane of blue sparkles exploded, lifting the creature three feet into the air before it landed plop in Mila's lap. Otto shook blue dust from his hair. "Definitely a fancy dinosaur," Otto said.
Mila sat in the sparkling grass, feeling completely out of ideas. If she could not find the right name, the creature might sneeze itself all the way over the garden fence. She gently stroked its soft, tickly tummy with one finger. The creature made a soft sound: Hic... puff! Then it rubbed its velvet bat ears against her palm with a sweet purr. Mila thought about the funny noises it had made since morning—the hiccups, the bright sparkles, the fluffy belly. Mila grinned. "I know your name," Mila whispered. "T-Rex?" Otto asked.
Mila held out both hands and looked straight into the creature’s bright starry eyes. "Listen close, little friend, you are Hiccup Puff-Sparkle!" The lavender creature paused, its curly tail twitching with excitement. It did not sneeze. Instead, its silver wings fluttered with a gentle buzzing sound that tickled the air. It let out a happy chirp and nuzzled right into Mila’s neck, smelling like sweet strawberries and warm wool. "Hiccup Puff-Sparkle loves his name!" Mila cheered, hugging the soft ball tight. Otto nodded solemnly. "A very good name for a dinosaur."
Mila carried Hiccup into the kitchen so he could sit proudly on the wooden table. Hiccup munched happily on a crisp red apple slice, wagging his curly tail with delight. Under the table, Otto’s pet turtle crawled out from behind the trash can, wearing a tiny paper party hat. Hiccup looked at the slow turtle, wiggled his velvet ears, and took a deep breath. ACHOO! A glittery green cloud covered the turtle from head to tail. Otto inspected the sparkling green shell with a giant grin. "Look, Mila, now he is definitely a dinosaur."