Tula’s Waiting Game — In a soft flower clearing, Tula tapped one toe in the warm grass. Read the full story →
In a soft flower clearing, Tula tapped one toe in the warm grass. She had invented the Still-as-a-Stone Game for the two speckled eggs: no stomping, no humming, only listening for the smallest pip. Bees buzzed low. The eggs did not move.
Tula waited while cloud shadows slid over her back. She curled her tail above the nest like a gentle question mark and whispered, “I can wait.” At last, her tail gave the tiniest swish—shh-ring! Dewdrops on the tall leaves chimed, and inside the eggs came pip-pip.
Ever since, diplodocus babies curl their tails over nests when it is almost hatching time, making a soft little nest-bell for patient ears. Next time you see Tula’s curled tail, can you hear the shh-ring in the warm grass?
