Dino's Tiny Friend

I'm Dino. No one wants to be my friend because I'm too big and scary. My stomp makes the ground shake. My roar makes the birds fly away. I tried playing hide-and-seek, but I'm too easy to find. I tried joining the other animals at the watering hole, but they all scattered when I arrived. I even tried sharing my delicious juicy berries, but they just stared at me nervously.

One sunny afternoon, I was feeling very lonely. I sat under my favorite giant mushroom, sighing sadly. "Why can't anyone be my friend?" I grumbled. A tiny voice squeaked, "Because you're too big and scary!" I jumped! There, on a mushroom cap, was Pip, the smallest field mouse I'd ever seen!

Pip was so little, he looked like a tiny brown ball of fluff. "You're right," I admitted, my voice a low rumble. "But I don't mean to be scary. I just want a friend." Pip tilted his head, his tiny whiskers twitching. "Maybe...maybe if you were smaller?" he suggested very politely.

That gave me an idea! I looked around. Nearby was a magical wishing well, shimmering with rainbow light. I'd heard whispers of its magic, but wasn't sure it really worked. I decided to try. Carefully, I dropped a single, shiny pebble into the well. I closed my eyes tight and wished, "I wish I could be small enough to play with Pip!"

When I opened my eyes, I gasped. I was tiny, about Pip's size! I could fit comfortably on the mushroom cap with him. "Wow!" Pip squealed with delight. We spent the whole afternoon playing hide-and-seek among the tall grass stems. Pip was a fast runner! We giggled as we chased butterflies and collected dew drops from leaves.

As the sun set, I felt myself returning to my normal size. I was sad to feel myself growing larger, but it was also exciting. I knew Pip was happy and the other animals weren't as afraid as they were before. I carefully scooped Pip up and gently placed him on the mushroom cap.

"Thank you, Dino!" Pip said cheerfully. "You were a great playmate!" From that day on, the other animals started to see Dino differently. They learned that even though he was big and strong, he also had a kind heart and gentle soul. Dino and Pip became the best of friends and remained close for as long as they lived. He learned to be more gentle and found ways to play that didn't scare everyone off. He even helped Pip build a little house of acorns and pine needles. Dino felt happier and less lonely than he ever had before!