In a lush valley of ancient ferns and towering trees, a Triceratops family made their home—Mama Tri, Papa Tri, and three peeping hatchlings: Tika, Toko, and Tashi. Their nest was a circle of smooth stones tucked beneath a giant fern that smelled like rain.
One afternoon the sky turned the color of plum skin. Wind hissed through the fronds. Far away, thunder said, “rum-ble… rum-ble…”
Papa Tri lifted his head. “A storm is coming.”
Mama Tri touched each hatchling’s nose. “We’ll keep the nest safe. We do it together.”
They had a plan—simple and true.
“Together, together, snug and clever,” Papa Tri hummed.
First, Mama Tri showed the hatchlings how to gather fern leaves. Pat-pat, they packed the soft leaves into a thick blanket to line the nest.
“Like a cozy basket,” Tika chirped.
“Like a leafy hug,” Toko agreed.
Tashi pressed a leaf to his cheek and giggled.
Next, Papa Tri nudged smooth stones closer with his strong frill, building a sturdy ring. The hatchlings added little pebbles between the big ones so no wind could sneak through.
“Pebbles make strong places stronger,” Papa said.
The wind grew louder—whoooo—shaking the trees. Raindrops began to drum: tip, tap, patter-patter.