asleep. She hung herself head down at one side of him. Nosy, copying his mother, hung himself on the other side. He thought of saying, âHello, Daddy,â but there didnât seem much point, so he said nothing.
Then suddenly Clawed said in a loud deep voice, âWatch out, everybody!â
âWhat does Daddy mean?â asked Nosy.
âHavenât a clue,â replied his mother. âYour father is a somniloquist.â
âWhat does âsomniloquistâ mean, Mom?â
âSomeone who talks in his sleep. I expect heâll say something else in a minute,â and almost immediately, Clawed shouted, âT. rex approaching! Scramble! Scramble!â
Aviatrix raised a wing and smacked her husband across his face.
âWake up, Clawed!â she said. âYouâre dreaming.â
Clawed opened his eyes and shook his head as though to clear it.
âOh, hello, Avy, old girl,â he said. âI was having a nightmare. Didnât know you were here.â
âIâm not the only one whoâs here,â said Aviatrix. âLook on your other side.â
Obediently Clawed turned his huge head, to see a very small head close by.
âHello, Daddy,â said Nosy.
âDaddy?â said Clawed. âWhat are you talking about, boy? Whatâs he mean, Avy?â
âThis is our son, dear,â said Aviatrix proudly. âOur firstborn. Only hatched this morning, but already heâs a good flier.â
âBecause Iâm nidifugous, Daddy,â said Nosy.
Clawed shook his head in puzzlement. âSounds like one of those long words your mother uses,â he said. âHalf the time I donât understand what sheâs going on about.â
âYou never were very bright, dear,â said Aviatrix, âbut I think our son is an infant prodigy.â
âWhat does âinfant prodigyâ mean, Mom?â asked Nosy.
âA highly intelligent child,â replied his mother.
Nosy felt very pleased at this. He couldnât kick his little legs because he was hanging by them, but he flapped his little wings instead.
âDonât suppose he even knows what he is,â said Clawed grumpily. âWhat are you, boy, eh?â
âIâm a pterodactyl, Daddy,â said Nosy. âLike you. Though I donât suppose Iâll ever be as big as you.â
Or as silly, said Aviatrix to herself, fond as I am of him .
âWhatâs your name, boy?â asked Clawed. âIf I know your mother, sheâll have given you a very long one.â
âNo, Daddy,â said Nosy, âIâm just Nosy.â
âAre you indeed?â said Clawed. âPoking your snout into other peopleâs business, eh? Well, ask me no questions and Iâll tell you no lies.â
âNo, I mean, my name is Nosy.â
âOh,â said Clawed. âOh, I see. By the way, my nameâs Clawed.â
âI know,â said Nosy, âbut I canât call you that. Youâre my father.â
Clawed hung in silence for a while, deep in thought. Then he said, âYouâre right, my son. Youâd better stick to âDaddy.â Take him away now, Avy. I havenât had enough sleep.â And he closed his eyes.
âCome on, then, Nosy,â said his mother. âDaddyâs tired,â and she dropped from the branch and spread her wings and flew off.
Nosy followed.
âWhere are we going now, Mom?â he asked.
âTo get some breakfast.â
âWhat sort of breakfast?â
âBugs.â
âWhat does that mean?â
âFlies and beetles and gnats and midges and things. We are carnivores, you see.â âWhat does that mean?â
âWe eat meat, including insects. There should be lots flying about on a nice warm morning like this. Specially if there should be a dead dinosaur lying about somewhere. Thereâll be masses of flies around it,â said
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