The Long Hike

There were beautiful hiking trails in Joshua Tree National Park. The little horse started off at a quick trot, but he soon grew thirsty and tired. He had to watch carefully on every side. All the plants seemed to be filled with prickers. He wished there was something he could eat, but everything was spiny, pointed, jagged, or sharp. Carefully the little horse stepped into the shade of a thorny plant to rest. He had the eerie feeling that he was not alone. He pricked his ears, held his tail high, and looked to both sides. He saw a yellow eye blink at him. A black forked tongue slipped in and out of a mouth. It was a dinosaur! At least it looked like a dinosaur. Four hulking legs, a long spiny-looking tail, the lizard was almost as long as the little horse. Very slowly the little horse backed out of the shade, never taking his eyes off the lizard.

Then something wrapped itself around the little horse’s leg. He leaped into the air and turned around in mid-flight. Another lizard sat sunning itself. The little horse forgot about needing a rest. He took off down the trail at a gallop!