Dirk the Diplodocus

Dirk was born the day the great meteor struck. It was a day marked by thunder, great fire and, later, of cold darkness. With the sky thick with ashes, the sun did not appear after a long, long time, and when it finally did, many of the dinosaurs that once freely roamed the land have either died or were dying. Dirk's mother and father where among those that did not survive what came to be known among the dinosaurs as "the long dark period" and the young one was left to the care of his aunt and uncle.

Along with many of the dinosaurs, vegetation and water that was once abundant in the plains also grew scarcer and scarcer still. To survive, dinosaurs disregarded the differences of their species and skin color and traveled together in packs across great deserts in search for places that will sustain them. The journeys were long, ardous and often futile, but the dinosaurs, among them Dirk and his aunt and uncle trudged on.

In such a harsh, unforgiving environment, it would be easy for one to become selfish, thieving and uncaring - but not Dirk. Raised and taught in the old dinosaur ways by his aunt and uncle, Dirk grew to become a fine, gentle being that respected his elders and always had a smile and a good word for everybody. Even though there was simply so few food left, his aunt and uncle would often catch Dirk sharing his meal with a less fortunate Brotosaurus or Allosaur. During these times, they would not have the heart to scold Dirk but would simply call him and embrace him tightly for they were so proud of their adopted son.

Dirk's concern for others went beyond just sharing food meant for him. To liven the sagging spirits of others during their journeys, Dirk also displayed an excellent sense of humor and a sharp wit that never failed to bring a laugh or two among the dinosaur congregation. Even though Diplodocuses had brains the size of walnuts, Dirk also proved to be highly intelligent for his brain size for he mastered the art of reading cloud formations in search of possible venues of water and recognized which plants were edible and which were not. For all his skills, Dirk came to be regarded as an expert among the dinosaurs.

And so time passed. Dirk's aunt and uncle passed away after some years and Dirk, whom the dinosaurs came to look up to, went on to become Journey-leader. For several more years, Dirk led his group of emanciated and withering dinosaurs across dry, sun-cracked desert until finally, at long last, they have reached a land of vast, green vegetation and flowing water. Upon reaching the land, Dirk, now an old dinosaur - he who came together with the great meteor - laid down on the rich, comforting grass, smiled a weak but contented smile, closed his eyes and finally, peacefully died. During his last moments, he was surrounded by all the dinosaurs that he has touched and has ever helped.

During his burial, the dinosaur Religious-leader - a Tyranosaurus Rex that Dirk saved from dehydration once - presided over the service. Addressing the mourning dinosaur congregation that packed the small valley, the Tyranosaurus Rex ended his solemn message with these words, "We shall miss Dirk. He was a Super Funny Altruistic Expert Diplodocus."

sent by Charo Nuguid