Once upon a time, in the lively Dinosaur Land, a boisterous dinosaur named Stompy lived. Stompy’s favorite activity was to stomp – over hills, through rivers, between trees. He was always having fun, and his fellow dinosaurs mostly accepted his lively personality.
One sunny day, Stompy was stomping near the tranquil lake when his massive foot accidentally landed on a baby dinosaur’s tail! The baby dinosaur burst into tears. “Ouch! That hurt, Stompy!” the baby dinosaur cried out. Though it was just a small accident, the baby dinosaur, who had never felt such pain before, sobbed even harder. This was a big deal for the little dinosaur, and his cries echoed around Dinosaur Land, attracting attention from all corners.
Stompy felt a pang of guilt. He had not meant to hurt the little dinosaur, but his remorse was overshadowed by his fear. He wanted to say sorry, but he was worried that apologizing might make him look weak or silly. Instead of confronting his mistake, he hastily stomped away.
Later, while Stompy was playing in the lush meadow, he tripped over a rock and tumbled right onto a mama dinosaur’s carefully prepared picnic! Sandwiches and juice boxes were scattered everywhere. The mama dinosaur, her face scrunched in annoyance, scolded Stompy for his carelessness. She had spent days preparing for this picnic. Her children had been looking forward to it, and their disappointed faces hurt more than the ruined food. Stompy’s big mistake had spoiled a long-awaited family moment. Once again, he felt an urge to apologize, but his fear stopped him. He left the picnic scene without uttering a word of regret.
A couple of days later, Stompy was joyfully stomping near the edge of the dense forest. He didn’t notice the small pile of carefully gathered berries belonging to his friend, Berry the Triceratops. Stompy, in his carefree stomping, accidentally crushed all of Berry’s painstakingly gathered berries into a mushy pulp. ‘Oh no, Stompy!’ cried Berry. ‘I spent all day gathering these for everyone’s pie!’ He had been gathering these berries for a grand pie that he was planning to bake for everyone in Dinosaur Land. His dreams of treating his friends were crushed, just like the berries under Stompy’s massive foot.
Stompy felt a familiar pang of guilt and a lump formed in his throat. He merely hung his head and walked away, leaving Berry looking after him sadly.
That very night, a grand bonfire was arranged in Dinosaur Land. However, Stompy noticed something different: no one had invited him. He stood at a distance, watching his friends dance, laugh, and share stories around the warm fire. Stompy felt a twinge of loneliness that he’d never felt before.
As the next day rolled in, Stompy decided to join his friends, hoping that they had forgotten about the previous incidents. But as he approached, the chatter quieted down, and the games stopped. One by one, each dinosaur turned away from him, their disappointment apparent.
Stompy’s heart sank. His loneliness from the previous night was now mixed with guilt. He realized he had been isolated because he had failed to apologize for the accidents he had caused. His fear of appearing weak had resulted in him being thought of as uncaring.
Determined to make amends, Stompy mustered the courage to confront his mistakes. He approached the baby dinosaur, “I am really sorry for stepping on your tail,” he apologized, his voice filled with sincerity. He then found the mother dinosaur and, with a genuine heart, apologized for ruining their picnic, even offering to help arrange a new one. He also went to Berry and apologized for crushing his berries and promised to help gather new ones.
Stompy’s honest words touched the hearts of the dinosaurs, who promptly forgave him. News of Stompy’s apology spread through Dinosaur Land, and the other dinos, seeing his change of heart, welcomed him back.
From that day on, Stompy was more mindful of his actions. Whenever an accident occurred due to his stomping, he would promptly apologize. This earned him a new nickname, Sorriesaurus. Stompy wore this nickname proudly as a symbol of his transformation from being careless to considerate.
His tale serves as a reminder to every dinosaur in Dinosaur Land that it’s okay to make mistakes, but acknowledging them by saying “Sorry” is a testament of strength, not weakness.
The end.
Stompy, the Sorriesaurus