Don’t Give Up, Dinosaur Jones!

It was a hot and muggy day in Spinyback Flats. Dinosaur Jones was staying cool with a cool glass of lemonade. “It’s too hot for work today, even for dinosaurs,” said Dinosaur Jones.

Suddenly, Dinosaur Jones’ friend Wriggles slithered up. “Dinothaur Joneth!” Wriggles hissed. “I can’t find my retainer! It’th what keepth my teeth thraight!”

Dinosaur Jones lolled a lazy pair of eyes over to his diminuitive friend; “Now calm down, Wriggles, just stop and think: where did you last have it?”

Wriggles wagged his tail in distress. “It’th not that eathy! I think it was thtolen by Thimon the Ichthyothauruth!”

Dinosaur Jones snorted. “Simon the Ichthyosaurus again? I thought he learned his lesson the last time I dealt with him. Oh, well. Guess I’m heading downtown.” “Good luck, Joneth!” hissed Wriggles.

Dinosaur Jones did not like the Pleistocene Club. It was dark and smoky. But Simon the Ichthyosaurus liked to spend time there, so it was a good place to start. Jones walked over to Simon’s favorite pool.

Simon smirked when he saw Jones. “What’s the matter, Jonesy? You look like someone stole your eggs.”

Dinosaur Jones frowned and tried to think of something to say. He was a friendly dinosaur at heart, and didn’t like arguing with lying ichthyosaurs who lay around in the mud all day.

“Did you take Wriggles’ retainer, Simon?” he finally asked.

Simon flapped his flippers and snorted water. “Wriggles?” he laughed, “that little worm doesn’t know what to do with his teeth when he has them. He’s an herbivore! How can you care about an animal that slurps on leaves and sticks all day?”

Dinosaur Jones knew that Wriggles did need his teeth, since some of those leaves and sticks were hard to get, and Wriggles didn’t have any hands to help him. But he also knew that arguing with Simon wouldn’t get him anywhere. He sighed.

“Simon, you’ve got until sunset tonight to bring back Wiggles’ teeth. Leave them on the mossy rock outside my cave. If I wake up tomorrow and they’re not there, there’s going to be trouble.”

There was trouble.