Rumble and the Invisible Singer: story transcript
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Rumble and the Invisible Singer
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At Echo Cliff, Ruby held on to her blue sunhat. Rumble climbed beside her, his big green feet thumping the path. Far below, the woodland looked tiny. Rumble puffed out his chest. "This is a fine place for a roar!"
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"ROOOAR!" called Rumble. A moment later, from somewhere across the cliff, came "ROOOAR!" Rumble blinked. "Another dinosaur?" Ruby peered behind a rock. Nobody there. Rumble peered behind Ruby. "You are not hiding a dinosaur under that hat, are you?"
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"My hat is much too small," said Ruby. Rumble leaned toward the empty air. "Hello, mysterious roarer!" A moment later: "Hello, mysterious roarer!" Rumble’s frill lifted. "It knows my words!" He hurried to the next rock and looked behind that one, too.
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Rumble tried a roar so loud that Ruby’s hat tipped sideways. The cliff sent it back just as loud. "Well," said Rumble, "two can play at that." He planted his feet and practiced a tongue twister until his tongue felt tied in a knot.
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"Three tricky tree trunks!" he called. A moment later: "Three tricky tree trunks!" Rumble stared at Ruby. "It even knows the tricky part." He lowered his head and made the tiniest squeak he could manage. Back came a tiny squeak. Ruby’s red boots stopped midstep.
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"Wait," said Ruby. "It never goes first." She clapped once. After a little pause, a clap came back. She clapped twice. After a little pause, two claps came back. Rumble watched her hands. "Does the cliff have hands?"
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"No," said Ruby. "The sound bounces off the cliff and comes back to us. Listen." She called, "Pickle!" After a little pause, the cliff called "Pickle!" Rumble’s eyes widened. "So the mysterious dinosaur is my own voice?" Ruby nodded. "Your echo."
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Rumble considered this. "My voice is very good at hide-and-seek." He gave the cliff a polite nod. Then Ruby stamped one red boot. The stamp returned. She stamped again and grinned at Rumble. "We can make a song it knows already!"
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Ruby stamped: thump, thump! The cliff stamped back. Rumble sang, "Pickle on a pancake!" The cliff sang it back while Ruby hopped in a circle. Rumble tried to bow, but his horns nearly poked his own feet. His next note came out as a snort.
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The snort came back. Ruby laughed so hard her sunhat slipped over her eyes. Rumble waited for the laughter to return, then joined in. At last he called, "Excellent singing, other singer!" A moment later, the cliff agreed: "Excellent singing, other singer!" Rumble bowed anyway.
