Читать книгу The Hidden Kingdom - Tracey Hecht - Страница 3

Chapter One

THE PARCHED PANGOLIN

“Oh goodness.” Tobin yawned and gazed up at the evening sky. The stars and moon were shining—it was time for his nightly adventure. But after a day of tossing and turning in the scratchy leaves of his burrow, the pangolin awoke tired, hungry, and thirsty. It was the valley’s dry season. There was little to eat or drink. And Tobin, known for eating a bit more food than most, was having an especially difficult time. Tonight, his throat was parched, his belly grumbled…and adventure was the furthest thing from his mind.

The pangolin stretched his anteater-like body. His eyes felt scratchy in the dry night air, and his leaf-like scales were cracked and creased, like the skin of a crocodile.

Tobin sighed then set off in search of even the tiniest snack or sip. He slowly trudged toward the bushes, sniffing the ground with his sensitive snout. ________

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