Rick the Raptor HATES Valentine’s Day
For one dinosaur Valentine’s Day does NOT smell like roses – it totally STINKS!
It’s time for another monthly B-Side story, and what better way to celebrate February than a Valentine’s Day tale. This story is all about Rick, a lonely velociraptor who thinks love is gross! How could he ever find a date when his classmates are plant eaters . . . bleh! Everyone is excited to boogie down at the dino dance, but Rick wants nothing to do with such a silly, sappy holiday. Can another classmate help Rick fall in love . . . with love?
Rick the Raptor HATES Valentine’s Day
by caitlin nicole evans
Dedicated to Rick and Carolyn, two of B-Side’s biggest fans. A DINO-sized thank you for all the love and support . . .
Rick the raptor HATED Valentine’s Day.
The whole thought of love brought him utter dismay.
He hated the chocolates, and red paper hearts.
He didn’t want roses, or cupcakes, or tarts.
There was no one he wanted to kiss him or hug him.
All that loveyness-doveyness really did bug him.
Each time this year he would get rather mopey,
while his dinosaur classmates got star-eyed and dopey.
They would cut and paste cards with arrows and cupid.
Rick would just say, “This whole holiday’s STUPID!”
He would stand up in class and bare all his teeth.
Roaring a terrible, scare-able speech:
“It’s all a big hoax, for buying more things.
Like flowers, and candy, and diamonds and rings.
All just to show who you care for the most?”
“Bleeeehhhhhh,” Rick then roared.
“Love is totally GROSS!”
It made his scales crawl when he thought of romance.
No, Rick the Raptor, would not give it a chance.
But, the rest of the class was excited to DANCE . . .
They were having a party to boogie all night.
The hall all decked out in pink, red, and white.
With streamers and snacks and helium balloons.
A playlist of songs meant to make them all swoon.
They would hand out their cards, that read, “My Valentine.”
Asking their partner, “Oh, will you be mine?”
Except for poor Rick, who insisted “I’M FINE!”
(But, with no one to dance, was he really fine . . . really?
Or, was there a reason he claimed that love was so silly).
You see, raptors can tend to make others feel wary.
After all their sharp teeth, and their claws are quite scary.
Their snout and their eyes make a menacing face.
Their short stubby arms just aren’t made to embrace.
So, hugging and cuddling is awkward and hard.
Of course, who would give a poor raptor a card.
Being a carnivore felt kind of lonely.
Would Rick ever find his “one and his only”.
You see, most of his classmates attending the dance,
walked on all fours, and they liked to eat plants.
The triceratops and the brachiosaurus,
got along with the bronto and ankylosaurus.
There was only one classmate who felt just like Rick.
A lonely T-rex who was feeling love-sick.
Terrance felt clammy attending the dance.
He knew there was never a hope or a chance.
That someone would come up and ask for his hand.
His claws were too sharp, and no one could stand,
his big toothy smile, or his dark beady eyes.
But, Terrance had discovered a LOVE-ly surprise!
When Rick was all stuffy and huffy and mad,
claiming chocolates and roses were simply a fad,
Terrance had sensed he was really just sad.
For, he felt sad too, but he knew the solution.
After all, him and Rick had the same constitution!
Better than cupcakes and chocolates and sweets,
They liked digging into a platter of meat!
Having short arms made a hug pretty hard.
Having sharp claws meant they wrote messy cards.
They both had felt different and made to feel mean.
But, Terrance saw Rick how he’d never been seen.
A raptor just down, feeling quite empty-hearted.
So, Terrance approached when the dance finally started.
His short arm extended, as he passed Rick a letter:
. . . and when he finished the letter, Terrance asked Rick to dance.
Rick did NOT hate dancing.
Rick did NOT hate the letter.
In fact . . . suddenly Rick felt an awful lot better.
As they boogied and swayed to the beat of the song,
Rick started thinking, he may have been wrong.
Having a friend and enjoying the night –
well, that made Valentine’s feel quite alright!
Perhaps, Valentine’s Day could even be fun.
Maybe, Terrance and Rick had both found “the one”.
Even a kiss didn’t seem quite so icky . . .
BUT . . .
. . . he’d start with a hug.
Those were still pretty tricky!
The End
Recommended Reading: Holy cow, what a wonderful book about love just in time to read for Valentine’s Day. I Will Love You Till the Cows Come Home, by Kathryn Cristaldi, has everything I love in a children’s book – animals, outer space, and even violin playing frogs! It is a delightful, rhythmic read for little ones to let them know you will love them forever . . . or, at least until the cows return from their epic trip to Mars!
NEW THIS MONTH: B-Side Stories LIVE! B-side is now offering a recording of each story so your little ones can listen and read-along on their own to every monthly tale. Feel free to listen to old stories which have now been added to the B-Side archives, including this month’s story, Rick the Raptor HATES Valentine’s Day!
Enjoy reading AND listening and stay tuned for next months B-Side story. As always, thank you so much for the support. If you like Rick the Raptor, SHARE it, and make someone’s Valentine’s Day sweeter than a box of chocolates!
