20. One day, Helen shouts, "Roger, come and look at the egg! It's cracking (裂开)." Slowly a long beak (喙) appears. They are unsure what it is.
Dad checks on the computer, "Hey, look! It's a pterodactyl (翼手龙)." "A pterodactyl?" shout the children. "Yes, it's a type of dinosaur. Pterodactyls can fly," says Dad.
Then Helen names it Dacty.
A month later, he grows up. But there is something wrong with his wings. "My room is too small and Dacty keeps banging (碰撞) his wings on the walls. I feel sorry for him," says Helen. Finally, they take Dacty to a vet (兽医).
Two weeks later, Dacty's wings are better. However, he isn't willing to fly. They phone Aunt Elizabeth. Soon she arrives. "My office is very big. It's perfect for Dacty during the day. And at night, when the museum is empty, Dacty can fly around happily." Then she takes them to the museum. On arriving, they take Dacty out of the basket. He stretches (伸展) his wings, flies high up and lands on a stone statue.
"Look, he likes here," shouts Helen. "Can he see in the dark?" asks Roger. "Yes, they see clearly in the dark, just like owls (猫头鹰)," says Aunt Elizabeth.
Six months passes and Dacty is very big now. One night, Dacty sees lights moving inside the museum. Two men — Bert and Eric come in with torches (手电筒). They are wearing masks and trying to open a case (箱子). Inside it is a mummy (木乃 伊). Suddenly Eric looks up and sees Dacty. He is very scared. "Look, Bert, there is a huge bird up there." Bert looks up. Dacty doesn't move, "Eric, don't be silly. It's only a statue," says Bert. "Come on. I will open the case. You look for the gold medallions (大奖章)." At the moment, Dacty flies down and catches Eric. The thief is very scared and he can't say anything. Dacty flies up and lifts him on top of a statue. He's stuck. At once, Dacty flies down again and catches Bert, too. Both of them are stuck there.
The next morning, when Aunt Elizabeth comes in, she sees the broken mummy case and the two men. They are shouting loudly.
Dacty flies down to her. "Here you are, Dacty," she says and pets (爱抚) his head. "Thank you, you did a great job." Then she phones the police.
The mayor (市长) shakes Dacty's wing and puts a big shiny medal over his head. "Congratulations, you did a great job." Then he turns to Aunt Elizabeth, "It's great to have a big bird as a guard!"
"Dacty is a pterodactyl!" Roger says.
"Dacty is a hero now," says Aunt Elizabeth.
"A pterodactyl?" shouts another man. "Wow! They love warm weather and jungles (丛林). I work in the Botanical Gardens (植物园). We have a wonderful palm (棕榈) house, big and warm, just like a jungle. He will love there. You can come to visit it anytime."
So now Dacty is living in the Botanical Gardens. Roger and Helen visit him every day.
(Adapted from The Surprise)