The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water

Littlefoot Thomas Dekker is a curious young Longneck, trying to enjoy a moment with friends, but the Great Valley is left partially flooded and cluttered with debris after a harsh period of rain. While the others busy themselves with nesting and chores—Cera’s family clearing a fallen log, a busy Ducky and her family relocating their nest, and Petrie nursing a cold—Littlefoot’s mind drifts toward a wish for a brother and for something more than the day-to-day routine. He eventually wanders off on his own and stumbles into a wider, rain-soaked expanse that has seeped into the valley, a place heavy with new possibilities and hidden dangers.

There, he meets Mo [Rob Paulsen], a playful Ophthalmosaurus from the Big Water who was swept into the valley by the floods. Mo is both friendly and brave, and Littlefoot quickly forms a bond with him, calling him a mud brother as they share stories of their different homes and ways of life. Mo explains that he is from the Big Water and that he swam into the valley during the storm, hoping to find safety and friendship. But danger looms: a Liopleurodon attacks the group, threatening their fragile new fellowship. When Littlefoot asks the grown-ups for help to return Mo to his home, they refuse, fearing that venturing outside the valley could invite unpredictable threats and put their own community at risk. A fierce earthshake shakes loose the landscape and separates the children and Mo from the rest of the valley, and it also traps the Sharptooth in an underwater cavern. With the odds stacking against them, the children decide to embark on a journey to return Mo to his family, trusting that their path will lead them back home.

Guided by a river they believe will lead to the ocean, the friends press onward. A Diplodocus mother offers them shelter at her nest for the night, and the group witnesses the miracle of the hatchlings as new life fills the nesting area. The following day, the journey hints that they are drawing closer to the sea, their senses tingling with salt in the air and taste. That night, danger returns in the form of the Sharptooth, who has managed to escape from the cave. The muddy, treacherous banks of the river make escape difficult, trapping the group in a perilous squeeze between shoreline and flood. Mo bravely distracts the Sharptooth, pulling it further downstream, and the creature gives up the chase when it senses the distant ocean.

As the travelers finally reach the ocean, Mo learns that his friends must part ways. He is sad at the idea of leaving, yet the others reassure him that their bond remains—Littlefoot reminds him that they will always be brothers, no matter the distance. Mo reconnects with his own family and asks for directions toward the smoky mountains, telling them that the valley can be found from there. Before they part, Mo offers to share a glimpse of his underwater homeland, and Littlefoot accepts with wide-eyed wonder at the vibrant depths and unfamiliar creatures that lie beneath the waves. The farewell is heartfelt, and Mo’s world briefly opens up to the valley friends. They return home just as the adults greet them, the bonds of friendship strengthened by the voyage and the promise of future reunions beyond the river’s bend.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:34