e a c hb o o k i l l u s t r a t i o nw i t h s u p p o r t i n gt e x t t h e yw e r e s p e c i f i c a l l y v i s u a l i s e df r o m .
Thef ol l owi ngmor ni ngt hebeg g a ra r r i v ed ea r l ya tt hes weet s hopa ndpi c k edupt he l ov el ybi gt of f eea ppl et ha tt hes weet s hop ma nha dma de. I twa si ndeeda sbi ga sa f oot ba l la ndt hebeg g a rputi ti nt ohi s wheel ba r r ow ont opoft hec oi lofr ope. Thena wa yhewent , pus hi ngt hewheel ba r r ow upt hehi l lt owa r dst hec a v ewher et he dr a g onl i v ed. Ev ent ua l l yher ea c hedt het opoft hehi l la nd s t oppedal i t t l ea wa yf r om t hedr a g onsc a v e. ‘ Hel l ot her e, hel l odr a g on’hec a l l ed. The dr a g onr us hedoutofhi sc a v er oa r i nga nd g na r l i ngwi t hf l a mess hoot i ngoutofhi s mout h, a l t houg ht hef l a mesdi dn’ tqui t er ea c h t hebeg g a rwhoha ds t oppedj us tf a renoug h a wa yt oa v oi dt hem.
‘ Dr a g on’s hout edt hebeg g a r , ‘ I v eg ots omet hi ngf ory ou’ . ‘ Wha ti si t ? ’ , t hunder edt he dr a g on. ‘ I t ’ sat of f eea ppl e, l ook, I l lr ol li t t owa r dsy ou’ , a ndt hent hebeg g a rt i ppedt he t of f eea ppl eoutoft hewheel ba r r ow a nd r ol l edi tt owa r dst hedr a g on.
Now notma nypeopl eknow t hi s , but dr a g onsha v eav er ys weett oot ha nds eei ng t het of f eea ppl er ol l i ngt owa r dshi mt he dr a g onopenedhi smout hwi des ot ha tt he a ppl ec oul dr ol li nt oi t . Andi tdi d… t hwa c k! ! I ts t uc kbet weenhi sj a ws . Now Idon’ tknow i fy ou’ v eev erha dahug es weeti ny our mout h, ma y beas t i c kyt of f ee, i t ’ st oobi gt o s wa l l ow, a nds t uc ka g a i ns ty ourt eet hs ot ha t y ouc a n’ tc r unc hi t , wel lt ha t ’ sexa c t l ywha t ha ppenedt ot hedr a g on. Hec oul dn’ tc l os e hi smout h, hec oul dn’ topeni ta nyf ur t her , he c oul dn’ tbr ea t hef l a mesbec a us et het of f ee a ppl ewa si nt hewa y , i nf a c thewa s , f ort he moment … hel pl es s .
Qui c ka saf l a s h, t hebeg g a rr us hedupt ot he dr a g ona ndwoundhi sc oi lofr oper oundt he dr a g onsj a ws , s ot ha tt hedr a g onwa s c ompl et el yha r ml es s , t of f eea ppl es t uc k i ns i dehi sj a ws , t her opewr a ppeda r oundt he out s i deofhi sj a wsa ndi nt hi swa yt hebeg g a r l edt hedr a g ondownt hehi l lt ot het own. Ther ewa sofc our s eag r ea thul l a ba l ooi n t het owna st hebeg g a ra ndt hedr a g on ent er edt het own. St r a i g htupt ot hepa l a c e t heywent . ‘ Si r e’ , s a i dt hebeg g a r , ‘ her ei st he dr a g on, ‘ Iha v ec omef ort heba gofg ol da nd t heha ndoft hebea ut i f ulpr i nc es swi ns ome’ TheKi ngj us tdi dn’ tknow wha tt os a y , ‘ wel l , er r … wel l , er r ’hes pl ut t er edg oi ngr edder a ndr edderi nt hef a c e. ‘ Her ei st heg ol dbut a sr eg a r dst omyda ug ht er , ‘ wel l , er r ! ’he g a s peda g a i n. ‘ Per ha psi ft hePr i nc es swer et o ki s sme’ , s mi l edt hebeg g a r . ‘ I ma f r a i dIs ha l l ha v et o’ , t hePr i nc es sha dj oi nedt hem a nd s hewentupt ot hebeg g a rwi t hal ookof g r i m det er mi na t i ononherf a c e. Thebeg g a r v er yg ent l yki s s edhera nd…
. . . l ow a ndbehol dt her ewa sas ha r ppuf fof s mok e. . .
. . . a ndwher eamomentha ds t oodt he beg g a r , t her enow s t oodaha nds omey oung kni g hti ns hi ni ngs i l v era r mour . ‘ Yous ee’s a i d t hekni g ht , ‘ a l li snotwha ti ts eems , ev ent he dr a g oni snott hef i er c ebea s tt ha tev er y one t hi nkshei s ’ , a ndt hekni g htunc oi l edt he r opef r om a r oundt hedr a g onsj a wsa nd s l owl ypul l edt het of f eea ppl eoutofhi s mout h.Thedr a g onl ook edpuz z l eda ndt he peopl ewhoha dg a t her eda r oundba c k ed a wa yhur r i edl ywi t hal otof‘ oohs ! ’a nd ‘ a a hs ! ’ . ‘ How woul dy oul i k et ol i v edown her ewi t hus ? ’s a i dt hey oungkni g htt ot he dr a g on. ‘ I ft hePr i nc es swi l lma r r ymey ouc a n ha v eabi gf i el da l lt oy our s el fa ndIwi l lbr i ng y ouy ourf a v our i t ef oodev er yda ya nda t of f eea ppl eonc eaweek’ . Thedr a g on noddedhi shea dbec a us ea st hekni g htha d r ea l i s ed, a l lt ha twa swr ongwi t ht hedr a g on wa st ha thewa sl onel ya ndt hei deaofha v i ng t hePr i nc es sa ndt hekni g hta shi sf r i ends a ppea l edt ohi mv er ymuc h.
Sot hePr i nc es sa ndt hekni g htg otma r r i ed. Thedr a g onl i v edi nhi sf i el d, wi t habi ghut i nonec or nerf orwi nt er ywea t her , a nda s t heys a yi na l loft hebes tf a i r ys t or i es , t hey a l ll i v edha ppi l yev er ya f t er .