This story was inspired by an explorative drawing (1B) made over a photograph (1A; see below).

Whatever came to mind is where I went.

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The Story Of The Dragon and the Dove

Once Upon A Time

There Was A Dragon Who Lived In A Cave

The Dragon Was Happy

She Flew Like The Wind

She Soared Over The Land, Just Below The Clouds

She Loved Her Dragon-y Life

One Day She Flew Up, Up, Up Into The Sky

And On This Particular Day, She Flew Above The Clouds

She Could See The Sun’s Marvelous, Fiery Crown

The Sun Smiled Down To Her, And Shouted:

“Be Well! And Enjoy My Warmth!”

The Dragon Beamed Back With A Toothy Smile

Dragons Liked To Be Warm

The Dragon Played All Day Long Above The Clouds

She Dipped And Dove

And Flew With Speed And Grace.

She Made Patterns With Her Green Tail

And Played In The Warm Sun For Many Hours

She Was Glad To Be Above The Clouds

When It Was Time To Leave,

She Waved Goodbye To The Sun

And Said “Thank You, Mr. Sun, For Your Warmth!”

The Sun Waved In Return From The Round Edge Of The Earth

When The Sun Was Gone,

The Dragon Decided To Return Home

But, When The Dragon Dipped Below The Clouds,

She Realized That She Was Very. . .

Far . . .

From . . .

Home . . .

The Dragon Landed On Unfamiliar Ground,

“Oh No!” She Cried,

“I Am So Far From Home!”

Cold Tears Trickled Down Her Scaly Cheek As She Wandered, Looking For Anything Familiar

But It Was Too Dark To See, And She Was Growing Tired

She Came Upon A Creek Nestled In An Oak Grove Where She Took A Big Gulp Of Water

The Cool Water Spilled Between Her Teeth And Onto The Ground

The Coolness Of The Water Made Her Feel Refreshed.

Because Her Home Was So Far Away,

The Dragon Knew She Must Stay For The Night.

The Dragon Looked For A Place To Rest

And Came Across A Dragon-Sized Cave

The Cave Was Cozy And Warm

She Made A Nice, Comfortable Corner With Green Grass

Where She Curled Up Tight And Laid Down Her Dragon-y Head

“I Am Thankful For This Warm Bed,” She Said, As She Drifted Off To Sleep

The Next Morning, The Dragon Awoke To An Unfamiliar Sound

It Was A Bird’s Song

The Dragon Liked The Bird’s Song

She Closed Her Eyes And Listened

This Was The Song:

I Will Find My Way

To Be Grateful Every Day

Something Good Inside

Makes Something Good Outside

Whatever Comes My Way!

After Enjoying The Song,

The Dragon Stood Up And Stretched Her Legs Like A Cat

It Felt Good To Stretch

She Poked Her Head Out Of The Cave

Outside The Cave, The Dragon Saw A Dove In An Oak Tree

The Dove Was Singing Proudly

His Eyes Were Closed And He Was Enjoying The Morning Sun

The Dove And The Dragon Both Felt Warm From The Sun On Their Faces

They Both Liked To Be Warm

The Dove Finished Singing And Opened His Eyes

The Dove Looked Down At The Dragon

The Dragon Looked Up At The Dove

“I Like Your Song,” Said The Dragon

“Thank You,” Said The Dove “And I Like Your Shiny Scales”

“Would You Like To Sing With Me?” Asked The Dove, Politely

The Dragon Nodded And The Two Sang Together:

I Will Find My Way

To Be Grateful Every Day

Something Good Inside

Makes Something Good Outside

Whatever Comes My Way!

The Song Was Nice,

But Then, The Dragon Remembered That She Was Far From Home

The Dove Saw That The Dragon Was Sad And Asked,

“What’s The Matter, My Dragon Friend?”

The Dragon Replied,

“I Flew Above The Clouds And Now I Am So Far From Home! I Am Afraid I Don’t Know The Way.”

The Dove Was Kind And Wise

He Knew Where The Dragons Lived

“It’s Okay To Be Afraid. I Know Where The Dragons Live And I Can Help You.”

“You Can?” Said The Dragon, Feeling Relieved.

“Oh, Thank You, Mister Dove”

And With That, They Decided To Leave Right Away, After Breakfast Of Course.

The Dragon Ate Fish From The Creek, And The Dove Ate Worms From The Ground

The Dragon Took A Cool Drink Of Water And The Dove Cleaned His Feathers

Then, They Began To Fly Together To The Realm Of The Dragons

As They Flew, The Dove Pointed Out His Favorite Places

There Was The Old Meadow, Filled With Wildflowers;

The Blueberry Grove;

And The Tall Pine Grove Where He Was Born.

When They Reached The Dragon’s Realm, the Dragon Noticed A Familiar Rock In A Field

“I Know This Place!” She Exclaimed

She Pointed Out Her Favorite Places To The Dove:

There Was The Green Cliffside;

And The Waterfall;

And Her Quiet Creek Beneath The Willows.

At Last, They Had Arrived At The Dragon’s Shady Willow Creek

The Dragon Was So Happy To Be Home

The Dragon Drank The Cool Water And Felt Refreshed.

The Dove Bathed In A Shallow Pool And Cleaned His Feathers

The Dragon Knew They Would Be Friends For A Long Time

“Would You Like To Stay For The Day?” Asked The Dragon, Hopefully

“Why, Yes,” Said The Dove, “That Will Be Nice!”

The Dragon and The Dove Played All Day Above The Clouds In The Sun

They Did Not Worry Because They Knew The Way Home

They Sang Together:

I Will Find My Way

To Be Grateful Every Day

Something Good Inside

Makes Something Good Outside

Whatever Comes My Way!

The Sun Smiled Down To Them, And Proclaimed:

“Be Well! And Enjoy My Warmth!”

The Dragon And The Dove Responded Together,

“Thank You, Mister Sun!”

The Dragon Continued,

“And, Thank You, Mr. Dove! For Your Kindness!” She Said

“When We Show Kindness, That Keeps Us Grateful,”

Said The Dove

“And, When We Notice Warmth Outside, That Keeps Us Warm Inside.”

The Dragon Added

When It Was Time To Leave, The Dragon And The Dove Thanked The Sun

They Waved To The Sun As He Sank Beneath The Round Edge Of The Earth

The Dragon And The Dove Arrived At The Willow Creek Just After Dark

The Dragon Took A Refreshing Drink Of Water From The Creek While The Dove Happily Cleaned His Feathers

The Dragon Showed The Dove A Comfortable, Bird-Sized Hole In A Tree Just Outside Her Cave

The Dove Was Happy In His Cozy Guest-Nest

The Dragon Found Her Straw Bed Just As She Had Left It: Soft And Warm

“I Am Thankful To Be Home In My Warm Bed,” Said The Dragon

“And,” She Added, “I Am Thankful For My New Friend, Mister Dove”

The Two Friends Said Goodnight As They Drifted Off To Sleep With Warm Memories From Their Adventure Together

The Dragon And The Dove Were Friends For Many Years, Flying Across The Grassy Planes And Above The Clouds, Always Remembering To Notice Warmth Throughout Their Journeys

They Could Often Be Heard Singing:

I Will Find My Way

To Be Grateful Every Day

Something Good Inside

Makes Something Good Outside

Whatever Comes My Way!

The End

JDF