Dragon Song
Ernest Samuel Llime - January 2009, Woodhaven
E A E (X3)
There once was a - naughty little boy and his name - was Fragon.
Just two letters - away from the name of his favorite magical beast - the
Dragon.
And one letter - away from his favorite movie character - a boy who made friends
with - you guessed it - a Dragon.
F#m E A (X2)
His mommy and his daddy both worked for the government
And one day on a fast plane - they all flew to China.
They arrived just as Fragon's birthday was starting back home, so just before
they got off the plane, his mommy and daddy gave him him his
birthday present. It was quite big and yet not too thick, so right away he knew
it was a book. Fragon liked to play all kinds of games, and
he loved to watch movies, but more than anything he just loved to read books. In
his mind, the stories and the heroes of the stories became
true and no movie could really match the power of his imagination.
"Go ahead and open it," said his mommy "back home it is already your birthday."
So he unwrapped it carefully, and he discovered the greatest book ever. It was
called "Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Dragons."
He didn't get a chance to read any of it just then, because they had to gat off
the plane. The airport was very interesting and on the car
ride to the hotel he saw many things that were strane and fascinating. The
buildings had interestingly curved roofs, the cars were designed
differently and there were more people riding bicycles than he had ever seen
anywhere. At the hotel, they only had time to wash up, change
into clean clothes and off they went again tp meet with some important Chinese
people for some very important reasons that Fragon didn't
really care about. He just cared about the new sights and of course, his new
book which, of course he had taken with him.
It was a warm and very lovely summer day, so when they got to the meeting place,
Fragon's mommy and daddy and the important Chinese people
got down to their important business, and they did not notice Fragon sneaking
away.
Fragon found a quiet shady place by the side a great old wall and opened his
book.
The first page had the title on it again:
"Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Dragons"
And under that, in smaller letters:
"And So Many Other Things That You Didn't Even Know That You Wanted To Know."
And that was the truth. As he turned the pages he saw many beautiful
illustrations of fire dragons, water dragons, air dragons, magic castles
and mystical forests. He also learned many, many things about dragons that he
didn't know before. Here are a few of them:
He read that words that have 5 dragon letters in them, always have something to
do with dragons. Like this:
Aragon - a region in NE Spain (says the dictionary) - The birth place of
dragons.
Baragon - a four-legged Triceratops with a horn on his head and large ears
featured in the 1965 Toho produced
film, Frankenstein vs. Baragon. - The dragons second home in Britannia where
they moved when Spain got too nasty.
Cragon - no dictionary entry - The latest home of the dragon nation high in the
mountains of China.
Estargon - essential oil, derived from tarragon used in perfume or, to stimulate
appetite - in this case also used by dragons in perfume oil.
Mandragora - also called mandrake, (Mandragora officinarum,) is a plant
belonging to the nightshades family. The root is often used in magic
rituals - great for flavoring dragon soup (made by and not of dragons - O.K?)
Paragon - a model or pattern of excellence (says the dictionary) - which is
exactly what a dragon is.
Tarragon - perennial aromatic Old World herb - used to make dragon tea - an
intoxicating drink (like wine or beer) favored by dragons.
He also read the Oregon (an American state) didn't have anything to do with
oregano which is a spice that dragons love to put on their pizza
pies (he didn't know that dragons loved pizza - and that they had actually
invented the first pizza pie ever while they lived in Spain -
because Spain has some of the best cheese in the whole world.)
There were many other interesting things like the dragons' favorite sport
(clawball - which is like a cross between football & basketball
played while flying through the air,) their favorite hobbies (stamp & coin
collecting,) their favorite pastime (why, reading a book of course,)
the magical properties of their scales (which completely replaced themselves in
two weeks, every 200 years,) and many many other things.
And then, on page 33 was the dragon incantation (which can be used to summon a
dragon) and it went like this:
E E A
Aragon,
Baragon,
Cragon,
Dragon
Fragon's mind automatically added:
Eragon,
Fragon
He liked this so he started repeating it faster and faster:
Aragon,
Baragon,
Cragon,
Dragon
Eragon,
Fragon
He even started to sing it:
Aragon,
Baragon,
Cragon,
Dragon
Eragon,
Fragon
He started hearing this music which he thought was only in his head, but it
didn't bother him and because he really was a little bit naughty he
started a little dance.
After a bit he started his new song again:
Aragon,
Baragon,
Cragon,
Dragon
Eragon,
Fragon
He had gotten himself all tired and as he sat down, he let a tiny little fart
escape which immediately caused him to start laughing - he was
still young enough to find farting noises very, very funny. It took him a few
moments to realize that he was not laughing by himself. His
eyes were still full of sunlight so it was only slowly that he started seeing
the very large dragon that was also sitting in the shade of the
old great wall sipping at a cup of steaming hot tea that it held in a
surprisingly tiny hand. He didn't feel afraid at all, just a little bit
embarrassed - he was not yet old enough to enjoy dancing in front of strangers
and yet young enough to not worry about farting in public.
- Excuse me, he said, how long have you been here? It didn't occur to him that
the dragon might not understand.
Later on when he had time to read his dragon book some more, he found out that
dragons understand and speak all languages.
- Long enough, said the dragon, to enjoy your cute little show, you naughty
little boy.
- Oh, I'm sorry, said Fragon, but I am not a naughty little boy!
- Nonsense, said the dragon, all little boys are noughty.
- Well i am not so little anymore.
_ Never mind that - what is more important is an introduction - my name is
Pajarita and that means little bird in Spanish.
- You're a girl?
- So you do not tell your name to girls? Is that polite?
- Oh no, I'm sorry, my name is Fragon and I don't what that means.
- And what was that you were reading there?
- It is called "Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Dragons" and my
parents gave me this today for my birthday.
- Happy birthday to you then my little dragon.
- Why are you calling me that?
- Because this year, is the Chinese year of the dragon. In the Chinese zodiac,
this happens every 12 years and that means that you were born in
the year of the dragon, so that makes you a little dragon. I wish I could share
my tea with you, but you are still a bit too young, come back
in the next year of the dragon.
- Why could I not have some of your tea now?
- Because I am having a bit of tarragon tea that is not appropriate for
children.
Faragon remembered reading that tarragon tea was like wine or beer so he asked
her how come she was drinking that.
- An old and very funny friend of mine named Ben, once said that "In wine there
is truth, in beer there is freedom and in water there is
bacteria." Just kidding,
it is a very traditional dragon beverage and I enjoy drinking it once in a
while.
Fragon remembered his daddy once saying that polite people do not drink before 5
so he said.
- But it's only a few minutes past noon.
- Another friend of mine once said that "It's 5 o'clock somewhere," but enough
of that, it is time for a little flight; would you like to
join me?
- You bet, said Fragon.
He found out that the bottom of a dragon's long neck was a perfect seat and away
they flew. It was a lot more exciting than flying in an
airplane and they had a very enjoyable view of the various villages and ancient
buildings that Pajarita was pointing out to Fragon. It
all ended much too soon but when they got back the wall was throwing a much
longer shadow.
- That was fantastic, said Fragon, and thank you very much; if i read the
incantation again will you come to see me again?
- Only if you promise to sing and dance for me again, said Pajarita while
disappearing slowly.
- Oh, I will, I promise! said Fragon to the thin air.
- What do you promise? asked his father who was just walking around the corner
with his mommy.
- I promise to sing and dance for my favorite dragon.
- So, I guess you liked your present.
- Oh daddy, thank you. You and mommy gave me the best present that ever was and
this is the greatest birthday ever.
- Then you don't want your birthday cake?
- I didn't say that said Fragon - of course I will have my birthday cake, I just
wish I could share it with a dragon.
Copyright © 2009 Ernest Samuel Llime. All Rights Reserved.
