Preface:
I wrote a storybook to give to my son for Christmas. Since it was fun to write and I don't think I did too awful of a job, I'm sharing it here. There are pictures, but a) it's too hard to include them all on the blog and b) I'm not sure that I have the copyright ability to publish them all on the Internet. Anyway, here's the book...
* * * * * * * *
Riley and the Dragon
Samuel the Dragon lived in a cave on the far edges of the land of Ibrak, He spent most days hunting for food on the green hills beside his cave. Like all dragons, Samuel had great eyesight and could see for miles. He could also smell for miles, which is why you don’t find many dragons near dairy farms.
But Samuel didn’t always like living in his cave. During the winter it was cold and there was not much food to hunt and sometimes Samuel went hungry. Samuel did not like going hungry.
And then there were the humans. Samuel was scared of humans. They thought Samuel was a horrible monster. But Samuel was a nice dragon. He tried to help others – both dragons and humans. Sometimes his help turned out badly. Like the one time during harvest season when he sneezed and accidentally burned down a cornfield.
One day in early summer, Samuel the Dragon was pacing back and forth in front of his cave. He saw a rider in the distance – a human on a horse. Now, some dragons would hide beside their cave human came close enough to blast with a single breath of fire. Samuel, on the other hand would just hide until they were gone.
But this rider was different. Samuel could see that this human was smaller, probably a child. Why would a human child be riding to my cave? The only time humans came here was if they were really, really lost. Or if they were hunting dragons.
But as the rider came closer, Samuel could see that it was a child. So Samuel did something he had never done before – he showed himself to the human. The human’s horse jumped, letting out a loud neigh as it dumped its rider to the ground.
Even though he was still a little scared, Samuel introduced himself to the human. “My…my name is Samuel. I’m…a dragon.”
The young human smiled and stuck out his hand. “Hello, Samuel. My name is Riley and this is my horse, Aurora. We’ve come to bring you to the castle.”
The castle? Samuel had seen the great castle in the city, but only from very far away. “But why does he want me?”
Riley smiled. “The king wants to have a dragon in his dungeon. He is too old to come get you himself, so he sent me.”
“What is the dungeon like?” asked Samuel.
“It’s just as big as that cave behind you,” Riley said, “with plenty of room for a dragon to fly. And you’ll always have plenty to eat, even in winter.”
Samuel the Dragon thought for a moment. It might be fun to live in the city. And it would certainly be nice to always have enough to eat. But what about all those humans?
“Will all of the other humans be afraid of me,” Samuel asked Riley, “or will they know I’m a good dragon?”
Riley thought about that. “They will probably be afraid of you at first. Most people do think dragons are bad. But if you show them how nice you are, they will stop being afraid. Except for strangers, of course. But that’s why the king needs you anyway – to keep his enemies in line. Seems every king has a dragon nowadays.”
So Samuel followed Riley and Aurora into the city. Samuel noticed that they did not see very many humans on the journey.
“Where did everyone go?” he asked Riley.
“I think they’re hiding in their homes,” Riley answered. “Since you’re a dragon and all.”
“Why weren’t you afraid of me, Riley?” asked Samuel.
“Oh, I was terrified,” said Riley. “But I pretended not to be afraid so you wouldn’t know. And now that I know you, you’re not scary at all. You really are a good dragon!”
Samuel thought that was a very good idea. As they passed more villages on the way to the castle, Samuel told himself he wasn’t afraid of all the humans. After a while, it even worked
After two days, Samuel and Riley arrived at the city. Samuel could see the castle in middle of the city. It was so tall! Samuel stopped walking. Suddenly, knowing there were so many humans in the city made them all seem scary again.
Riley turned around. “Aren’t you coming?”
Samuel shook his head. “What if I don’t like the castle? What if it’s boring? What if everyone always stays afraid of me? What if I’m afraid of them? What if the food doesn’t taste good?”
Riley laughed. “Then I guess you’ll just have to walk back all by yourself and live in your cold lonely cave forever.”
Samuel sighed. “I do want to see the inside of the castle.” Samuel stood up tall. “Okay, Riley, let’s go in!”
The king himself was waiting at the gates to meet Samuel. “Welcome, dragon! We hope you enjoy your stay here with us at the castle. My men will show you to your new quarters.”
The king’s servants led Samuel to the castle dungeon. Just like Riley said, it was a roomy dungeon, with plenty of space for a dragon to fly around and a large straw pile for a bed. And best of all was a large meal set out just for Samuel. Food!
From then on, Samuel the Dragon enjoyed his life at the castle. He always had plenty to eat and a warm, comfortable bed. When he was bored, the king let him swim in the castle moat or spend an afternoon flying over the whole kingdom.
Riley didn’t forget Samuel. He came to visit him often, and sometimes he would go with Samuel and ride on his back as they flew over fields and lakes. Samuel was grateful that the king had sent Riley to find him and bring him here to the castle where he made his new home. And best of all, Samuel the Dragon had made a real friend.
The end.
December 25, 2009
