Compilation Dragon by J.O.B.

There once was a very lonely dragon who lived all alone in her tower now that the princess was married to her prince. The young dragon tried to stay out of the nearby town because she scared many of the towns people. One day the dragon got a hangnail and went to town to find help. Unfortunately, the people of the town thought she was coming to eat them all.

There it was again, digging into her skin, the dragon’s mother told her not to pull hangnails and to wait to cut them off. The dragon thought to herself, What harm could it really do? The dragon tried to pull it, but stopped after immense pain.  Hopelessly, she watched the blood burst from her right hind leg and slowly drip to the floor.

With a great sigh, she thought of the last time this had happened. The time when she had tried to get help. She knew the woodworker could fix the problem as she had seen his tools the night his dog had gone missing. He had threateningly waved them over his head, sure that she had eaten the Labrador, but she had not. Years earlier she had made a meager meal of his wife’s chow, but that was before she had realized what horrifically hairy meals dogs made. People and pigs were much preferred to dog, but the woodworker hadn’t known any of this. Tools raised he had shouted at her for minutes before he caught himself and remembered that she could eat him just as easily as she could eat a dog. She had raised her hind leg to him so he could see the pain and distress she was in but it only upset him more and in the end he joined his family in their basement. This made her sad and angry, she sat there thinking, how will she get his attention? Maybe she could breathe fire on his house to get him to come out. Would he help her then? Whatever will she do?

No, this time she would have to find a new way to show him the nail that grew askew. The act of pulling it out had become too painful. Her teeth were not designed to aid in pulling but rather for piercing. Every few years, when her nail grew out of control and dug into her skin she would bite at the nail until it fractured and splintered. Eventually the pieces would fall out and a new nail would grow in its place but it took time and often got infected. Tears in her eyes, she reluctantly returned to the woodworkers house. She looked in the basement window, hoping the woodworker would feel sorry for her. She shrieked a dragon yell! As for this pain, hurt like hell! Still nothing from the woodworker, so she thought some more. She now lay on her side, showing the nail in her foot towards the window.

At last, the woodworker now could see what was wrong. His family begged him not to, but he could feel her pain. Against their wishes and pleas, he stepped outside to help the dragon. He approached with caution, carrying his tools to pull the nail. Once he stepped near the dragon stayed still, as he pulled on the nail, she let out a yell! Oh poor dragon he said, it will be okay, I will have this out in no time. He pulled once more, and this time it came loose, she let out a yell again. This time she had tears of joy. The dragon was so happy and thankful that the woodworker had helper her, she decided to asked him if there was any way she could repay the favor and make up for scaring his family. The woodworker replied that he was not use to seeing such a nice dragon.

The woodworker invited the dragon to dinner at his house with his family. Although they had to eat outside in order for her to fit, the family and the dragon shared many stories and realized they were not so different after all. The woodworker asked the dragon “Am I still entitled to a favor?” The dragon replied “Of course!” The woodworker said “We would like you to come over every week like this and help me chop down some trees. Afterwards, we can all enjoy dinner.” The dragon was very happy to help and have some new friends to meet with every week.

The End

Story by J.O.B. (Joel, Oliver & Bianca)