The Dragon's Gift

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. Our village was very small, and I was always bored. Nothing ever really happened here. Same routine day after day. Everyone did what they did as though they were being watched or even graded by someone. One night the village shook vigorously for several minutes. Pots, pans, dishes flew everywhere. Then as suddenly as it started it stopped. Of course, everyone slowly ventured outside to see what had happened. Our parents talked to each other for a while. The children just looked at each other surprised and frightened. Soon everyone returned to their homes to clean up the mess.

The next day was different no one did the same routine as they had before. Our parents did not send us to school. The children were told to stay close by and not wonder away. Our Chief Constable Hurt had his deputy ring the bell in the center of the town square and beckoned everyone to come and listen to a stranger he introduced as Dr. Rhymes. This man talked about what we had lived through the night before. It was an earthquake. No one had ever heard of an earthquake before. As he spoke my mind began to wonder off only focusing on every tenth word or so. He said something about plates bumping against each other under the ground. We had never heard our parents talking about this sort of thing. Our parents were looking wide eyed like we do in class when the teacher is talking about the moon, stars and the galaxy.

In so many words the ground under our feet is not solid as we thought it moves. When it moves a lot the earth above shakes. He told us this was rare for our village, and it probably will not happen again during our lifetimes. Well, that took care of it for most people. The following day after Dr. Rhymes spoke, we went back to school. Our teacher allowed us to talk about it as soon as we arrived. She had no choice we were talking about it anyway. I asked, “What happens after the ground shakes so hard?” Mrs. Bell (our teacher) answered in some places it opens up and what is underneath comes out. My friend Greta asked, “Did anything come up?” No said Mrs. Bell, I have not heard of anything coming up. Take out your geography books and turn to page eight.

Chief Constable Hurt speaks with his deputies about the earthquake during their morning meeting. “Now be on the lookout for anything strange in the next week. These things (earthquakes) tend to push up things from beneath the earth like large rocks. I have even been told that strange animals may appear. When you check the valley really look close for any new plants, trees and animals. That is all go to work men!” His team dispersed all mumbling about what had happened the night before.

As they went about their routine duties most of them did not see anything different. However, one deputy saw a huge rock in a place that the day before had a patch of wildflowers. He looked around the rock and saw an infant wrapped in several blankets inside a huge basket. As he approached the basket a gigantic winged scaly beast with red eyes and smoke ¬streaming from its nostrils appeared and snatched the basket and took off towards the mountains. He could hear the infant giggle loudly as it was whisked away. He was startled for a moment then he collected himself and quickly returned to the village.

In the mountains the beast gently placed the infant in a huge nest with two large eggs. As the infant began to cry the beast left and quickly returned with a lamb and placed the lamb against the infant. The child immediately began to nurse from the lamb until it was no longer hungry. The beast removed the lamb, and the child went to sleep.

Back at the constabulary the excited deputy told everyone what had happened while he was on patrol. Many of the other deputies laughed and waved him off. Chief Constable Hurt a huge, winged beast swooped down right in front of me and snatched an infant and took it to the mountains. Really now deputy Blithe! I did not take you for the drinking on the job type. I am not Chief Constable Hurt it happened. We need to go and get the innocent baby away from the scaly beast. Now lad who is going to scale the mountain? Are you a mountain climber man? No Chief Constable Hurt I have never been in the mountains. Well then man this ends this conversation.

A few days later a huge shadow covered the village blocking the sun all was dark for a few minutes. Then a basket floats gently in the wind from the sky. When it lands there is a baby inside. A fat, cherry red check baby that giggles so merrily. The women of the village circle the basket and finally one woman picks it up. She unwraps the buddle of joy and see it has small dark spots all over its body. Somewhat alarmed she hurriedly carries the baby to the doctor. My Lord says the doctor I have never seen anything like this and rushes to his medical journal to see if maybe there is some information about this type of ailment listed. The doctor in the mean times has his nurse clean the baby and cover it with olive oil.

This fondling does not have anyone. Doctor Smyth takes him to the court and petitions for temporary guardianship. Since the doctor is a wealthy man with a good reputation the request is immediately granted. The doctor does not have a wife however his nurse lives in his home along with an elderly aunt. Both women immediately take to the child and fawn all over him. Since the child had no fever or any cold symptoms the doctor feels that whatever is causing the small dark spots (they are very small) is not contagious. He takes the child to the nearby medical academy about 20 miles from the village. There he consults with the professors about his condition. The child is examined, and a few tests are administered in an attempt to find out what is wrong with his skin. The baby smiles, coos and giggles the whole time. Doctor Smyth needs to name the child. He decides to name him Roger after his father.

After all the examinations one doctor who studies ancient diseases finds an old medical book that has a child (about the age of Roger) with very tiny dark spots. The child in the book was treated by eating various roots and herbs daily and his skin is rubbed with olive oil daily. It was reported by time the child was four years old the spots disappeared. Elizabeth (doctor Smyth’s nurse) and his aunt take turns bathing the child three times per week, applying olive oil and prepares his meals with herbs and roots. Also the child only eats chicken not any other meat.

As the child grows older the spots begin to disappear however the infant begins to develop in ways that are unusual. He develops wing buds the doctor is very shocked by this and removes them. He wonders will this be something he will have to do as long as he lives. Doctor Smyth’s keeps a journal about his new son’s growth and other activities. He prays this will help another physician someday understand what this ailment could possibly be.

Several years pass and Roger is now a young lad about to become a man. He is strong tall and very light on his feet. The girls think he is quite handsome and flirt with him all the time. Doctor Smyth teases him about choosing a wife. Roger objects strongly. As he washes up before going to bed, he notices a large bump under his arm. Since it does not hurt, he tells himself he can wait until the morning to tell his father.