Zoonotic Love

Out of the lagoon came a fire-breathing dragon with a dumbfounded look. It appeared more surprised than belligerent as it emerged from the water. There was little doubt it possessed enormous strength.

Folklore assumes that these entities can prevent weather-related disasters and generate water or rainfall whenever needed! While many believe that great power comes with great responsibility, this was not obvious by how it moved across the field! As it swiftly moved, we wondered whether what we had seen was real.

We could not decipher whether it was a female or male dragon as none of us had seen a live dragon before. It then moved past several trees into the wilderness and disappeared.

The question is whether our sighting would grant us the good fortune predicted by the East Asian culture or the strength the emperors of China expected by its presence. We believed that generating any of these attributes would be a win!

The good news is that when the dragon made eye contact with us, the glance was not hostile but one of curiosity. We waited for another glimpse but soon concluded that the dragon would not return. Maybe, the creature was shy and didn't want anyone staring at it.

A few hours later, we heard a loud hissing sound emanating from the bushes near the lagoon and observed a few small animals running away as the dragon reemerged carrying a small bundle.

What could it be?

Unbeknownst to us, it was a tiny toddler! We all gasped and believed the toddler was doomed as the dragon would surely drop the toddler or unintentionally cause it harm. The dragon exhibited impeccable maternal instincts as it whisked the young boy to safety!

We all watched in awe as the dragon coddled the young toddler, who appeared mesmerized by the dragon’s warm embrace. It was clear that we could watch but not get too close to the dragon.

With this action, we concluded we were watching a female dragon demonstrating its maternal instincts. The toddler couldn't swim and clutched onto the dragon for its dear life! As we left the lagoon, we all wondered how things would unfold.

Sadly this toddler was abandoned, and the dragon stepped in to protect it from the elements of nature. Over the next several months, we frequently stopped by the lagoon looking for sightings of the dragon and the toddler but saw nothing. The locals would leave care packages near the lagoon. While some packages disappeared, others were left unopened!

No one knew how this story would unfold. Yet, several years later, many were shocked when the dragon emerged from the forest with a young boy smiling by the dragon’s side. The young boy was now a part of the dragon's world. The boy alternated between swimming in the lagoon and riding the dragon.

Both seemed to have found a way to coexist with each other peacefully. Interestingly, the dragon no longer seemed too protective and allowed the boy to interact with others. As a result, the young boy began to accept more of the care packages left by residents that referred to him as the dragon boy!

Clearly, this abandoned toddler was raised with lots of love by his dragon mother.

With each passing day, the boy interacted more with the visitors that dropped off care packages. It was clear that his dragon mother fully understood what was happening.

One day the boy reached out his arms to a young couple that supported him with care packages from the beginning. The dragon stood back with a sorrowful but fateful demeanor.

She understood that it was time to say goodbye and let the boy go as he was in a better place and ready to reenter the world that once abandoned him, on his own terms and from a position of strength.