A Dragon's Tale

There is a dragon who has established herself in my life.

She is an older dragon, perhaps 12, which is a pretty good age for a dragon. I don’t know much about her life before she set herself up here; she is not forthcoming with that information and in general, the life of a dragon is quite mysterious. I do know that she lived for some time in another land. Because dragons have a difficult time cleaning their teeth, so she doesn’t have any fangs left, but make no mistake - she is still quite ferocious when needed. Absolutely nothing is scarier than a toothless dragon snarling at you, and she can deal a pretty ferocious bite; rather than feeling like a bite, it feels like being caught in a bear trap. Because she is a senior dragon, she spends a lot of time napping, snorting smoke out of her nose. But when she is not asleep, snorting smoke out of her nose, she is most likely out and about, flying around in search of food or treats, perhaps more biscuits to add to the hoard that she has hidden in my car’s center console. I have gotten the very strong feeling that she is pretty excited about food and always looking for something to eat. Although she is small, just a toy dragon, a mere eight-pounds, she is mighty, and has established herself with the dogs in the house as the boss. No one messes with the dragon.

She seems to have claimed ownership of several dens, most recently on the ottoman in front of the pellet stove. She has built a nest there, made out of the blankets that we normally have thrown on the sofa. She also has dens on the guest bed, the sofa, and the arm chair in the master bedroom. The dragon seems to prefer areas that are warm and soft, and where she can hide from our puppies.

But the car is the only den where she comes alive.

I've mentioned that she likes food, and the car-den means that she will get whipped cream. Dragons, apparently, will do ANYTHING for whipped cream. When she knows that I will be going in the car-den, she insists upon going as well. She demands we stop at a coffee stand, not for me to get coffee, but for her to get whipped cream. She dances at the window. Her tongue, which already doesn’t fit in her mouth, flails around in excitement. If the barista takes too long, she will look at me, begging me to use my mastery of the English language to get her treat faster.

Additionally, the car-den is the one she is exceptionally motivated to protect. When we go places in the car-den, she does not want anyone to approach us. The times that I have had to leave her unattended in the vehicle, she will go into paroxysms of enthusiastic barking. I am unclear if it is an attempt to drive strangers away, or to summon me to return. Perhaps both. If I am still in the car-den with her, and someone approaches the car, perhaps to bring us groceries, perhaps to get into their own vehicle, she will leap into action to defend the car-den.

I’ve never considered dragons to be exceptionally good pets. Fantasy novels may teach you that dragons hoard gold, but this is not my experience. They suggest that dragons are unfriendly, but this dragon is remarkably docile. Some suggest that dragons are lumbering, mindless beasts, but this dragon is nimble enough to jump onto the sofa and smart enough to tell time, especially bed time. So perhaps, next time you are looking to add a pet to your home, a dragon may come to mind, and I encourage you to go for it for a life of adventure!