Douglas the Dragon: Book 1 - Douglas the Unloved Dragon

attracted the attention of a number of villagers who were curious to see this newcomer.

  “Hello there” said Wizard Yaffe politely. “My name is Wizard Yaffe and I’m a stranger to these parts.”

  "Sit down here in the shade, stranger, and I'll bring you some food and drink," the publican said to the wizard.

  "That's extremely kind of you, sir," replied Wizard Yaffe, "but I think it's only fair to tell you that I have no money to pay for it. I never carry money, you see!"

  "No matter," said the publican. "What we have, you’re only too welcome to share. Strangers are always made welcome in Marfield, Wizard Yaffe."

  "Do you intend to stay in the village overnight, Wizard Yaffe?" another villager asked the wizard.

  "I have walked rather a long way today and I'm tired," the wizard replied, "but I’d be ever so grateful if someone would let me sleep in their barn."

  "Sleep in the barn!" cried the Mayor. "We wouldn't dream of offering a barn to a stranger in need of rest. No! You come home with me, Wizard Yaffe. You can willingly have my bed and I'll sleep in the barn for one night!"

  “Thank you so much,” replied the wizard.” That’s so kind of you, Mr Mayor, but I couldn’t possibly let you put yourself out of your bed for a stranger and let you sleep on straw while I snuggle into feather. I couldn’t possibly!”

  “Think nothing of it, Wizard Yaffe! Think not upon it a moment longer. I would consider it a kindness in itself were you to accept such a small gesture. Think not of it as me ‘losing a bed for the night,’ but instead of me ‘gaining a friend for life? What better way of turning stranger into friend?”

  “What a wonderful way of looking at things,” the wizard remarked in gratitude.” What a wonderful philosophy! I thank you most graciously, Mr Mayor and will gladly accept your kind offer of hospitality overnight. Thank you so much.”

  Wizard Yaffe slept soundly that night, and he awoke the next morning determined to repay the villagers in some way for the abundance of kindness they’d shown to a stranger. After eating a hearty breakfast, Wizard Yaffe left the Mayor’s house and stepped into the Village Square where a large gathering of people who’d heard about this wandering wizard to their village had come to see for themselves. Wizard Yaffe began talking with some of the villagers and shortly after, the Mayor of Marfield re-joined them in the Village Square.

  “I’ve been thinking” said Wizard Yaffe to the assembled villagers.”I have never before been treated with such kindness. I am simply overwhelmed and filled with gratitude, and me, a stranger amongst you! I would like to do something to repay your kindness. Is there anything I could offer you or do for you?”

  “The dragon, Mr Mayor! Tell the wizard about our ‘neighbour from hell,’” one of the villagers announced.” Ask the wizard to help!”

  Just then, a flash of lightning shot across the sky accompanied by an angry roar that sounded like a bolt of thunder. It seemed to come from one of the hilltops that overlooked the village. The villagers immediately started to show a look of fearful expectation across their face.

  "Was that a shooting star?" The wizard asked the Mayor. "I haven't seen one of those for many a long year."

  "I wish it was a shooting star," the Mayor replied with a heavy sigh. "We all wish it was a shooting star, instead of a ferocious dragon; our ‘neighbour from hell!"

  "A ferocious dragon! Your ‘neighbour from hell’?" Wizard Yaffe exclaimed. "Pray, tell me more. It's been many a year since I’ve heard mention of a dragon; even longer since I've actually heard or seen one!”

  “Before long, the villagers had told the wizard about the ferocious dragon that lived in the ruin of a castle at the top of ‘The Hill of Fear.’ They told Wizard Yaffe about the repeated raids that the dragon had made on their peaceful village over the past 10 years and the massive destruction and carnage the angry neighbour had caused whenever he attacked the village.

  "We just don't know what to do or where to turn!" said the Mayor. "We're trapped! We feel so helpless! It's not nice being at the mercy of an angry neighbour. There's just nothing we can do about it, except to carry on with our lives until the dragon decides to pay us another visit. Now, since you asked, Wizard Yaffe; if you could use some of your magic or cast one of your spells and turn our ‘neighbour from hell’ into a ‘good neighbour’, then we’d be eternally grateful to you. All we want is to be able to live peaceably alongside the dragon. Do you have the magic to bring this about, Wizard Yaffe?”

  Wizard Yaffe smiled. He was surprised by the precise nature of the request. He was even more impressed by the fact that they had asked for the dragon to be changed from a ferocious one into a friendly one, instead of asking for it to be killed or got rid of.

  Wizard Yaffe said, "I’m so sorry, my dear friends, but I don’t have the magic you require to turn your angry dragon into a friendly one. But you do! You have all the magic that’s required in this village; enough magic to turn any ferocious dragon into a friendly neighbour.”

  "You’re bonkers, Wizzy!"yelled out Frances McNally.” We’re just ordinary folk, Wizzy. We don’t have any magic. We’re not wizards. You’re bonkers! Stark raving bonkers, Wizzy!”

  “Frances!" remarked the Mayor disapprovingly to the spotty-faced girl who was being grossly disrespectful to an adult while picking her nose in front of him and flicking the bogies everywhere. “Where are your manners, my girl? How dare you be so rude by calling Wizard Yaffe ‘Wizzy?’”

  “Yeh, yeh yeh.....” Frances McNally muttered before flicking another bogie in the direction of Wizard Yaffe.

  “What's this magic that we have, Wizard Yaffe?" asked the Mayor. "What power do we possess to change a ferocious dragon into a friendly dragon? We’re only simple folk."

  "The ‘Power of Love!’" declared the wizard. "Only the ‘Power of Love’ is capable of transforming your angry dragon into a friendly dragon, and love is a commodity that this village possesses in abundance."

  The mayor still looked a bit puzzled, so the wizard explained a bit more about the ‘Power of Love.’

  "There are two dragons that seek to dwell in the heart of every man, woman and child; the ‘Dragon of Anger’ and the ‘Dragon of Love.’ If we allow the ‘Dragon of Anger’ to live in our heart, it will eventually destroy us by making all the thoughts, feelings and actions that come out of us, angry ones! There's only one way we can get the ‘Dragon of Anger’ out of our body; by letting in the ‘Dragon of Love’ to everything we think, feel and do. The ‘Dragon of Love’ will keep us happy. It will let us love others more and let others love us. It will also let us love ourselves. Most importantly, it will help us to get rid of the ‘Dragon of Anger.’ So, you see, good people of Marfield, in order to get the ‘Anger’ out, one must first put the ‘Love’ in!"

  "The magic you have in this village to change this ferocious dragon into a friendly dragon," Wizard Yaffe continued with growing excitement in his voice, "is… is an army of children.”

  “The Power of Love!” spluttered Frances McNally.”You’re bonkers, Wizzy! An army of children? You’re off your trolley, Buster!”

  The wizard asked the grown-ups to go out into the village and bring back every happy child they found into the Village Square, but was careful to add: "Only bring those children you find with smiley faces. We don't want those with dumpy, mumpy and grumpy faces, because they won't be able to help us. People with dumpy, mumpy and grumpy faces can’t help anyone!"

  When all the children with smiley faces had been assembled in the Village Square, Wizard Yaffe addressed them. Frances McNally, who was a kind of gang leader, stood out in front and acted as the spokesperson for the children.

  "Now look here, children! We need your help. The mayor and the other villagers have told me about your angry dragon and they've asked me to change this ferocious dragon into a friendly dragon. Unfortunately, this cannot be achieved without your help. Will you help me? Will you do precisely what I ask of you?" Wizard Yaffe said.

  "Depends on what you
ask!" replied Frances McNally. "I'll cheerfully wave to it from a safe distance, but I won’t shake hands with it or stick my head in its mouth! It all depends on what you ask."

  "What I want all you children to do," explained Wizard Yaffe, "is to march up to the top of the hill where the dragon lives.”

  “March up to the top of the hill! March up to the top of ‘The Hill of Fear,’” yelled Frances McNally. “You’re bonkers, Wizzy! You’re losing a screw, mate! If we go trespassing on the dragon’s hill, he’ll have our guts for garters! The dragon will murder us!”

  ”I want all of you children to march up the dragon’s hill wearing smiley faces”, asked the wizard.

  “Smiley faces!” spluttered Frances McNally in utter disbelief.” If we..... if.... if we so much as set foot on the dragon’s hill and march up it with smiley faces as though we’re on some Sunday outing, he’ll frazzle us, Wizzy! The dragon will suck us in, gobble us up and spit us out! You’re bonkers, Wizzy. You’re spaced out of your mind, man!”

  “I want you children to march up the dragon’s hill, wearing smiley faces and singing happy songs,” said Wizard Yaffe.

  “Singing happy songs! March up the hill wearing smiley faces and singing happy songs! You’re bonkers, Wizzy. You’ve ...... you’ve lost the plot, mate!” replied Frances McNally.” If we so much as dare to march up