Little dragon I, brother of Dee, listened closely as his sister told him about her new friend, fair-haired Oliver, about his generous Nan, and about the delicious berries growing in their garden.
One early morning he slipped out of the dragons' palace home in the magical land and flew off to where Dee had met her new friends.
He flew and flew, and then he saw it: a garden, a Nan and a boy. Only this boy wasn't fair-haired. He was dark-haired and rather small.
Little dragon I swooped down carefully, hid among the redcurrant bushes, and sat very, very still. Listening.
Jack, Jacky, where have you hidden yourself? called Nan. I've lost you! What a little wriggler! He was right beside me a second ago, and now he's gone...
'I clearly remember the boy's name is Oliver, not this other boy,' thought the dragon I.
Jack, where are you? Letting the bunnies out of their hutch again?
Nan walked over to the rabbit hutches and started singing out loud:
Our brave little Jack, our hero true,
Grabbed a bunny by the tail, what else could he do?
From the old hutch, out he came...
Come on out, bunny, come here to me!
Don't you be scared, I'm not going to hurt thee!
I want to play with you, that's what I'll do,
Then back to the garden you will go, too.
Off you run without a look back,
Let's play a game of hide and seek, track by track!
Little dragon I quietly flew after Nan.
Ah, there you are, you little hamster! Hiding? Running off from Nan? called the woman as she found her grandson, and went on with her rhyme:
Our Jack is a hamster, that's what he's like,
He never stops his gobbling, not one bit of a strike.
Home from school he comes, and then he starts to chew,
Munching and crunching the whole day through.
He loves his sausage and his steak,
Won't say no to pineapple cake,
He gulps his cordial down in one go,
Gobbling like a hippo, puffed up and slow.
When you're grown up, you'll understand,
That food needs a plan, so let's have a plan.
Had a little snack, then off you go,
Quick to the gym, and burn it off, you know.
Did you even rinse that carrot? Pulled it up and straight into your mouth? I thought you'd let the bunnies out again.
Nope, answered the boy, chewing on his carrot.
'Who on earth am I supposed to befriend now?' thought little dragon I.
Let's go and pick the redcurrants. Mum will be home soon, and we haven't even filled the buckets yet. What's she going to make the fruit leather from?
Jack, still chewing his carrot, quietly followed Nan.
The little dragon couldn't hold back. He wanted those berries so badly that he flew right up to Jack.
Dragonfly! Dragonfly! shouted Jack.
Nan looked over, smiled and replied:
Why, that's our little dragon friend, Oliver's new mate! Come to visit us, Dee?
I'm Dee's little brother. My name is little dragon I.
The small boy stood there, chewing his carrot and blinking. He must have been really surprised.
Did you get lost too? Got separated from your family? asked Nan.
No, said the dragon, going red with embarrassment, I flew here because I also want to find myself a friend and try some berries.
From the embarrassment, the bright purple skin of the little dragon turned pink.
Don't be shy, go on and eat the berries. We don't mind at all. There's a big crop of redcurrants this year. What a lovely dragon you are, little I!
When we get worried, scared or upset, we change our skin colour, I began to explain, stuffing a whole bunch of red currants into his mouth.
Don't you fret, and eat them one at a time, and don't eat the stalks, they're yucky. It's just that you wanted to make friends with Oliver, and he isn't here today. And this is Jack, he's still little. Come back in two days, Oliver will be staying with us, said Nan cheerfully.
Little dragon I enjoyed the berries, said goodbye to his new friends and flew away.
'I hope I don't let slip to Grandad, or he'll think the old girl has lost her marbles, befriending dragons and feeding them berries, thought Nan.
Where did the dragonfly go? asked Jack, finishing his carrot.
It wasn't a dragonfly, it was little dragon I, Nan answered quietly, and started picking the redcurrants.
