Little dragon I, Di's younger brother, listened closely as his sister told him about her new friend, fair-haired Arthur, his welcoming granny, and the delicious berries that grow in their garden.
One early morning he slipped out of the dragons' palace in the fairytale land and flew off to the place where Di had met her new friends.
He flew and flew and then saw a garden, a granny and a boy. Only this boy wasn't fair-haired. He was dark-haired and rather small.
Dragon I swooped down carefully, hid among the blackcurrant bushes and sat very still, listening.
Alfie, Alfie, where have you hidden yourself? called Granny. I've lost him! What a little fidget! He was right beside me a second ago, and now he's gone...
‘I clearly remember that the boy's name is Arthur, and this is a different boy,’ thought dragon I.
Alfie, where are you? Are you letting the rabbits out of their hutch again?
Granny walked over to the rabbit hutches and began to speak loudly:
Our brave Alfie, what a lad,
He grabbed the old rabbit's tail
From the hutch in the garden...
Come here, Bunny, don't be scared!
I just want to play with you.
I'll let you back in the garden,
So run off now, and let's play hide and seek!
Dragon I quietly flew after Granny.
Ah, there you are, you little hamster! Hiding? Running away from Granny? said the woman, finding her grandson and carrying on with her poem:
Our Alfie is a little hamster,
He never stops chatting.
When he comes home from school,
He munches, munches, munches.
He loves bacon and sausages,
He won't say no to pineapple,
He gulps down squash,
He stuffs himself like a hippo.
When he's grown up, he'll understand
That food needs a little thought.
He eats a little,
Then rushes off to the gym,
To burn off the calories.
Have you rinsed that carrot? You picked it and straight into your mouth? I thought you'd been letting the rabbits out again.
Nope, replied the boy, chewing his carrot.
‘Who am I going to get to know now?’ thought dragon I.
Let's go and pick the blackcurrants. Mum will be home soon, and we still haven't filled the buckets. What is she going to make the fruit leather with?
The boy, still chewing his carrot, silently followed Granny.
The dragon couldn't resist. He wanted the berries so badly that he flew right up to Alfie.
Dragonfly! Dragonfly! shouted Alfie.
Granny looked, smiled and replied:
Why, that's our friend the little dragon, Arthur's new friend. Have you come to visit us, Di?
I'm Di's little brother. My name is dragon I.
The little boy stood there, munching his carrot and blinking. He must have been terribly surprised.
Have you got lost too? Wandered away from your family? asked Granny.
No, said the dragon, feeling shy, I flew here because I also want to find myself a friend and try some berries.
Out of embarrassment, the bright purple skin of the little dragon turned pink.
Don't be shy, help yourself to the berries. We don't mind. We've got a big blackcurrant harvest this year. What a lovely dragon you are, dragon I!
When we get worried, or scared, or upset, we change our skin colour, I. began to explain, stuffing a whole bunch of redcurrants into his mouth.
Don't worry, and only eat them one at a time, and don't eat the stalks, they're not tasty. You wanted to make friends with Arthur, but he isn't here today. This is Alfie, he's still very little. Come back in two days, Arthur is coming to stay with us, Granny said good-naturedly.
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 I've lost my marbles, getting to know dragons and feeding them berries,’ thought Granny.
Where did the dragonfly go? asked Alfie, after finishing his carrot.
It wasn't a dragonfly, it was the little dragon I, Granny quietly replied, and began picking the redcurrants.
