Fiery-Mouth's dragon party
SUNILA GUPTE
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Everybody got an invitation to the grand party at the castle, except Gecko. And the next grand party would be held only ten years from now!
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Everyone in Dragon Land was excited. Fiery-Mouth, the Grand Dragon was giving a magnificent party, and he had arranged for magicians, giant wheels, water-battles, kite rides, games and favourite dragon food.
All the little dragons wanted to go, but they had to learn the dragon school lessons, and surprise tricks, to get an invitation.
How the little dragons practised! They changed the colour of their scales; they made coloured smoke come out of their ears. Their scales gleamed and glowed they would eat paper or stones and then - puff, puff there would appear yellow smoke or green steam... what different things they tried to learn. They could fly, but not high as they were young dragons. They could all breathe out various coloured fire (white, green or black.) except for the youngest dragon, called Gecko, who could only change the colours of his scales. He practised and practised breathing fire... but only produced grey smoke!
Invitations
Dragon Teacher entered the class with a whole bunch of fancy invitation cards, for all, ... except Gecko. How sad he was! He was terribly disappointed as Dragon Castle had huge bell-towers and they would be allowed to ring the bells. There were steeples with roosters crowing from the top, there were flashing lights and shooting stars and balloon rides from the highest terrace to different stars in the sky.
The underground cellars were to be opened and the Grand Dragon would show them his special Master tricks.
Dejected, Gecko, (who was teasingly called "Fire-Maker" because he couldn't make fire) walked far away from his school. He had tried so hard... and nothing had happened. The next party would only be held after ten years! His head was down and he was sniffing miserably. Suddenly he saw, stuck in a hedge, a paper. Not an ordinary paper, but a MAGIC page.
It glowed silver and gold and purple, (purple is a very magic colour) and had a border of stars, moons, dragon tails, dragon faces, and strange writing. He recognised it as a royal page. Picking it up, he raced to the castle and gave it to the guard.
"Please give it to the Grand Dragon," he said and ran off.
He could have sold it for hundreds of golden coins if he had been a sly dragon, but he wasn't.
Next day at dragon school there was a splendid surprise. Four guards, their red and green tails held high, arrived, belching magnificent silver smoke, with a special party invitation for Gecko. As a reward for his honesty, the Grand Dragon himself would give him 12 lessons on breathing out fire! How overjoyed Gecko was, especially as he was going to have balloon rides to four stars high in the sky!
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