Dragon Games 4/4

The dragons waited until the tide was half way out before starting the competition to see which of them could flame the furthest distance.

Small bundles of brushwood had been collected and were set up across the beach about twenty feet apart. The chief dragon paced out a suitable distance for the first round and drew a line in the sand with his foot. The competitors came up to the line one at a time and tried to set fire to a bundle of wood.

“You lot must have been getting an awful lot of practice,” said the chief, as every one of the competing dragons managed to set his bundle alight. “Now let’s see how you get on at this distance!” He marked out a fresh line about fifty yards further along the beach.

Nearly all the dragons dropped out at the longer range. One or two had managed to reach the target, but their flame was too weak at the distance to set it alight. Clarence and three others remained for the next round.

The bundles of wood were replaced as necessary and the chief began to increase the range in twenty-yard steps. Two more rounds and only Clarence and one very large brown dragon from Russia were left.

The brown dragon had the first attempt at the new distance. He simply stood at the line, puffed out his cheeks slightly and blew. He didn’t seem to be making any great effort at all, but the bundle of sticks burst into flames immediately.

Clarence groaned to himself, while the Russian turned to look at him and grinned. Clarence walked to the line trying not to look too concerned. He took several deep breaths, puffed out his cheeks until his eyes started to bulge in his head and let out the mightiest blast of flame that he’d ever managed before in his life. He just managed to reach the target and to his great relief a few flames flickered among the sticks.

In his turn he grinned at his competitor, who burst out laughing at his confident expression and just pointed back to the target. To Clarence’s horror the flames had gone out.

“Brown Boris is the winner,” called the chief. All the dragons applauded enthusiastically.

“Gosh that was absolutely terrific Uncle Clarence,” said Cyril.

He was joined by Megan. “Never mind Clarence bach, it’s not the winning, it’s the taking part isn’t it. I don’t think anyone could have beaten that Boris today, he was really on the top of his form.”

Clarence didn’t look completely convinced, but she put one wing round his shoulders and they slowly walked off together, talking to each other in low voices that Cyril couldn’t hear.

He let them go, since they obviously didn’t want to be disturbed and began thinking about the story he was going to tell at the last bonfire tonight.

That evening all the dragons listened most attentively as Cyril told his tale. He described how he’d discovered a liking for coal while sailing in Barnacle Bill’s paddle steamer and found that he could flame for the first time as a result.

He went on to say that this had given Jennifer Jane the idea to ask all the dragons to eat coal instead of peasants. He followed this by telling the true story of how Jennifer Jane had upset Lurgin. “Then he chased us all back to the Witches’ Home and one of the top witches came out over the drawbridge and put a hole right through him. Believe me it doesn’t do to upset a witch!”

The dragons applauded as Cyril reached the end of his story. That was really the end of the holiday but Cyril overheard Megan and Clarence talking just before they all flew home together with Fred.

He was so excited at what they’d said, that he couldn’t wait to get back to his parents in the alternate world to tell them the news. As soon as the little group of dragons reached one of the wishing fogs, he said goodbye and went straight to the Witches’ Home.