Frozen Dragons
By Sarah McDonald
“And they lived
happily ever after. The end.”
“Wait, Mommy…What about the dragon? Did the dragon live happily ever after?”
“Honey, the dragon in this story went to sleep, under the mountain, remember?”
“But was he happy? Can we go see him, Mommy?”
“Most people don’t care if the dragon is happy, so they don’t put it in the stories. Usually the dragon is the bad guy, and no one cares if the bad guy is happy.”
“But Mommy, the dragon was just lonely. I don’t want him to be lonely.”
“Don’t worry about the dragon. I’m sure he’s fine.”
“Is he still under the mountain, Mommy? How can he be happy stuck under that mountain?”
“Shhh, sweetie. He’s not under the mountain any more.”
“Where is he? I want to see him.”
“A long time ago people caught all the dragons.”
“Wait, Mommy…What about the dragon? Did the dragon live happily ever after?”
“Honey, the dragon in this story went to sleep, under the mountain, remember?”
“But was he happy? Can we go see him, Mommy?”
“Most people don’t care if the dragon is happy, so they don’t put it in the stories. Usually the dragon is the bad guy, and no one cares if the bad guy is happy.”
“But Mommy, the dragon was just lonely. I don’t want him to be lonely.”
“Don’t worry about the dragon. I’m sure he’s fine.”
“Is he still under the mountain, Mommy? How can he be happy stuck under that mountain?”
“Shhh, sweetie. He’s not under the mountain any more.”
“Where is he? I want to see him.”
“A long time ago people caught all the dragons.”
”Caught them? Like prisoners?”
“Sort of like prisoners. You see, people are scared of dragons, but they are so beautiful we love them, too.”
“I like dragons.”
“I know. But since people are scared, they can’t just let the dragons go around hurting people. It was a very big problem. They couldn’t let the dragons hurt people, but they were so beautiful, the people didn’t want them to all die either.”
“I don’t want the dragons to die, Mommy.”
“Me either, sweetie.”
“So what did they do? What did they do with all the dragons?”
“They tamed them. They wrapped them in silver to make rings, and hung them on gold to make necklaces. They twined them round statues of castles and mountains to make lamps. The dragons are everywhere, sleeping. People aren’t scared of sleeping dragons, but they can see the beauty everywhere.”
“Mommy… I don’t like that, there’s something wrong with it.”
“Well, honey, the dragons weren’t killed, but they are no longer free.”
“Sort of like prisoners. You see, people are scared of dragons, but they are so beautiful we love them, too.”
“I like dragons.”
“I know. But since people are scared, they can’t just let the dragons go around hurting people. It was a very big problem. They couldn’t let the dragons hurt people, but they were so beautiful, the people didn’t want them to all die either.”
“I don’t want the dragons to die, Mommy.”
“Me either, sweetie.”
“So what did they do? What did they do with all the dragons?”
“They tamed them. They wrapped them in silver to make rings, and hung them on gold to make necklaces. They twined them round statues of castles and mountains to make lamps. The dragons are everywhere, sleeping. People aren’t scared of sleeping dragons, but they can see the beauty everywhere.”
“Mommy… I don’t like that, there’s something wrong with it.”
“Well, honey, the dragons weren’t killed, but they are no longer free.”
”I thought everyone was free, Mommy…”
“No honey, no one is free.”
“…Mommy.”
“Yes, honey?”
“What about unicorns?”
“No honey, no one is free.”
“…Mommy.”
“Yes, honey?”
“What about unicorns?”
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Sarah McDonald spent most of her childhood on a horse, at the beach, or in a book. Her long love of the fantastical can be traced back both to her mother’s books and stories. When Sarah learned that the stories her mother told were from works of literature such as “The Odyssey” she found herself more firmly enmeshed in the world of books. Sarah has always looked at the world from a slightly crooked point of view.
