The dragon had flown a long way, searching for someone to be his friend. He had seen this village from the air, found a lovely marsh not too far away, and thought he would settle here. He walked to the town, hoping to find someone to talk to. Alas, the villagers only heard his roars and snarls. The dragon sat outside the village walls for a long time, not understanding why the little humans had run away from him. They could not see that he was friendly. The next day, he tried again. He found two sheep waiting outside the walls.

 

He was happy, for he thought they were giving him a gift to welcome him. He thanked the guards on the walls, who dropped their weapons to cover their ears, for his roar was so loud. He brought the sheep to his marsh and ate them, thinking the villagers would talk to him the next day. There were no villagers that day, but there were two more sheep. This continued for weeks, and the dragon was no closer to having a friend, though he was very full.

 

On the last day of the month, the dragon woke up and began his walk toward the village. Standing outside this time was a young girl and a man dressed in silver. The dragon was so happy that he raced toward them, confident they had finally decided to be his friends. He held his claw toward them in gratitude, but the man sliced it with a sharp silver stick. The dragon cried in pain, reptilian tears falling to the ground, forming two deep pools. He had never done anything harmful to the villagers. They had given him food gifts for weeks, but now they had turned on him.

 

The dragon pushed the man backward and flew into the clouds. He now understood that little humans did not want to befriend a dragon. He flew to the top of a mountain, where he cried, rivers flowing until they reached the sea. He is still there; his tears cause great floods in summer and avalanches in winter.

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