Dino, the little dragon, lived with his family in a cave on a mountain. All his cousins had learnt to fly, but he was still learning. He found it very difficult and very frightening. He couldn’t even blow flames! Everyone teased him.
Every morning all the dragons would set off to work. In the evening, they would all share their adventures. They would kill beasts, save maidens in distress, fight soldiers and wicked dragons too. Dino would listen to all this, fascinated. At night, he dreamt of performing great deeds himself, but they remained dreams.
In the morning, Dino would watch the others leave and he would sit in the cave, feeling miserable. One day, he decided that he must make some effort to learn to fly. After the others had left, he walked up the mountain to the nest of the eagle who lived there.
The eagle listened to Dino’s problem. He agreed to teach him how to fly and took him along to a flat place. It was grassy, so even if Dino fell down in the beginning, he would not get hurt. He was a good teacher and taught Dino how to use his wings. He told Dino about winds, currents and clouds.
Dino began to test his wings and flapped them. He tried to take off with the currents of wind. One day, he lifted off the ground and found himself flying. Thereafter, there was no stopping him. Dino flew everywhere much to the delight of his cousins. He still had problems about blowing flames, but that didn’t worry him so much.
One day, Dino saw a little boy crying in a street. He came down and asked the boy why he was weeping.
“The baker caught me stealing a bun and beat me,” said the boy, “He will give me to the King’s soldiers and I will be put in prison.”
Dino went to the baker and spoke to him about the little boy. The baker was very touched. “If you, who are a dragon, can be so kind,” he said, “I think I too should be kind.”
The baker spoke to all his neighbours about Dino and soon the fame of Dino, the kind dragon, reached the King.
The King called him to the palace and found him a very wise and gentle creature. Dino became a special friend of the King! Whenever the King needed advice on any matter, he asked Dino’s opinion. The dragons became proud of Dino.
