The: Reluctant Dragon

Sir Cedric charged with a blunt spear. Barnaby let out a puff of purple smoke and performed a dramatic, slow-motion "death" fall.

Pip shared his cheese sandwich; Barnaby shared his latest draft of a ballad. The Reluctant Dragon

In the rolling hills of the Downs, a small village lived in constant fear of a deep, jagged cave known as the Wyrm’s Throat. Legend spoke of a beast that breathed fire and crushed knights. Sir Cedric charged with a blunt spear

However, the dragon living inside, named Barnaby, was a different sort entirely. He spent his mornings polishing his scales to a lavender sheen and his afternoons writing sonnets about the dew on clover. He didn't care for gold; he preferred the "golden hue" of a well-aged sunset. An Unlikely Friendship In the rolling hills of the Downs, a

Barnaby had no interest in fighting, but the villagers demanded a spectacle. The Grand Compromise

The villagers cheered, Sir Cedric "spared" the beast on the condition it became a village protector, and the dragon was finally invited to the local poetry slams.

✨ Most monsters are just people (or dragons) who haven't found the right audience yet. If you'd like to expand this tale, I can help you with: Dialogue between Barnaby and the Knight The specific poem Barnaby was writing Character descriptions for a visual adaptation