The Dragon Who Was Afraid🐉

The village has its rules, and the most important is never to go up the mountain. But the crying from the cave doesn't sound like a monster, and the child decides to go anyway. The path climbs over loose stones and through prickly bushes. Inside the cave, it's dark and warm. At the very back lies the dragon, curled up, as big as a barn and trembling like a leaf.

It turns out the dragon is afraid of the villagers, with their flashlights and loud voices. Now the child is caught between a new friend in the cave and a whole village that won't listen. How the child tries to bring them together, and what happens when they meet, is at the heart of the story.

This story is for children who love knights and dragons, but also for those who feel afraid themselves. It shows that even someone big and strong can be frightened. It can be a good read when a child has discovered that someone wasn't quite as they first imagined: a new friend, a neighbour or a dog barking behind a fence.

For a three-year-old, it's a gentle story about comforting someone who's crying. An eight-year-old has more to think about: the conversations with the dragon, the plan to persuade the villagers and the question of who was really dangerous in the first place.

A sibling could be the squire and carry the lantern, while the family dog sniffs out the path up the mountain. If your child has a dragon stuffed animal or a toy shield, it can come along too. Describe something your child reaches for when they're afraid, such as a flashlight or a special song, and it could be just the thing that calms the dragon.

After reading, talk about a time when one of you thought someone was unfriendly or dangerous, and it turned out you were wrong. What was the dragon afraid of, and what are you afraid of? Draw the dragon looking happy. Find more stories with castles and wings under Knights and Dragons.