Nelly, the Baby Dragon, and her Dad

By 3rd Grade Students at Bubb Elementary
December 2010

The dragon guarded his cave.  His baby daughter watched.  Her name was Nelly. Nelly knew her pacifier was in the cave and her father was keeping her from it. Her dad was so enormous- at least a thousand feet tall.  He looked mean.  He wasn’t giving her what she wanted.  She decided to cry and whine hoping he would change his mind.  She had tried to touch his rough scales hoping that would make him give her the pacifier but it just caused her claws to hurt.  She knew better than to touch his spikes – they were deadly.  Darn her stinky, mean dad for not giving her her pacifier.  He smelled just like a skunk!  Her dad was really mad.  He was screaming at her the way he did when he wanted to send her to her cave room.

From within the cave a very high-pitched singing wafted toward Nelly.  Who was singing?  She knew it wasn’t her mom.  Her mom had gone on a visit far away.  Her dad had started to eat some yummy clam chowder.  Nelly stomped one of her claws.  She was so mad.  Her dad didn’t even like clam chowder.  He had told her it was very disgusting.  She was the one who loved the chewy, salty soup, especially the little crunchy crackers that came with it.

Nelly just had to have her pacifier.  She decided to attempt her super secret invisibility power.  She quickly stomped on the ground until with a poof she disappeared.  She could see her dad through a smoke haze and darn him, he didn’t even notice she had disappeared.  He just kept eating his chowder.  Fine, she thought, she would take the opportunity to sneak past him.  She slowly walked, making no sounds, past her busy dad.

Inside the cave, she found her pacifier sitting inside a strange box that sang.  It was a very plain box but clearly magical since it made music.  She grabbed her pacifier and stuck it in her mouth.  Then she picked up the box.  When she closed it, the music stopped.  When she opened it, the music started.  Nestled inside was a little dancing person.  She thought it was beautiful.  She tried to take it out but it was stuck.  She found a key that she turned and the dancer twirled.

Suddenly her dad appeared at the cave entrance.  Her dad looked puzzled and she realized that all he could see was a floating box.  Immediately she dropped the box.  She bolted for the cave door.  She looked over her shoulder and saw her dad staring at where she should be with a very thoughtful expression.  He stomped his feet and started to run after her.  She realized that her pacifier was flying through the air since she was still invisible.  Her magic was weakening.  Her dad could see her foot and part of her wing.  Soon he would see all of her.  She ran faster and made it out of the cave but her dad was in hot pursuit.

Her dad caught up enough to yank the pacifier out of her mouth and yell, “Why would you do that?”

Nelly just glared and refused to answer.

“Nelly, I didn’t want you near that box because I didn‘t know what it would do!  I thought it might be dangerous.”

Suddenly the most fearful dragon gang of all burst into the sky above.

“Oh, no” cried the dad.

Nelly realized that her pacifier just didn’t matter.  Their lives were in terrible jeopardy.  She and her dad prepared to fight…

The “Cliffhanger” End.

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