THE TAPESTRY OF FABLES

Of WITS AND DRAGONS

Did dragons ever roam the skies? Dragons: the stuff of a million legends. Across the World, they have featured in various cultures. In the East, you know Asia, they are usually presented as,  wise benevolent beasts, with serpentine bodies, horns of a stag, claws of a tiger and rabbit eyes!( You just heard that.)

However, in the West, dragons were viewed rather differently: huge reptilian winged savage lizards that breath fire, roasting men and guarding treasures.

At times, probably out of boredom they would kidnap a princess and take her to a tower and wait for some knight in shining armor to come rescue her. Yeah humans aren't the only ones who itch for a fight once in a while.

Dragons, they aren't just some drawn images on Egyptian pyramids or some historical and mythological concern.
Nowadays, there are a gazillion movies about them. I bet we are all thinking of "Game of Thrones" or  "The Hobbit",  "Eragon" or even How "To Train Your Dragon".

We wonder how different civilizations separated from each other could describe the same sort of creatures. People usually describe what they see, doesn't that mean that once upon a time dragons did exist?

Well, let's face it: they didn't! Stop rubbing your chin and making up theories that sound sensible but they aren't.  Apparently our ancestors had similar nightmares or something.

Wait a minute! I believe I'm deviating. I'm supposed to be telling you a story, yes I should be doing just that. Oh yes, it's about dragons.

Spoiler alert: There are no knights in shining armor to rescue some damsel in distress. Prince Charming is as real as a dragon!

Now a long time ago when dragons roamed the Earth( This never happened, it's all in my head),when men were but few and in places unheard of.  When the mountains were young and green, and rivers fresh and vigorous with new life, when forests ruled the Earth.( Sounds like a paradise or something.)

In a cave overlooking a valley, there lived a fierce and mighty dragon. His scales shone like gold, they were as strong as steel and surrounded him like an armor. He had razor sharp teeth that would make any shark seem like a baby with milk teeth. Of course, he could breath fire and had large wings.

Being a dragon is pretty cool. You could basically do anything to  lesser creatures and get away with it. You could swoop down from the Sky, roast an antelope and devour it whole. There were no competitors. Dragons are very territorial. Other dragons would steer clear of another's tuff.
It was big wide world anyway, no use fighting over land.

Oh! And when you breath fire, it's hard to have predators; you were at the very top of the food chain. Whenever the dragon came to the pool for a drink, other animals scurried out of sight,  shivering in their burrows at the least flare from his nostrils. So basically this dragon was living the good life. Even lions would practically wet themselves, if his shadow fell on them.

The dragon was in the habit of setting the pasture ablaze in the course of his hunting. The result was that there was less and lesser food for the herbivores, who had to move out in search of pasture. The carnivores having no food left too, after them.( I'm sure You heard this sort of thing in Biology, if you weren't dozing in class.) The result was the dragon woke up one day to meet an empty valley everyone had fled.

Well, almost everyone. A colony of mice still remained, numbering  in thousands.

Mice can practically survive where many  other species can't. They are thorough survivors. If you doubt me try ridding your house permanently of them. You can't! They are always one step ahead of you.

The dragon finally worn out by hunger, decided to roast the entire mouse colony and eat them.

Apparently, a thousand roasted mice was better than nothing. He approached the mouth of their burrow and prepared to open fire, while the little mice trembled.

"Stop!" A tiny voice squeaked. The dragon was surprised. He brought his large eyes to focus on a little mouse who stood up to him. 

The dragon couldn't believe his eyes, the burrow shook with the sound of his laughter, "A mouse stands up to a dragon!"

The little mouse didn't cower, he said, "I maybe small, but I'm not without courage."
The dragon was amused,  "Courage to do what? Can a mouse hurt a dragon!"

The mouse replied boldly,
"I may not be as strong as you, but I know something that you don't."

The dragon was curious, "And what is that that a mouse may know that a dragon does not?"
The mouse smiled, "The answer to a riddle."

Now, dragons are often clever and love riddles. They also love to play cat and mouse, you know play with their food.  
So the dragon decided to play along, "You have amused me, brave little mouse I shall play along, what's the riddle?"

"If you fail to answer it, will you spare us?"  The mouse asked.

"On the fires of my father and my mother's tail, but should I answer it, it would be roasted mice for dinner! You should know I have never failed a riddle; dragons know almost everything," he  said.

The mouse then asked the riddle, "I break wood. I mold clay. I carve stone. I melt metal and yet, I'm broken by them all, what am I?"

The dragon stroked his chin, shook his head, he thought and thought, "Oh I know it,  the sun!"

"No !"  The mouse replied. The dragon hissed and tried again, "The lightning!" 

  The mouse shook its head "No!"

The dragon tried on last time, "The
river"

"Wrong again,"came the reply.

The dragon said, "I give up! This riddle is hard, what's the answer?"

The mouse replied, "A man!"
The dragon looked surprised,  "A strange riddle and a stranger answer! Little mouse, what is this thing called man?"

The mouse replied, " It's a who not a what. They live far away from here. They have what they call hands, like our upper paws. They walk on their hind limbs; standing upwards. They don't go on all four like us but on two. They build houses as tall as hills. They cut down trees with tools made from metals. They live together in big burrows called villages and even bigger ones called cities with great stones walls."

The dragon was very much interested, "Do these strange creatures exist? Sounds like something out of the stories and fairy tales. However, little brave mouse a dragon's oath is sacred. Dragons keep their word. You're a brave and clever mouse.",  the dragon remarked and flew away.

The Mouse had saved the colony not by strength, but by courage and his wits. What we have learnt here is that dragons are definitely not real(And that if  you play with your dinner, you might lose it. It just might outsmart you!), but you still need to be smart.

There are still some monsters your wit can save you from. Some of them go on two legs.

Being smart may just save your life. Keep an open mind and you would learn many things. Read as many books as you can.

If you're really want do something brave, try slaying the dragon of ignorance with the sword of knowledge. Trust me that dragon is definitely real and that sword is waiting for you in your books. You know like the sword in the stone or rather the Sword in the book.(Doesn't sound as cool though) You know what it says? Let me read it for you,

"Whosoever readeth this book, may he possess the Sword of Knowledge to slay the dragon of ignorance." 
                The End.

Thank you for reading. It makes it totally worth writing. Please do vote and comment. I appreciate you all.