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A Dragon In Cleveland

Mrs. Rathborn was an odd teacher. She had a crooked smile and a bit of paint on the tip of her nose.

She loved to recite the ABCs frontwards and backwards and even on her head. Mrs. Rathborn felt sad it was summer, because there was no one for her to teach.

Mrs. Rathborn looked at the one letter that arrived in the mail. It came from a girl whom she taught.

The letter said;

Dear Mrs. Rathborn

Since you are a teacher and very smart. I thought you could help me. I saw a dragon, but Mom and Dad don't believe me. It is the size of Mr. Cooper's dog. It has white wings and green skin, a purple head and black eyes.

Love,

Courtney

Dear Courtney

I've never seen a dragon, and I don't really believe in them. Where did you see the dragon? What is his name?

Love,

Mrs. Rathborn



Dear Mrs. Rathborn,

I saw the dragon in Cleveland. Dad was too busy looking at maps and Mom was too busy driving.

I said, "Mom and Dad! There's a dragon flying over our car!"

But Mom said "Cleveland is where no dragon would be. The dragon is in your head."

Mrs. Rathborn, how is a dragon going to fit in my head?

Love,

Courtney

P.S. I don't know what his name is, I didn't ask him yet.

Dear Courtney

Your head is the perfect place for a dragon to be.

Love,

Mrs. Rathborn

Dear Mrs. Rathborn,

The dragon isn't in my head, he is sleeping on my doll bed.

Love, Courtney

P.S. His name is Wally, and he loves eating carrots, peanuts and marshmallows, he toasts the marshmallows himself. He is a fire breathing dragon.


Dear Courtney

I bet it's fun having a dragon around. Imagine Show and Tell when school starts! You will have the best Show and Tell in the world, (that is, if he is real!)

Love,

Mrs. Rathborn

Dear Mrs. Rathborn,

Wally is real.

I saw Wally at the movies, but it was too dark, and every time he'd try to say "Hi!" Mom and Dad would just shush him.

Wally was very sad about that. I tried to make him feel better by giving him a piece of gum, but it just got stuck in his wings, and I had to help pull it all out. He was very sad.

Love,

Courtney

Dear Courtney

Give him a hug for me.

Love,

Mrs. Rathborn

Dear Mrs. Rathborn

Wally will come to your house himself to give you hug tomorrow, just wait.

Love,

Courtney

Mrs. Rathborn waited, and even made up the dragon's favorite snacks. There was a knock at the door. Mrs. Rathborn opened the door.

There was Courtney with a paper dragon's mask on.

Her mother was holding her hand.

"Tell her the truth," Courtney's mother said.

"I'm the dragon," Molly sighed.

She took off her mask and bowed down her head.

Mrs. Rathborn only smiled. "I have something for you, Courtney."

"What is it?" Mother asked.

Mrs. Rathborn pulled a painting off of a chair.

Guess who was in the painting?

 
"It's Wally!" Courtney said, with a happy laugh, as she took the painting from Mrs. Rathborn.

 

Suddenly, the dragon leapt from the painting, and winked at them.

But of course, only Courtney and Mrs. Rathborn saw him.

The End

A Dragon In Cleveland by Valerie Hardin
Copyright 1997 - All Rights Reserved

About the Author:
Valerie Hardin started writing poetry and fiction for adults and then one day wrote a children's story. More than 60 of Valerie's poems have been published by the small press. She has also been published in the children's poetry anthology "Thoughts of Christmas." You may reach Valerie Hardin at: valerie@tusco.net


About the Illustrator: Sergei Voevodin is a talented traditionalist painter, cartoonist, illustrator and designer from Omsk, Russia, the largest industrial and cultural center in Siberia. Contact Sergei at postmaster@artist.omsk.ru

  Editing by C.K.Gurin


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