“The Wednesday Dragon” (Short Story)

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, thankfulness for multiple generations of giving.

Once, there was a girl, wandering down a road.  She had lost her family and couldn’t find them.  The journey back home was long and she knew not the right way.

It began to rain, turning the path to cold mud.  The girl found shelter in a cave, only to realize she had entered the lair… of a dragon.

The dragon was patient with the girl and listened to her sorrowful tale.  The girl was hungry and tired, so the dragon sheltered her until the rain passed.  She shared with the girl what she had as the two conversed about their lives.  

The dragon was ancient and wise.  She told many grand stories, lifting the girl’s spirits.

When the rain stopped, the dragon took the girl to find her lost family.

The two searched for days but without knowing where to look, they eventually returned to the dragon’s home. 

The girl stayed with the dragon for months until finally, they found her family.  The girl left the dragon but never forgot the path to her.  

Every so often, the girl would visit the dragon to hear stories, tell stories, share meals, and get away from the rest of the world.

The dragon saw the girl grow up.  She saw her wed.  She saw her have her first child.  But then, the girl–now a mother–stopped visiting as often.

The dragon understood.  She had been a mother herself and remembered how demanding it could be.  So when the mother returned one day, the dragon knew why.

The mother had three children now, each three years apart.  They fought, made messes, and never seemed to tire.  As much as she dearly loved them, she needed a vacation.

The dragon welcomed the mother warmly.  The two spoke like they used to.  The dragon told stories of her own children from generations ago.  

All this talk gave the dragon an idea.  One day, on a Wednesday, she followed the mother to her home.  Everyone knew of this dragon and her relationship to the mother.  But some did not believe it was real.

When the children saw the dragon, they were excited, remembering all that their mother had told them.  Then the mother explained that the dragon would be visiting them once a week, every Wednesday.

The dragon knew exactly what to do.  She had more than enough energy to match these children.  And no matter how different each of them were, all of them agreed that playing games with a dragon was the best.

So, every week, the mother and father were able to relax as the Wednesday Dragon arrived.  

The Dragon told the children stories like she had for their mother.  She taught lessons, sang songs, played music, cooked, and took them on journeys.

Then, the mother had another child.  Then she had another.  It was not long before seven years had passed since the dragon first sat for the children that she arrived to find seven young ones total.

The dragon was intimidated at first.  But she was warmed to see that the three eldest had matured like their mother.  They now helped the dragon with the younger children, telling the same stories, playing the same games, and making the same food the dragon taught them.

The dragon watched each child mature.  She saw the eldest marry from the front seats of the wedding.  And she watched the mother get older.

Then… the dragon got older.  She had already lived many years before meeting the mother.  But now, her journey each Wednesday grew more difficult.

The dragon slowed.  She could not keep up with the youngest two children like she had in the past.  She became confused by some of their studies and sometimes forgot parts of her stories.

The mother saw how the dragon was aging and decided it was best to no longer have her make the journey.  

The dragon kept visiting all the same.  But then the visits got shorter and less frequent.  Eventually, the dragon had to remain in her lair.  But the mother promised to visit her.

The mother’s life was dreadfully busy and her children–now adults–were busy as well.  Still, they would visit their Wednesday Dragon when they could.  

The dragon watched more of the children marry.  She saw them have children of their own.  But then, one by one, the children stopped visiting.

Eventually, only one or two children still visited the dragon with their mother.  They cared for the dragon as she had done for them.  It was difficult but they did not complain.

Eventually, it was nearing the dragon’s time to pass on.  This time, all seven children, with their children, and the mother came to see the dragon.  But what they did not expect was to find even more children, grandchildren, and parents waiting in the lair.

The mother spoke to the other visitors and heard a familiar tale of a patient, graceful, and loving dragon who would visit them and their children once every week.  To some, she was the dragon of Sundays, and for others, Mondays.  There were Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.  The dragon had spent every day helping each of them.

Every day, the dragon spent her time helping to raise others, godly and loving.  And when it was her time to go, she was surrounded by the hundreds who she had cared for.

The mother approached the tired, old dragon.  She worried that the dragon would not even remember her now.  But when the dragon saw her approach…
… she slowly placed a claw over the mother’s hand, smiling…

“I will always be your Wednesday Dragon.”