Activities Coloring Pages Word Puzzles Word Treasures Return to the Story
Read by Anita Rodgers
Long ago a red dragon was flying over Breakers Island. He flew high and low around the mountain. He was looking for a new home. At last he saw a dark cave through the clouds. He thought, “This is a perfect place for me to live.”
The dragon had been alone for a long time. He had no family or friends. A sad tear rolled down from his eye. This was the first tear the dragon had ever cried. He watched as the tear landed on the ground and turned into a coin of gold. Now the dragon was filled with joy.
He cried many fake tears until he had made a large pile of gold coins. He thought, “How beautiful! I must keep a close eye on them.” The dragon made his bed on the pile of gold. He didn’t care that the coins were hard and cold. His treasure was safe and that is what mattered to the dragon. He loved his gold coins.
The dragon no longer left his cave to fly above the beautiful meadow, woods, and cliffs by the sea. He was very happy to stay in the cave and admire his treasure. Soon, time forgot all about the old red dragon sleeping on his bed of gold.
One night, Mack was getting ready to leave his warm mouse nest to look for food. The small brown mouse was so glad he had listened to the spider when he first arrived at Breakers Island. He knew at once that Fire Fall Woods would be a perfect home for him. Mack joined the other mice living there and soon had a family of his own.
A full moon lit his way in the black night as he climbed up Winter Wind Mountain. He climbed up and up. He was so high he couldn’t see the woods below. Mack came to a stop. What was that sound? Did he hear the wind? Or was it another animal? No, it wasn’t the wind. And what was that smell? He could tell it was coming from a dark cave.
Mack waited a few minutes and then slowly crawled into the cave. He was very quiet so he would not be heard. There was a soft light coming from a large room. He gasped in surprise. The sound and smell were coming from a large red dragon sleeping on a bed of gold coins.
Mack stopped cold in his tracks. How could this be? There were no dragons. There were only old stories that told of fierce, winged dragons that breathed fire. They ruled the sky and burned everything in their path. Dragons were feared by all.
Mack wanted to run but it was too late. The dragon saw the mouse and demanded, “Who goes there? Who are you to enter my cave?” His eyes looked down at the little mouse.
Mack was so scared it was hard for him to speak. He knew he could not outrun the dragon. “Dragon, I am just a small mouse looking for food for my family,” said Mack.
“Do not lie to me, mouse. Why should I believe you? Many would want to steal my gold. Tell me the truth!” said the dragon.
Mack explained, “Dragon, I’m not here to steal your treasure. My family needs food for the cold winter. We can’t eat your hard gold coins.”
The dragon knew the little mouse was telling the truth. “Leave me, mouse, before I change my mind. Do not come back!” said the dragon.
The mouse ran as fast as he could down the mountain. He did not look back until he was far from the cave. Mack thought, “The dragon doesn’t know what he is missing without family and friends to share his life.”
Mack ran home to the woods. His family was so happy to see his safe return. The mice sang and danced with joy. His story soon spread like wildfire.
All the mice wanted to hear more. They never tired of hearing the story of the small brave mouse who escaped from the large red dragon.
It is a bedtime story loved by mouse pups even to this day.
Activities Coloring Pages Word Puzzles Word Treasures Return to the Story
The dragon doesn’t know what he is missing without family and friends to share his life.