An Old Story
The old dragon looked at her audience. She settled her faded wrinkles around her sturdy frame, moving her tail to support her legs so she could sit comfortably. The young faces looked on her, waiting to see and hear the latest old story that she would offer up as a gift.
”There was a time, before even I was born, when there was an abundance of weeble nuts. They were a wonderful nut, the weeble. The shell could be carved, the hardness came in layers of colors. Yet the fruit inside was crunchy or soft depending on the season. If kept too long, you could use it to feed a fire. It was a desirable, abundant nut. It grew in and amongst all the trees covering most territories on the planet, on every continent. Artists used the nut to make a pigment desired in certain paints. Different artisans used the nut for a variety of goods. There were games, there were traditions, it was a part of the fabric of dragon life.” The story teller paused, letting the images sink in, letting her audience feel the approaching loss.
”Certain dragons desire control beyond the role of a territory dragon, beyond even a member of a continental counsel. Some dragons seek to own, to hoard, to deprive others what they value.” She nodded slowly, emphasizing a truth most of the youths should have already discovered. “A group of that sort began collecting this nut, burning down trees, hoarding their own supplies and destroying all sources for more.” Her head lowered as the weight of this act was imparted in images.
”In time, no more weeble nuts grew. The planet cut off all supply, what remained grew old, hardened, became good only for fuel in a fire. If dragons seek to wrestle control from the planet, our planet can change her course. They tried to control her gift, her bounty, so she took it away.” The old story teller smiled softly, rotating her ears slowly.
“The dragons soon found other nuts to eat, other ways to feed the fire, and other woods and things to carve. All that is left of the weeble nut, is the stories. It was precious only for a time, until it was gone.”
”If you appreciate something, take the time to admire it, fix it in your memory, share it with others; but do not seek to keep it only for yourself. Do not let greed twist your mind into something the planet must fight. You are better dragons than those who would hoard the weeble nuts.”
She smiled as she lifted her head.