Once upon a time, not so very long ago, in a land not to far from here, there was a beautiful Princess named Teagan Bale. Teagan was fair haired, and fair skinned, with eyes that shone brightly of sapphires. Teagan was loved by all, but there was a selfish dragon named Sir Severus who loved her most of all, who had tried to seal her away in the highest high chair in the kingdom.

Sir Severus meant well, he truly did; all he ever wanted to do was shower the fair Princess Teagan with love and adoration, but he was a cruel dragon, who knew nothing of love... only obsession. And when Princess Teagan turned her smiles on to other people, he was stricken with a jealous rage that he couldn't escape.

So, much to the dismay of the fair princesses parents, the Lady Miss Selah and brave sir CartMaster Chris, their hay haired daughter was stolen from them.

They called upon many knights in shining armor, but few were those who stepped forward, and fewer those still who would dare combate the fearsome dragon. The parents wept... had they lost their fair princess forever? They began to mourn her in earnest.

Then, on a dark and stormy night, a dark knight rode in to town... Huckleberry Finn. He was large and dark, and the townspeople dared not to stand in his way. The armor he wore was black, his eyes the color of mud. he bore many battle scars, and his hackles were raised as he approached the castle.

The Lady Selah opened her doors to the dark beast, and pleaded with him to save her most precious daughter. Finn, as he was henceforth known to be called by, nodded and on strong paws, he set out to rescue the princess from the cold clutches of the dragon's claws.

Princess Teagan had been treated with dignity and respect, though she missed the sunshine when she was sealed away in her high chair. It was dark here, where he kept her, though she could see far down in to the valley where the dogs frolicked, the chickens fretted, and the flowers grew freely. Oh, how she wished to be gathered in to her mother's arms, or bounced upon her father's knee! The dragon was saddened by his inability to please the princess, but could not understand that she could never be happy here, locked away from the rest of the world. She was not unlike a flower herself, and she could never be truly happy with out the ability to spread her petals to the sunshine.

Still, the dragon tried. He brought her the freshest fruits, and the sweetest cakes, and the warmest milk... but no earthly object alone would please the princess.

When the dark dog Finn strode up to the castle, the dragon was already in a foul mood. Didnt he try hard to please the princess? Hadnt he given her the best of everything!? Still, nothing he did could make her happy. The dragon was furious... doubly so when he realized that Finn had come to steal back the dragon's prize.

The battle that raged between them was long, and ferocious. Warriors from mountains away felt the heat of the dragon's fire, and heard the strong bark of Finn's battle cry. The battle raged for several days, and the townspeople hid away in their rooms, not daring to come out, for fear that they be caught in the violent epic.

At last, though, the rage of war died, and all was quiet. Townspeople, not knowing whom had one, dared to only peek out of shuttered windows as a dark, clouded figure descended from the mountains. The shape was unidentifible, and it seemed all was lost when... at last! The dark dog came down from the mountain, the fair princess Teagan riding alongside him on a pale white bounce horse! Her mother and father raced towards them, both weeping profusely as they gathered their only daughter in to their arms, and bestowed many kisses upon her brow.

"How can I ever repay you?" Sir CartMaster Chris ask the dark hound as he scratched a special place behind his ears.

"Just love me." Said Finn. "Let me sleep in front of your fires, and at the foot of your bed. Treat me kindly, and I shall return the favor in kind. Give me table scrapes, and I will give you my undying love. Stroke my fur, and I shall protect you and your family from anyone that would dare to hurt you."

The Lady MissSelah knelt down low and hugged the dark haired German Shepard around the neck, and he, in turn, licked her cheek, and all was well.

Still, something continued to bother the Princess Teagan.

"Mother," she used her first words, "that dragon truly thought he was doing the best that he could. He had never known true love, so he had never really known how to express it in kind. It hurts me to think that his body is laying up their in the mountains, waiting to be picked apart by vultures... surely there is something we can do?"

The mother and father looked at eachother, and once again the dog stepped forward. "I have buried many bones, my good masters, and I would be honored to bury my worthy adversary."

Teagan's smile was bright as she grasped the fur on the strong dogs neck, and together the pair rode back in to the mountains, and the dog made good on his promise. He buried his sworn enemy with nothing but respect, and at the end of a long day, the princess and the dog looked over their handiwork.

"You know," said Teagan. "I believe something is missing." And the princess filled her arms with blossoming snap dragons, and laid them on his grave.

And the dragon, whom had been filled with such firey turmoil in his turbulent life, looked down at the scene as the dog and the princess walked away, and wept tears of gratitude, for he finally understood what it meant to be loved.




-or-

The story of the dragon toy that my daughter played with until my dog tore it to itty bitty little pieces.