The ground in the Forest of the Giants shook. Dragon Little, sitting on a leaf at the top of a tree in the forest, almost lost her balance. 

She looked around and held tight to the edges of the leaf.

It’s been hours since she’d woken up in pain, most of her body blue from being swatted by a giant. It’s been five hours since her father appeared, only to disappear down into the forest to look for her. She had been waiting a long time. But, looking up at the possible danger, her eyes were as sharp and ready as if she had just begun her day. 

The ground shook again. 

And again. 

And then a giant was hurled from the depths of the farther part of the forest, past the treetops, and into the air. 

He flipped around in the air helplessly, then collapsed back into the trees. 

The ground shook when he landed. 

Now Dragon Father rose above the trees, engulfed in a flying metal exoskeleton with arms as big as a giant’s. 

The arms of the exoskeleton reached into the forest, and raised the giant into the air. 

“Tell me where Joy is!” his voice boomed throughout the Dream. 

“I… I don’t know!” the giant whimpered. 

“Tell me!” Dragon Father’s voice boomed again, and his exoskeleton shook the giant this way and that. 

Dragon Little smiled. “Go, daddy, go!” she whispered. 

Dragon Father soon gave up on the giant. He threw him into the air and backwards. While still in the air, while whimpering, the giant disappeared as if he had never been there. 

The exoskeleton reached down through the woods and picked up another giant. 

“I know where the girl is,” the giant said after he’d been hurled sideways a few times. 

Dragon Little stood up. 

“Tell me!” Dragon Father had never been as serious and angry as he was now. 

“There! She’s over there!” The giant, hanging upside-down, pointed at a faraway spot, not at all in Dragon Little’s direction. “Under the grey rock!” 

“No! No!” Dragon Little jumped up and down on the giant leaf in the giant forest. 

Dragon Father flew in the direction the giant had shown him, carrying the giant with him. 

“Dad! I’m here! Dad!” 

But Dragon Father, of course, did not hear her. He disappeared into the forest and Dragon Little could not see him. 

“Dad!” she shouted again, but with less force. 

She sat back down. “Dad,” she said softly. “I’m thirsty… I’m hungry...”

And she waited. 

Tomorrow I will tell you what happened next.

—Told by The Red Dragon