‘The Squashbuckler Diaries’ are the daily tales of Joy Shelley’s Life in the Dream. The ‘Lost in Dreams’ books will tell the story of what happens to her at ages 6, 9, 12, 15, and so on. The diaries tell us what happens before, after, and between the books.

#236: The Happy Dance

Dragon Little and Dragon Father faced off against the powerful Wizard of Woz. 

This was their life: They would begin their day on Bonny’s Revenge, their flying pirate ship, and each time adventure would take them to fight another crazy villain. I have never seen so many false villains before I had arrived at Dragon Father’s dream. But his villains seemed endless, and he was always the hero, along with his daughter. 

The Wizard of Woz stood in front of them and inflated to giant heights. “I am the all-powerful Wizard of Woz!” he declared and his voice reverberated throughout Dragon Father’s entire dream - the space, the planets, even the suns. 

“Can I have the jewel on his head?” Dragon Little asked Dragon Father. She was only 3 years old and was already used to fights and they never seemed to scare her. 

The jewel she was talking about was in the middle of the Wizard’s turban.

“Joy, we’re a little busy here.” Dragon Father was at the helm, fingers grabbing the wheel tightly. ”Hold on!” He turned the ship violently to one side just as the Wizard of Woz unleashed an energy beam in their direction. 

A battle began, of a flying pirate ship called Bonny’s Revenge versus a villain as big as ten of those ships. 

They parried and twisted, trying to hit each other. But only Bonny’s Revenge’s cannons found their target in the Wizard’s chest. 

“Dad, Dad! The Jewel! Get the Jewel! I want to see what’s inside it!”

Dragon Father ignored his little girl and continued battling the villain. 

It was an impressive fight, and at the end of it, the Wizard of Woz collapsed and fell.

As he fell, the jewel fell off his forehead and suddenly he shrank back to his normal size. 

Dragon Father parked Bonny’s Revenge just above the Wizard. He released the rope ladder and then, not bothering to take it, jumped over the railing and landed at the Wizard’s side. 

Dragon Little took the rope ladder down.

While Dragon Father arrested the Wizard of Woz, Dragon Little took the jewel. 

“I got it! I got it! I got it!” She seemed to sing as she danced a happy and victorious dance. “I got it! I got it! I got it!” 

Dragon Father laughed at seeing her dance. 

“You know we have to give that back to its rightful owner, right?”

“I know,” she sang. “I know! I know!” And she continued to dance. “But I’m holding it! I’m holding it! I’m holding it!” 

She danced all the time they flew back to return the jewel, and Dragon Father laughed many times.

—Told by The Red Dragon

#237: The Multi-Dreams

#235: Bad Dad