“Wow, you were so brave!” Dragon Father told Dragon Little, still hiding her face in his chest, as she was still clinging as hard as she could.
Inwardly, I nodded, agreeing with Dragon Father. She had shown bravery I have never seen in all the centuries I have lived.
“I’m scared,” she whined into his chest. “I’m not brave!”
“You were brave because you were scared, Joy! You’re brave because you still did something that was frightening. You saved yourself! You saved yourself until I got there!”
Dragon Little whimpered, not showing her face.
“You know how brave you were?”
She did not respond.
“Joy, you know how brave you were?”
She shook her buried head.
“Today.. You were a true squashbuckler!”
“Hmmm?”
“That’s right! You are the bravest squashbuckler I’ve ever seen!”
“Hmmm?”
“What? What’s that?” He seemed surprised. “Did I just say squashbuckler? Well, that’s not a word! I meant to say squashbuckler!” he repeated the word again. As I have told you many times before, Dragon Little refuses to say ‘swashbuckler’ and will only say ‘squashbuckler’ which drives Dragon Father crazy.
But now, he seemed to be surprised he was saying it. “I’m saying it wrong!” He tried hard… “Squash… Squash… Squashbuckler!”
Dragon Little raised her eyes and looked at him, smiling.
“I said it again!” he seemed frustrated with himself. “I’m saying it wrong! You’re a great squashbuckler! Damn, I said it wrong again!”
Dragon Little laughed.
“Joy, Joy, help me out. Say it right.”
“You’re saying it right!” she laughed. “I’m a squashbuckler!”
“No, no, the word is squuuuuaaaashbuckler! Damn! What’s the matter with me?” She laughed again.
He continued to say it the way she said it a few more times and in a minute, Dragon Little was on the floor laughing, the fear seemingly forgotten. She was back to her old self.
Finally, Dragon Father looked down at her.
“Feeling better?” he said.
She nodded.
“Here, take this,” he gave her a lit torch that appeared in his hand. “Just in case I get another phone call.”
She took it and even though neither of them saw it, I saw the torch glow in a bluish light for a split second as she touched it. I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Now, what do you say, Joy? Are we going home or are we getting the bad guys?”
Usually, she would shout the answer immediately. Now she hesitated. She looked into his eyes. “Get the bad guys?” she asked, her voice half shaking.
“That’s right!” he raised his voice. “Because we’re squashbucklers!”
“Squashbucklers!” she shouted.
“Squashbucklers!!” They both shouted together.
Tomorrow I will tell you how the adventure continued.
—Told by The Red Dragon