The Other Chapter

"I think," said PearBear when they had finished their meal, "We could go back to Favorite Pear Tree and I can introduce you to many of my friends who might be there. Maybe you could fly this time."

"Oh. That sounds very nice. What color do you think I should be?"

"Hmmm. Have you done red yet? Like Red Bartlett Pears?"

"Yes, I like red too. Let's try it with some yellow polka dots. That looks really cool."

Dragon turned red and yellow and stayed the same color all the way back to Favorite Pear Tree. Sure enough, there was quite a large gathering of forest folk around the tree, visiting with each other and waiting for the sun to set. Even Fox was there, behaving himself for a change.

"Hello, PearBear," said Cow, who often wandered up from the farm just to have a nice chat. "We wondered where you were." Then she saw Dragon. "My stars, but that is the prettiest lizard I have ever seen."

"Actually, this is a dragon," explained PearBear. "Perhaps he will show you how he can change colors. Notice he is flying with one wing. I don't think lizards can do that."

"No," agreed Cow, "I don't think so either."

Dragon turned colors and shades in combinations that none of them had seen before. Finally he landed on one of PearBear's feet.

"Outstanding!" said Fox.

"Cool!" said a rabbit.

"Mercy Sakes!" said Cow.

"Amazing!" said Robin, sitting next to Spotted Owl on a branch.

"Gee Whillikers!" said the mice at the same time.

"Really, really cool!" said another rabbit.

"Remarkable!" said PearBear, clapping his paws.

"Humph!" said Spotted Owl.

"It's nothing," said Dragon. "Easy as pie. All us wee dragons can do that stuff."

"What else can you do?" asked Spotted Owl. Leave it to Spotted Owl. He could be kind of a grump now and then. "Let's see you breath some fire."

"Little dragons do not breath fire," answered the Dragon. "It's dangerous, and it could maybe burn down the forest."

"Ohhhhhh! Noooo!" all the forest folks said at the same time. "Owl, that's very naughty of you to think of it."

They gathered in a circle under the branch where Spotted Owl sat, and looked up at him. They were not pleased. Robin flew to another branch to show Owl how upset she was. PearBear scowled at Owl, something that the bear rarely did.

"You folks have no sense of humor at all," said Owl, looking very flustered. "I was only teasing. I knew the dragon couldn't really do it, anyhow. I frankly think he's a fake dragon. He may even be a lizard for all we know."

"Don't say that!" explained PearBear, remembering how angry Dragon became when he first had called him a lizard.

"Well, tell us, what else can you do?" Owl said. Which, as it turned out, wasn't the smartest thing Owl ever did. "Lizard," he muttered under his breath.

The Dragon said thoughtfully, "Well, I could make your feathers fall off, for instance."

"Hah! Go ahead and try. We'll all have a good laugh!" replied Owl, looking around to see if everyone appreciated his humor. A few actually did laugh, but they were thinking how Owl would look without his feathers.

"Well, if you insist," said Dragon. He closed his eyes, drew a deep breath, and held it for a few seconds while he turned black. Then he let his breath out aiming upward toward Owl.

Nothing much happened, and Owl spread his wings and laughed. "Whooo! Whooo! Whooo!"

And then, a feather fell to the ground. Then another. And several more. Until all of Owl's feathers began to fall in a shower of white and brown, and made a small feather mountain under Favorite Pear Tree.

Everyone looked up at Owl, who was looking down at himself, without a single, solitary feather on him.

"Put them back! Put them back this instant!" Owl shrieked, flapping his featherless wings. "If you don't put back my feathers, I'll...I'll...I'll eat you for dinner."

Dragon folded his arms and said, "You can't because with no feathers, you can't fly. Besides, lizards taste just awful."

PearBear said softly to the little dragon, "I think he believes you now. Why don't you put them back?"

"They'll grow back," said Dragon. "He'll always remember the difference between dragons and lizards."

"Please," wailed Spotted Owl. "I agree. You are a mighty dragon. Now, could you put back my feathers?"

"Can't do it," said Dragon. "I don't know how."

"You mean you've ruined me, and you don't know how to fix it?" screeched Owl.

The forest folks were watching the activity, speechless. No one had a thing to say. It was all being said by Owl and Dragon.

"Well, actually I just forgot how. I'll probably remember in about a week," Dragon answered. "If I'm still in the neighborhood."

"A week! I could freeze to death in a week!" Owl looked very chilly.

"Nonsense. It's the middle of summer." Dragon said. "Lizards don't have feathers and they do very well without them."

PearBear stepped up to Dragon and whispered in his ear, "Vegetable Soup."

Dragon turned a lovely shade of pea green, and waged his tail. "Really? Now? More?" he said.

"If you put Owl's feathers back, I'll make another pot of vegetable soup, just for you."

"With lots and lots of green peas?" Dragon bargained. "I think my memory is coming back."

"I'll put three times as many peas in it," PearBear answered. "I promise."

"Well...," Dragon considered. "Sometimes I get feathers upside down. But if you could remember to have a nice ripe Anjou pear at the same time, I surely should be able to remember which side is up on feathers."

"No problem," said Bear. "First, the feathers."

"Ah! It's all coming back to me now. I remember how to put feathers back."

He puffed himself up with a great breath, and blew on the little feather mountain. They rose in a thick cloud, swirling around all the forest folk, and finally settled on Owl. When the last small wing feather lit exactly where it belonged, Owl had all his feathers back.

"Well, thank you very much, Dragon," Owl said with relief. "Very much indeed. You are probably the mightiest dragon in history."

"Naaa," said the Dragon. "Us little guys can't do the really fancy stuff. But we are a lot of fun when you get to know us. It's time to leave now. PearBear has to make vegetable soup, and I've had a lovely time meeting all of you."

Dragon wagged his tail, spun his wing, and took off in the direction of PearBear's home, now that he know where it was. He would be waiting when PearBear arrived.

PearBear watched the pretty little pea green dragon disappear in the forest trees, and he started down the path, singing a song as he went.

"Soopity Doopity Doop
I'm going to make vegetable soup.
With lots of green peas,
(I've a dragon to please.)
A tomato or two, and some carrots will do,
Oh, Soopity Doopity Doop.
What else will I put in this goop?
Potatoes or onions, anything goes.
Chock full of vitamins, everyone knows.
A small pinch of salt and some parsley and dill.
In a couple of hours we'll both eat our fill."

Meanwhile, Spotted Owl decided it was time to pay a visit to Old Growth Forest. The rest of the forest folk gossiped with each other about the only dragon they had ever seen. Cow wandered down the hill to the barn. Nothing surprised Cow.

End of story.