The Lantern Dragon
A tale of friendship & Chinese New Year magic
In a tiny village nestled among green hills, there lived a little girl named Mei. Mei loved her village, but more than anything, she loved the stories her grandmother told her about dragons. Grandmother said dragons were wise and ancient, their scales shimmering like the stars, their voices rumbling like distant thunder.
One morning, Mei skipped down the village path, a red ribbon dancing in her hair. It was nearly Chinese New Year! Houses sparkled with decorations, and the smell of sweet dumplings made Mei’s tummy growl.
While everyone bustled around, Mei wandered toward the old willow tree on the hill. She felt a tickle on her nose, and a tiny snowflake landed on her eyelashes.
“It won’t snow much,” she told herself, “Dragons would never let it snow too hard on New Year.”
A gust of wind whipped around her, and Mei noticed a flicker of gold under the tree. When she got closer, she gasped! Coiled beneath the branches was a dragon, shimmering scales the color of sunlight. He was enormous!
“Please, don’t be scared,” said the dragon, his deep voice as gentle as a summer breeze. “My name is Longwei, and I’ve been watching over your village for centuries.”
Mei curtsied, “It’s an honor, Longwei! Are the stories true? Can dragons really breathe fire?”
Longwei chuckled. “Yes, little one, and so much more.”
Just then, the sound of drums echoed from the village. “New Year’s Eve!” Mei cried. “We have to go!”
She raced down the hill, with Longwei soaring silently above her. The village glowed with hundreds of paper lanterns, bobbing like fireflies in the night. Children darted about, waving sparklers.
Suddenly, the wind snatched away a lantern from a little boy. It floated higher and higher, until it was just a speck of red against the dark sky. The boy started to cry.
Mei’s heart sank. Lanterns were meant to bring good luck! Without thinking, she called out, “Longwei, can you help?”
The dragon swooped down from the sky and in a gentle puff of warm air, not fire, guided the lantern safely back to the boy. Cheers erupted from the crowd!
From that night on, Longwei became the village’s guardian. Every Chinese New Year, he would light the lanterns with his magical breath, their soft light flickering against his sparkling scales. And Mei knew that dragons were real, and that they watched over her with all the wisdom and kindness of the starry sky.
The End
