The Dragons of Blueland

WHAT WENT BEFORE

Once a baby dragon flew away from home to ride on a cloud. And he fell off onto a place called Wild Island, hurting one wing so badly that he could not fly back to his cloud. The fierce wild animals of Wild Island tied him to a rope, and when his wing got well, they made him fly them back and forth across a muddy river.

An old alley cat exploring the island saw the miserable dragon. They became good friends, and she promised to help him escape. When she went home she told Elmer Elevator, a brave boy of nine, all about the dragon. He set off to the rescue and tricked the wildanimals, cutting the dragon's rope just as the animals were about to catch him, too. He jumped onto the dragon, and off they flew.

Then Elmer remembered that he'd better start back home to Nevergreen City. The dragon offered to fly him, but a terrible storm forced them down over the ocean. Just by luck they landed on a sand bar near an island, and when they waded ashore they found that only canaries lived there. Elmer met an old canary friend who introduced them to the canary king, King Can XI. The King asked if they would dig up an old treasure chest, explaining that he was suffering from the dreadful disease of curiosity and could not get well until he had seen that treasure.

Elmer and the dragon finally found the treasure. Everybody joined in a wonderful celebration, and afterwards Elmer and the dragon flew off to Never- green City. The dragon left his good friend on a wharf, and started back to his own home in Blueland.

Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Map

What Went Before

1. The Hiding Place

2. Mr. and Mrs. Wagonwheel

3. The Men on the Slope

4. In the Cave

5. Back to Nevergreen City

6. Elmer to the Rescue

7. The Dragons of Blueland

8. To Spiky Mountain Ridge

9. Blueland

10. Escape

11. “The Dragon Affair”

About the Author and Illustrator

Chapter One

THE HIDING PLACE

Over the harbor, past the lighthouse, away from Nevergreen City flew the happy baby dragon. "I'm on my way home to the great high mountains of Blueland!" he shouted to the evening skies. "At last I'm off to find my six sisters and seven brothers, and my dear gigantic mother and father."

He sped northward over the coast of Popsicornia. He flew all night through the dark scudding clouds toward Awful Desert, which surrounded the mountains of Blueland. "I must be careful," he thought to himself, "that nobody sees me on my way, but I'll have to stop and rest somewhere. Where can I hide? I've grown as big as a buffalo, and my blue-and-yellow stripes and gold-colored wings will certainly attract attention."