THE DRAGON OF LOCH DEARG

It was summer time in the Highlands of Scotland. Angus and Mhairi were brother and sister. One day Angus and Mhairi went fishing. They went to Loch Dearg which was just outside the village.

When they got there they started right away. Angus said, "Mhairi, you're not having much luck are you?"

"No," said Mhairi, "I'm going to get an apple from the food bundle." As Mhairi fumbled about in the cloth for the apple Angus shouted, "Mhairi, quick! Look your rod's being pulled under water."

"Grab it!" shouted Mhairi, but it was too late. It went under in a swirl of foam and spray. Something big was under there.

"What could have done that?" Mhairi said, worriedly. "I don't know," said Angus.

Just seconds later the spray and foam began to boil up again and Angus and Mhairi edged backwards slowly, as a huge head came up from the whirling water. Then came a scaly body. It had big eyes which shone gold. It had small red claws and a very long tail. The creature roared, showing huge teeth. Then, to their astonishment, it said, "Please don't go. I won't hurt you! I only want to he friends, it gets so lonely being here on my own."

Angus and Mhairi were dumbstruck. They had never seen a dragon before, let alone one that spoke.

The dragon said, "Well, say something then." They had heard of dragons in folk tales, this wasn't what they expected.

"H-h-hello," said Angus. Mhairi said "What's your name?"

"My name," said the dragon, "My name? My name... well I have never really thought about it before!"

"Well, we have to call you something!" answered Angus.

"How about Donald?" suggested Mhairi. "Donald," hummed the dragon, "I like that.

" The dragon and the children talked for a while. They talked about themselves and the dragon told them about him. They talked for about half an hour until it started raining.

"Our Mother will be expecting us back," said Angus, "We'll be back tomorrow."

"Oh, do you have to go?" asked the dragon sadly.

"Don't worry," said Angus. They watched the dragon until he couldn't be seen any more as he sank slowly back under the surface of the Loch.

That night Mhairi and Angus told their parents what had happened. Their Mum said "Och, stop making up stories again." Word got around the village. No one believed them but an old man. He saw Mhairi and Angus on the street and asked them to come into his house. The old man's name was Alex. They talked about the dragon.

Alex told the kids that when he was young he was swimming and he got cramp. He was sure he would drown but then all of a sudden the water started bubbling and the dragon came out. At first he thought he was seeing things but it swooped down and took him to shore. Mhairi described the Dragon and it fitted Alex's description. They took Alex to the Loch and when he saw the Dragon he was overjoyed. Alex told the rest of the village about it and some of them started to believe that there might indeed be a Dragon.

One day a farmer went out to gather his sheep. While he went on he came across drops of blood on the grass. He thought to himself, surely this is just rabbit's blood that one of my dogs have caught. While he went on he saw lots of fluff on a fence. "It probably came off when they were scratching themselves," he thought to himself worriedly. A few steps later he smelt a pungent smell. He walked on and under a tree he found a dead sheep with bite marks in the throat. The farmer was angry. He thought for a minute. The farmer was having second thoughts about the dragon.

The same day a villager went to the local well on a hill. While he was there he heard a low growl. At first he thought he was hearing things, then he heard it again. He turned round quickly, then he saw a large big black wolf. The wolf leapt up at the villager's face and brought him down. Then it started slashing his face with his teeth and claws. Blood was everywhere when the wolf ran off.

About an hour later his wife came to the well because she was thirsty. While she got closer to the well she saw a red thing beside the well. She started walking faster. She screamed when she saw her husband lying on the ground. She ran back to the town Inn and got some of her husband's friends and they went to get the poor man. After they brought back the man, they started talking about what could have done this, because whatever did this could be a threat to their animals and possibly their lives. A few seconds later someone said, "What if the Dragon those two kids saw is true and that is what has done this?"

Angus and Mhairi felt absolutely positive that it wasn't the Dragon, so that day the kids and Alex set a trap. They put a dead lamb down by the Loch and waited for the beast. If it WAS a beast. Ten minutes had passed and the wolf walked slyly past them. It smelled about, looking around it. It noticed the lamb and started eating it. The water started swirling and the Dragon rose from the water and it swooped down and ate the wolf. Only the hind legs were left behind. Yes, Mhairi and Angus were jumping for joy. Alex saw the Dragon and tears came from his eyes with happiness to see the Dragon again. That day there was great joy in the Village, as the villagers feasted to celebrate the Dragon. They had to admit that the Dragon was real. The Chief of the Village made a speech and everyone was amazed and happy to have a Dragon in Loch Dearg.

Time went by and Mhairi and Angus continued to go and see the Dragon and, if they were lucky, he would even come to the Village. One Summer morning, Angus went down to the Loch alone to see the Dragon. He waited for a minute for the Dragon to come up but started calling when he didn't appear. Angus knew something was wrong. He ran to see Old Alex, worried, but he had gone too. Angus seemed to know within himself that they had gone together.

by Sandy Munro, age 10.