Dragon Book - The dragon girl

In this very unusual tale, a girl, a dragon and a bell all mix up in what is probably the strangest dragon book story.

A monk used to stay at a dignitary's house, resting from the long journeys he underwent, pilgrimages to the temples of Japan.

The dignitary had a young daughter who loved to play with the monk during his visits to her house. Her father the dignitary used to jokingly tell his daughter that when she grew older she would marry the monk.

Years passed and the girl grew to be a young woman. She waited, and waited and her patience started growing thin so one day when the monk visited she asked him just how long she would have to wait for him to marry her.

The monk was horrified. He led a spiritual life and had no intention of marrying anyone, let alone the dignitary's daughter. The monk, maybe sensing something of the future, maybe showing his true colors, fled the dignitary's mansion at night.

The young woman, having dreamt of marrying the monk, having been robbed of who she thought of as her future husband, set out after the monk.

She followed him through mountains and valleys till she reached a wide river she couldn't cross. But the women's will was so powerful she turned into a giant fire breathing dragon, plunged into the river and swum across, her scaled tail swishing.

Meanwhile the monk reached a temple and requested sanctuary. He entered the temple and looking for a place to hide he found and entered the temple's large iron bell.

The woman reached the temple, entered it and immediately headed for the temple's bell. She was so angry with the monk she turned into a dragon again, tore down the bell with her long tail, drew air deeply into her lungs and breathed fire all over the iron bell, melting it and killing the cowardly monk.

The, the temple's monk threw incantations at the woman - dragon, and though her thick hide and tough scales were impervious to any weapon, nonetheless she fled the temple.

In a final twist worthy of any dragon book, many years later, the temple had acquired a new bell and celebrated its installment. Though women were prohibited from entering, one woman came, dancing so beautifully she was admitted inside. The temple's monks suspected something was amiss when they saw the woman's eyes fixed on the bell.

Suddenly, the woman vanished and the bell fell down from its tower. Inside, a giant dragon was found, coiled and twisted. It breathed fire, destroyed the bell and left the temple, diving down to a nearby deep lake, never to be seen again. However, the temple never tried to acquire another bell.

This dragon book tale shows us that there is a dragon hidden inside every one of us.

 

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