This is an Elliot the Dragon story that Arthur told on the way up to school one stressful morning…

Once upon a time, there was a little dragon called Elliot. He lived with his Mama Dragon and Dadda Dragon and his baby brother Callum Dragon. They all loved one another very much, but sometimes Callum Dragon and Elliot Dragon got into squabbles.

Now, a squabble is not a fight, but a fight is almost always preceded by a squabble. A squabble is when you start to get annoyed and say things to annoy another person. Sometimes Callum Dragon and Elliot Dragon got into squabbles, and it almost never ended well.

One day Elliot Dragon and Callum Dragon were in squabbles all morning before it was time to leave for school. Their poor Mama Dragon was pulling her scales off with frustration, but the little dragons wouldn’t stop. Sure enough, it became a big fight, and Elliot got sent outside the Dragons’ cave to try to collect himself. Elliot the Dragon knew that one of the best ways to calm down is to walk around a bit, and he found himself climbing up a hill until he got to a high and lonely place.

Up on that hill, he saw a Dove. “Hello,” she cooed in a funny high voice. “Hi,” replied Elliot.

“You look a big glum,” said the Dove. “Is something the matter?”

Elliot the Dragon explained how he and Callum Dragon had been in squabbles and how Mama Dragon was cross with him as well. The Dove listened to everything he had to say. She made understanding little coos and cocked her head on the side to listen carefully to Elliot the Dragon.

After telling her what had happened, he started to feel a bit better, and that was when she asked him a funny question. She asked, “Elliot the Dragon, have you ever swallowed a word?”

Elliot thought that sounded a bit odd. How would you swallow a word?

The Dove told him that words come from inside us and then out of our mouths. Sometimes you can swallow a word back down before it comes out, and it will stay inside, and kind of disappear.

Elliot still thought this sounded a bit funny, but the Dove advised him that it might help with squabbling with Callum Dragon. Elliot wasn’t sure, but then, the Dove had been so kind to him, that he thought maybe it was worth a try.

Elliot the Dragon came down the hill feeling very relaxed after his encounter with the Dove. Meanwhile in the cave, Callum Dragon was still in a bit of a state. He was still trying to say things to make Elliot annoyed.

Elliot could feel those words coming up his throat and was ready to say them to Callum and get into a squabble, but he remembered the Dove’s advice and swallowed them back down.

At first, nothing happened. Callum Dragon kept going. More words kept coming up into Elliot’s mouth, and he wanted to keep saying them. But he gave it one more go and swallowed them down.

Then something amazing occurred. Callum Dragon just stopped talking! Without Elliot the Dragon talking back to him, there was no squabble. Elliot was flabbergasted! He saw that squabbles are powered by words, and when he swallowed his down, the squabble went away. That is the story of how Elliot the Dragon learned from the Dove how keep the peace in his family.

Categories: Written by Tamie

Tagged as: Elliot the Dragon

Tamie Davis

Tamie Davis is an Aussie living in Tanzania, writing at meetjesusatuni.com.