The Adventures of Wuut!!

The Adventures of Wuut!!

By

S. Dagmar

The Adventures of Wuut!! © 2007 S. Dagmar. All Rights Reserved.

ISBN 978-1-329-41247-7

Chapter One

Once there was a young dragon.  His name--well, his full name I cannot tell you, for dragon names are full of meaning, and are not spoken by outsiders.  Instead they use a shortened version of their names, stripped of any power to control or harm them.

This particular young dragon was known as Wuut!!.  Wuut!! was one of seven young dragon hatchlings, an unusually large number, mind you, but times were good for dragonkin that season.  Wuut!! was the fourth of the young dragons to hatch, placing him square in the middle of his siblings.

Dragons, as you likely know, come in all colors and shades of the spectrum, from bright green, to deep blood red.  There are dragons with scales so black they seem to absorb all light, like a starless night.  There are dragons with scales that glisten so white, one is blinded just looking at them.  There are even a few dragons whose scales gleam iridescent in the sunlight, reflecting back a hundred different colors, scattering rainbows as they fly, like prisms.

Wuut!! was not hatched into such a flamboyant enclave.  His sire was a grand brown dragon, his dame a blue dragon.

Wuut!!'s sibling ranged in dark colors from a forest green to a deep navy blue.  Wuut!! stood out like a beacon among the other hatchlings.  His scales were a gleaming pale orange, shifting to gold as he moved.

Wuut!!'s dame was disturbed to see such unusual coloring, for her family was very traditional, blue going back for generations untold.  Wuut!!'s sire secretly wondered if some other egg had been snuck into his nest by vengeful pixies.  But what pixie would be brave enough to attempt such a thing? And surely their dame would notice.  She'd hardly left the nest while awaiting the hatching.

At first Wuut!!'s life was simple, eating food his sire and dame brought for the hatchlings, tumbling about with his siblings.  The young hatchlings slept a lot, sometimes curled into scaley little balls, sometimes stretched on their back, sensitive underbellies exposed.

As time progressed, they began to be more active, crawling about, and wrestling each other.  At first one could not tell any difference between Wuut!! and his siblings, but before long, it became apparent that Wuut!! had a problem.

Wuut!! seemed to lack the inherent grace and natural balance that dragons are renowned for.  He was, to put it bluntly, a very clumsy little dragon.

Wuut!! from the time he was hatched, was constantly tripping over his own tail.  When he and his siblings lined up for breakfast each morning, he was always last in line, for he always got his feet tangled up, and would knock over anyone standing behind him.

So Wuut!! always got the last of every breakfast, and thus remained a rather small dragon. 

When time for first flame arrived, Wuut!! was actually the first of the dragonlings to breath flame.  He sneezed and set the nest afire.  It seemed no matter what Wuut!! did, or how hard he tried, nothing came out right.  But Wuut!! was a cheerful young fellow, and he remained hopeful that things would get better—eventually.

Chapter Two

Learning to fly is perhaps the single most important event in a young dragon's life.  But when the time came for the dragonlings to learn to fly, Wuut!! was left behind.  

Perhaps it is sheer mischance, he thought to himself as he curled up alone in the big nest.  Surely, they'll come back for me soon.

But no one came back for Wuut!! and his siblings returned full of excitement and pride over how well they'd done.  And no one seemed to notice Wuut!! curled up quietly in his little corner of the nest.

The next day Wuut!! once again found himself alone as his family went off for flying lessons.  He tried to think positively, and be glad for his siblings, knowing they would most likely fly better without him.  But he couldn't help feeling sad and left out as the hours passed.

This continued for many days, as Wuut!!'s brothers and sisters grew stronger from flying in the sun, and he seemed to quietly waste away in the shadows of the nest.  

Then one morning an old dragon came to see Wuut!! as he lay, quiet and sad, alone in the nest once again.

Young one, the old dragon said, and Wuut!! raised his head.

Get up, the old dragon said.  Have you no manners?  Show respect to your elders.

Wuut!! scrambled to his feet, spreading his wings for balance.  He dipped his head low in shame for his lack of respect.  

I am sorry, Elder, he said.    

The Elder was so old her silver scales had faded to the color of mist.  She glanced around the nest, before stepping to look Wuut!! over.  The dragonling kept his head down, and fought to keep his balance intact.

Should not a dragonling of your age be out flying in the sun? the elder asked.

I have been left behind, Elder, Wuut!! answered.  And I do not know how to fly.

The elder's head went back, steam puffing from her nostrils in her surprise.  Not know how to fly? she repeated.  Why ever not, young one?

"My family has