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ESL - Dragon Song
Dragon
ESL - February 2009 - Woodhaven
E A E (X3)
There once was a - naughty little boy and his name - was Fragon.
Just two letters - away from the name of his favorite magical beast - the
Dragon.
And one letter - away from his favorite movie character - a boy who made friends
with - you guessed it - a Dragon.
F#m E A (X2)
His mommy and his daddy both worked for the government
And one day on a fast plane - they all flew to China.
They arrived just as Fragon's birthday was starting back home, so just before
they got off the plane, his mommy and daddy gave him his birthday present. It
was quite big and yet not too thick, so right away he knew it was a book. Fragon
liked to play all kinds of games, and he loved to watch movies, but more than
anything he just loved to read books. In his mind, the stories and the heroes of
the stories became true and no movie could really match the power of his
imagination.
"Go ahead and open it," said his mommy "back home it is already your birthday."
So he unwrapped it carefully, and he discovered the greatest book ever. It was
called "Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Dragons."
He didn't get a chance to read any of it just then, because they had to get off
the plane. The airport was very interesting and on the car ride to the hotel he
saw many things that were strange and fascinating. The buildings had
interestingly curved rooves, the cars were designed differently and there were
more people riding bicycles than he had ever seen anywhere. At the hotel, they
only had time to wash up, change into clean clothes and off they went again to
meet with some important Chinese people for some very important reasons that
Fragon didn't really care about. He just cared about the new sights and of
course, his new book which, of course he had taken with him.
It was a warm and very lovely summer day, so when they got to the meeting place,
Fragon's mommy and daddy and the important Chinese people got down to their
important business, and they did not notice Fragon sneaking away. Fragon found a
quiet shady place by the side a great old wall and opened his book. The first
page had the title on it again:
"Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Dragons"
And under that, in smaller letters:
"And So Many Other Things That You Didn't Even Know That You Wanted To Know."
And that was the truth. As he turned the pages he saw many beautiful
illustrations of fire dragons, water dragons, air dragons, magic castles and
mystical forests. He also learned many, many things about dragons that he didn't
know before. Here are a few of them:
Words that have 5 dragon letters in them, always have something to do with
dragons. Like this:
Aragon - a region in NE Spain (says the dictionary) - The birth place of
dragons.
Baragon - a four-legged Triceratops with a horn on his head and large ears
featured in the 1965 Toho produced
film, Frankenstein vs. Baragon. ALSO The dragons second home in Britannia where
they moved when Spain got too nasty.
Cragon - no dictionary entry - The latest home of the dragon nation high in the
mountains of China.
Estargon - essential oil, derived from tarragon used in perfume or, to stimulate
appetite - in this case also used by dragons in perfume oil.
Mandragora - also called mandrake, (Mandragora officinarum,) is a plant
belonging to the nightshades family. The root is often used in magic
rituals - great for flavoring dragon soup (made by and not of dragons - O.K?)
Paragon - a model or pattern of excellence (says the dictionary) - which is
exactly what a dragon is.
Tarragon - perennial aromatic Old World herb - used to make dragon tea - an
intoxicating drink (like wine or beer) favored by dragons.
comes from the Greek work for dragon.
He also read that Oregon (an American state) didn't have anything to do with
oregano which is a spice that dragons love to put on their pizza pies (he didn't
know that dragons loved pizza - and that they had actually invented the first
pizza pie ever while they lived in Spain - because Spain has some of the best
cheese in the whole world.) There were many other interesting things like the
dragons' favorite sport (clawball - which is like a cross between football &
basketball played while flying through the air,) their favorite hobbies (stamp &
coin collecting,) their favorite pastime (why, reading a book of course,)
the magical properties of their scales (which completely replaced themselves in
two weeks, every 200 years,) and many many other things.
And then, on page 33 was the dragon incantation (which can be used to summon a
dragon) and it went like this:
But, before we get to the incantation we will take a teenny, tiny little break.
RECORDING
During this break, I want you to go get your drum, or your cymbals, or your toy
xylophon, or your recorder, or your saxophone, or your guitar, or your
harmonica, or any other instrument that you like to play. If you do not have a
handy instrument, it's O.K. you can just clap your hands. If you have a piano
ask your mommy or daddy if you are allowed to sit there and help Fragon with his
incantation, because an incantation is a spell that you sing and this one is
going to be loud and lots of fun and it doesn't matter if you think that you do
not know how to play, because today everyone knows how to play.
Ask your older brothers and sisters to help. You can even ask your mommy or your
daddy, or both of them to help and I bet you, when they hear the incantaion,
they will remember that they already know this song. Your grandma, your grandpa,
your babysitter or your nanny can join in too. I know grownups can be boring but
let me tell you a secret: inside every boring grownup, there is a little child
that never grew up; they just don't have much time to come out and play because
they always have to cook and clean or go to work or something.
You can ask them about that sometime and you might find out that maybe your
daddy was in the little league or he liked to play pranks on his friends and
maybe your mommy had pig tails and a secret girls club. Someday maybe they will
take a vacation from being grownup all the time. But that, can wait. In the
meantime, if you need to go to the toilet, press the pause button on your CD
player (or ask someone to do that for you.)
We will wait until you get back.
INTERMISSION
RECORDING
All right my little children of all ages - my little Emma, my little Aiden, my
little Gabriel and my little Ilana - if your friends, or your nanny,
or granny, or anyone whose name I didn't say is listening, this is where their
name goes. I'm going to count to 3 and everyone can yell out their name.
Get ready
Get set
and
1 - 2 - 3 ____________
END RECORDING
LIVE
All right my little children of all ages
END LIVE
welcome back to the story. Wait for me to start playing my drum and then join in
with your instrument and handclaps. And of course, help us sing.
So were was I ..... right
And then, on page 33 was the dragon incantation (which can be used to summon a
dragon) and it went like this:
E E A
Aragon,
Baragon,
Cragon,
Dragon
Fragon automatically added:
Eragon,
Fragon
He liked this so he started repeating it faster and faster:
Aragon,
Baragon,
Cragon,
Dragon
Eragon,
Fragon
O.K. everybody get your instruments ready, and your handclaps, get your voices
ready
because
this is where we are all going to play and sing with Fragon
Aragon,
Baragon,
Cragon,
Dragon
Eragon,
Fragon
He started hearing this music which he thought was only in his head (but
actually it was us,) it didn't bother him and because he really was a little
bit naughty he started a little dance.
And boy oh boy was he having fun dancing and singing his new song.
Aragon,
Baragon,
Cragon,
Dragon
Eragon,
Fragon
He had gotten himself all tired and as he sat down, he let a tiny little fart
escape which immediately caused him to start laughing - he was still young nough
to find farting noises very, very funny. It took him a few moments to realize
that he was not laughing by himself. His eyes were still full of sunlight so it
was only slowly that he started seeing the very large dragon that was also
sitting in the shade of the old great wall sipping at a cup of steaming hot tea
that it held in a surprisingly tiny hand. He didn't feel afraid at all, just a
little bit embarrassed - he was not yet old enough to enjoy dancing in ront of
strangers and yet young enough to not worry about farting in public.
- Excuse me, he said, how long have you been here? It didn't occur to him that
the dragon might not understand.
Later on when he had time to read his dragon book some more, he found out that
dragons understand and speak all languages.
- Long enough, said the dragon, to enjoy your cute little show, you naughty
little boy.
- Oh, I'm sorry, said Fragon, but I am not a naughty little boy!
- Nonsense, said the dragon, all little boys are noughty.
- Well i am not so little anymore.
_ Never mind that - what is more important is an introduction - my name is
Pajarita and that means little bird in Spanish.
- You're a girl?
- So you do not tell your name to girls? Is that polite?
- Oh no, I'm sorry, my name is Fragon and I don't what that means.
- And what was that you were reading there?
- It is called "Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Dragons" and my
parents gave me this present because today is my twelfth birthday.
- Happy birthday to you then my little dragon.
- Why are you calling me that?
- Because this year, is the Chinese year of the dragon. In the Chinese zodiac,
this happens every 12 years and that means that you were born in the year of the
dragon, so that makes you a little dragon. I wish I could share my tea with you,
but you are still a bit too young, come back in the next year of the dragon.
- Why could I not have some of your tea now?
- Because I am having a bit of tarragon tea that is not appropriate for
children.
Fragon remembered reading that tarragon tea was like wine or beer so he asked
her how come she was drinking that.
- An old and very funny friend of mine named Ben, once said that "A little bit
of wine is good for your heart, but too much of it makes it hard to start," and
he was right.
- Makes it hard to start what? I don't get it.
- Makes it hard to start anything at all - too much of anything is bad for you -
you know, if you eat too much candy or too much chocolate, you get a belly ache,
if you swim in the water too long, your skin starts to look like a raisin, but
enough of that, I think it is time for a little flight; would you like to join
me?
- You bet, said Fragon.
He found out that the bottom of a dragon's long neck was a perfect seat and away
they flew. It was a lot more exciting than flying in an airplane and they had a
very enjoyable view of the various villages and ancient buildings that Pajarita
was pointing out to Fragon. It all ended much too soon but when they got back
the wall was throwing a much longer shadow.
- That was fantastic, said Fragon, and thank you very much; if I read the
incantation again will you come to see me again?
- Only if you promise to sing and dance for me again, said Pajarita while
disappearing slowly.
- Oh, I will, I promise! said Fragon to the thin air.
- What do you promise? asked his daddy who was just walking around the corner
with his mommy.
- I promise to sing and dance for my favorite dragon.
- So, I guess you liked your present.
- Oh daddy, thank you. You and mommy gave me the best present that ever was and
this is the greatest birthday ever.
- Then you don't want your birthday cake? asked his mommy.
- I didn't say that - said Fragon - of course I will have my birthday cake, I
just wish I could share it with a dragon.
O.K. so this time, everyone gets to say their name - just wait for me to count
to three.
E A E (X3)
There once were some naughty little kids and 1,2,3 - were their names.
They sang and they danced with me, because - these were such funny games.
And they are still counting dragon letters in their names.
Many thanks to all who listened, hope I told the story right,
And now that it has ended to all a big thank you and a fond good night!
Copyright © 2009 Ernest Samuel Llime. All Rights Reserved. |
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