What used to be a dirty, brown dust bowl, now gleamed and glistened¹ in the sunlight, sending playful waves and ripples² across the lake and inviting³ all to share.

"HMMMMM," sighed the Dragon sleepily, and showing his perfect movie star teeth. "Seeing as I'm awake ..."

And he lumbered⁴ forward with surprising grace and style and disappeared into the cool dark water with a small wave of a claw and flick⁵ of his tail.

They never saw him again.

After the families had restored and rebuilt the village, and set up sailing clubs for the children, and scuba⁶ diving for the grandparents, they erected⁷ a bandstand and monument in the spot where the Dragon used to lay. Every year to mark the occasion, they would bring garlands of flowers and herbs and arrange them in a big circle. The children would have the day off school, for it was known as 'Water Dragon Day' and wearing the dragon masks that they had been working on all week, would skip and clap and sing.

The Dragon helped Us
As We said He would Do
Hooray for The Dragon
Achoo, Achoo, ACHOOOO!

And that is the end of the story.