Where the Bronze Dragon Flies
Juni held her breath and lifted the round glass fishbowl with both hands. Inside, Fish swam in a quick, happy circle around his little green castle. Today was a grand adventure day, and Fish was the guest of honor.
Tucked safely under Juni's arm were three special papers. She had spent all morning coloring them with her favorite teal crayon and a shiny metallic bronze. They were pictures of a magnificent creature with amber eyes.
The sidewalk was warm beneath Juni's sneakers as she marched toward her favorite oak tree. Fish bobbed gently in his water, watching the passing hedges. Juni hummed a little marching song, keeping her steps steady and proud.
Suddenly, a playful swirl of air danced down the street. It snatched the top drawing right from under Juni's arm. 'Oh no!' Juni gasped, watching the paper flutter high into the air like a real, flying dragon.
The paper swooped and tumbled through the sky. It sailed over a wooden fence and landed with a soft slide onto a nearby porch. Juni hurried after it, her eyes wide as she kept her balance.
On the porch, Dog was having a very serious nap. He lay stretched out on a soft rug, his heavy paws twitching in a dream. The bronze dragon drawing drifted down, settling right beside his floppy ears.
Juni stopped at the bottom of the porch steps. She did not want to wake the sleepy dog, but her drawing was so close to his nose. She took a tiny, quiet step upward, holding Fish very still.
Dog opened one sleepy eye. He let out a giant, rumbling yawn that made his whole tail wiggle. He looked at the paper, then up at Juni, giving a friendly thump of his tail against the floorboards.
With a gentle nudge, Dog pushed the paper off the rug with his snout. Juni smiled and picked it up. 'Thank you, helper,' she whispered, feeling her brave heart beat a little faster with excitement.
Dog stood up, stretched his front legs, and decided this adventure was far too interesting to miss. He trotted down the steps beside Juni, keeping a watchful eye on the fishbowl as they walked together.
They finally reached the grassy park, where the green lawn stretched out like a giant carpet. Juni spread her bright red picnic blanket under the shade of a massive oak tree, placing Fish right in the center.
Juni lined up her three drawings on the blanket. The bronze scales seemed to shimmer in the dappled sunlight. Fish swam up to the glass, staring at the pictures with his own shiny, curious eyes.
Dog curled up at the edge of the blanket, resting his chin on his paws. He looked at the bronze dragon, then at Fish, and finally at Juni. He let out a long, contented sigh that rustled the grass.
Juni sat cross-legged between her two friends, eating a sweet strawberry. She looked at the blue sky through the green leaves and wondered if real bronze dragons ever flew over the park when everyone was fast asleep.
