Southend U3A

October 2024

Dragon Gaslight - Jan Norman

On their way home from Huff Junior school in Dragonia, Harry, a seven-year-old Golden dragon, pleaded with his widowed mum, Orelia to take him to the child dragon playground in the park. She hesitated.

‘You can stay but only if Dan is not there.’ she replied.

Harry sighed in exasperation. ‘What is the matter with you Mum, I thought you were different from most grownups. Why do you care if he’s red?’

‘I don’t but lots of our friends are prejudiced and if you start seeing a lot of Dan then lots of them won’t want to be our friends and you might be lonely.’

Harry looked at his Mum and said, with a wisdom beyond his years, ‘If they hate dragons just because they are a different colour, then I don’t want their friendship. Mum, you know I’m colour blind. Everything is grey. I can’t tell a red dragon from a golden dragon. I can’t even see my colour or yours or Dan’s. I judge a fellow dragon by what they have in their hearts not what they look like. Dan is kind, compassionate and has a great sense of humour. The only way I will give up his friendship is if you will be hurt by losing some friends.’

Astounded by his perspicacity and generosity of soul, Orelia searched her own conscience and prejudices and found herself wanting. Now safe in the knowledge that her son’s sensible and sensitive outlook would help him survive all that life would throw at him, she relaxed. Squeezing his hand she replied, ‘You are right. Colour prejudice has no place in Dragonia. Let’s go and see Dan.’

Returning her hand squeeze, Harry smiled at her then, whooping with joy, dashed for the playground.

Slamming through the enclosure gate, he pelted headlong into the embrace of his friend Daniel shrieking, ‘Dan, Dan you’re here. Let’s go and play on the slide!’

Abandoned, Mum sighed and sat down on a bench by the fence deep in thought. She knew tension was building through the republic of Dragonia: a racist tension between red dragons and golden dragons started a few years ago by a belief, wrongly held by the golden dragons, that they were, in some way, superior in intellect to red dragons. She was ashamed to admit to herself that she had tried to pretend the problem didn’t exist rather than face it head on. Now she was ready to stand up and be counted.

Half an hour later Harry swooped over to mum yelling, ‘Drink please I’m really thirsty an’ can Dan have some ‘cos he’s thirsty too.’

She started to hesitate but catching the pleading look in her son’s huge golden eyes she said, ‘Of course he can. He’s a friend of yours and always welcome to share with us.’

Dan, surprised, but elated, thanked her.

After both youngsters had gulped down the fruit juice a rich, cultured, male voice quietly interjected. ‘Would you both like a biscuit?’ and, as an aside to Orelia, ‘If that is ok with you?’

Startled, Orelia looked up to see the handsomest male dragon she had ever seen in her life looking enquiringly at her, one eyebrow raised. Blushing a deep red, almost as red as the colour of Dan’s father’s skin, accepted his offer.

After Harry and Dan had rushed off on a new adventure Dan’s father introduced himself as Errol and soon, he and Orelia were both deep in conversation. Colour forgotten.

An hour later she and an ecstatic Harry left the play park but only after promising Errol that she and Harry would go with him and his son to the big summer fair to be held in the town square.

As dusk fell in Huff the following Saturday, Orelia and Errol were to be found strolling arm in arm through the capitol’s historic main thoroughfare, very happy in each other’s company. Dan and Harry skipping merrily behind, each trying to be first to devour their huge twirls of candy floss proclaiming between mouthfuls that it had been the best day ever.

Walking away from the fair, they watched in wonder as the new street lights, designed by Puff the magic dragon, were being lit, one by one, by the town’s lamplighter.

Dan suddenly exclaimed in delight. ‘Wish you could see this Harry but in the light of these new lamps all dragons look the same colour: orange. This must be a sign.’

They all laughed, hope in their hearts.