CHAPTER 1
"Chasing Frogs"
Pelican delivered your letter yesterday. Thank you for writing to me. Since you returned home to Ocean Wave City, I miss you.
It's still scary in Great Forest! The dragons keep chasing the frogs to eat them. Sometimes the dragons' roaring flames start a fire in the grass. Then, the forest animals hurry to get water from Deep Pond to put the fire out.
Great Forest needs to have a lot more quiet and a lot less burnt grass. In some places, the forest is more black than green!
The frogs spend most of their time hiding at the bottom of Deep Pond behind the rocks where the dragons can't find them.
The dragons and frogs need to be friends. Why can't the dragons get that and stop chasing and eating the frogs?
Owl is here for the mail. Write soon!
Your forest friend,
Squirrel
They can't be friends. You know the forest rhyme. It says,
Never! Dragons and frogs will never be friends! Never be friends! The dragons eat frogs whenever they can. They will never, ever be friends!
By the way, I have bad news. When Owl delivered your letter, he told me about the Great Forest calendar. Dragon Mama is due to lay an egg any day now. Tell the frogs they should worry about this egg. A baby dragon will eat frogs and start fires, too!
And, I have good news! Owl also said that a dragon egg takes 300 years to hatch. Tell the frogs they have lots of time to think of a way to get rid of the egg. There must be lots of ways to get rid of a dragon egg.
Your beach buddy,
Bird
P.S. It took Owl a week to find me and deliver your letter! He didn't know that last week I moved next to the red lifeguard stand.
CHAPTER 2
"A Burnt Visit"
You and Owl were right!
Last week, Dragon Mama laid an egg. She and her husband Throckmorton are very proud. They invited all the forest animals to visit them to see it.
Yesterday, Owl and I went to their cave. We zipped right back outside! When Dragon Mama said hello - whoosh! Flames flew out of her mouth! Owl's feathers and my fur were burned! Even nearby grass started on fire.
Can you believe that a friendly talking dragon still has roaring flames? I think the dragons' bodies must be fireproof - or they would burn each other.
Your forest friend,
Squirrel
P.S. I don't think anyone will go to see the dragon egg. Who wants to get burnt?
I am glad that you and Owl got out of the cave before you two were toasted!
Three hundred years is a long time for an egg to hatch. Dragon Mama is going to get very lonely watching her egg if no one comes to visit.
By the way, don't you think it is odd that dragons lay eggs?
Here at the beach, the birds and the turtles lay eggs. When turtle eggs hatch, the babies run into the ocean. When bird eggs hatch, the babies stay in the nest. I wonder, what will happen when the baby dragon hatches?
Your beach buddy,
Bird
P.S. Aren't the frogs worried about another dragon in the forest? Do they have a plan to get rid of the egg?