by Shoo Rayner
He told him all about Tân and his funny little ways. He explained how he’d seen Ryan and his dad on Christmas Day, that he’d known all along what he and Tân were up against in the competition.
‘I’m fed up with my dad,’ Ryan sighed. ‘I wish he’d just live his own life. I never get to do anything for myself.’
Harri picked up the bag of Dragon Gold and offered Ryan one of the coins.
‘Are you sure?’ Ryan asked.
Harri smiled and nodded. ‘This stupid Dragon Gold has caused enough trouble already. The sooner it gets eaten the better.’
‘My dad’s desperate to know how you made Tân fly. He can’t work it out. He’s such a bad loser.’ Ryan unpeeled his coin and stuffed the chocolate into his mouth.
‘You won’t tell him, will you?’ Harri was suddenly unsure.
Ryan laughed. ‘I wouldn’t tell him the truth about Tân if he pulled my fingernails out one by one. He can take a running jump!’
Tân woke with a start. He looked at Ryan and pounced back on the covers. He stood to attention, ready to defend himself. This was the little master that shot fire at him in the park.
‘Does he like chocolate?’ Ryan asked.
‘I don’t know. I’ve never given him any,’ said Harri.
Ryan unwrapped another coin and offered it to Tân, who sniffed cautiously. Tân’s tiny scales rustled as a wave seemed to flow down his snake-like body. His tiny barbed tongue flicked out and whipped the chocolate from Ryan’s hand.
Tân made noises Harri had never heard before. Drooling, giggling, gurgling, happy noises. Tân rolled onto his side, his eyes glazed over and his eyelids drooped heavily. It was like a rubber band inside him, that held his bones together, had just snapped. Chocolate, it would seem, had a special effect on him!
Tân let Ryan pick him up and play with him. He liked this little master, even if his big master had tried to shoot him down. This little master had just given him something wonderful. It was definitely the most wonderful thing he’d ever eaten!
‘I’d better bring some chocolate with me when I come and see you next time, Tân.’ He laughed. ‘…I can come and see him again?’ He left the question hanging in the air.
There was a moment’s pause as Harri made up his mind.
‘Of course!’ he laughed. ‘Now let me show you what else he can do!’
Shoo Rayner
Shoo began his career as an illustrator in a garden shed near Machynlleth. He drew for Michael Morpurgo and Rose Impey, but people kept encouraging him to write. Many years and more than 175 books later, Shoo has built a worldwide following for his award-winning how-to-draw videos on YouTube. http://www.shoorayner.com/
Shoo lives in the Forest of Dean with his wife and three cats.
Shoo says about Dragon Gold: ‘I’ve kept chickens and a few cats in my time. I think a pet dragon would be like a mixture of the two!’
For Penny and Janet,
Thanks for letting me be a Firefly!
First published in 2014
by Firefly Press
25 Gabalfa Road, Llandaff North, Cardiff, CF14 2JJ
www.fireflypress.co.uk
Text and illustrations © Shoo Rayner 2014
Shoo Rayner asserts his moral right to be identified as author and illustrator in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act, 1988.
All rights reserved.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form, binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library.
Print ISBN: 978-1-910080-04-7
Epub ISBN: 978-1-910080-05-4
This book has been published with the support of the Welsh Books Council.