Malachais Plunt solinatry

(The song Of Malachai)

A book for kids of all ages AUTHOR MALACHAI GROVE

Chapter, 1 Jada's Silly Idea Once upon a time, when the world was brand new, a dragon appeared out of a twinkle, when a little girl stumbled upon the miracle while hunting for seashells along the beach one morning. The warm, bright sunlight of the new dawn, reflecting off the water, agates, shells, gems and jewels, created a beautiful rainbow colored light show, illuminating the inside of the dragon's lair, revealing a mystical fantasy land within, with majestic dragons, large colorful mushrooms, fairies, unicorns, and diamonds and gems of all sorts encrusting the walls. The beauty and splendor of it all awed and transfixed the girl so, but not so much that she did not notice a twinkling in the tide pool. It caught the little girl's attention, and when she saw it, she tried to pick it up. She was amazed to be able to pick up the twinkle! She had a feeling it was alive so she quickly put it back in the water. Suddenly, it started to move. Then she realized that what she was looking at was a dragons egg about ready to hatch! It looked more like an oversized frogs egg about to become a tadpole than anything else, now that she looked at it closely. Completely entranced by the spectacle, even the birds hushed their singing at the splendor and wonder of it all. And all God's creatures, great and small, hustled over to the little tide pool to witness the miracle taking place, and then as if in a hurry so as not to disappoint his audience, the baby dragon emerged from the egg and began to swim around on its own journey of discovery into life. The sight of the little creature made the little girl smile.

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Why he was no bigger than a minute! It reminded her of a tadpole, only a lot cuter! With it's tiny little tail and over sized eyes, and a little pug nose. He looked up at her and exclaimed in surprise, "Mama!!" "Why No!" she said with a shy little giggle, "I'm not your mama!" Instantly she heard the sound of loud laughter from above her. She looked up to see the kid's real mama and began to laugh at herself for her silly mistake of thinking the newborn was actually talking to her! "Wait a minute" she thought, "How did I understand him at all? A newborn dragon cant possibly speak to people" So she looked back down at the little critter and said, "Hey kiddosay something else." Well the baby dragon looked up at her and said, "Sure! Yeah! Okay! Fine! You bet! No problem cause saying' stuff is something I can do! Why I just got here, so I got lots of stuff to say that I have never said before. So if there's anything you want said, you just let me know and I'll git 'er said for ya!" The little girl quickly blurted in, "All I wanted to know was your name." That one shut him up as he had no answer for that question. So he looked up at his mama with a quizzical gaze, and she softly roared, "Oh Iggy, My Iggy, I've waited so long, to welcome you home and sing you this song! Your name is Iggy, and my name is Claire, and that is old Malachai, your dadover there." Just at that time, the girl blurted in, "My name is Jada, will you be my friend?" At that moment, they both felt something special begin to grow between them a friendship, a bond, an unspoken understanding, an unheard communication. Now she understood how they could communicate so easily. ''No words to misunderstand''. It made her feel warm and wonderful to have such a friend. Oh they laughed and they giggled and squealed at play as they discovered each other in the tide pool that day. They played hide-and-seek till the day light was gone and then Jada went home to dinner and mom. Later that night all snuggled in bed, she dreamed of dragons, fairies and unicorns and a beautiful fantasy world where everyone lived in perfect harmony.'' Oh what a silly idea she had in her head''. Illustration #2

Chapter 2 A Long Lonely Winter First thing the next morning, Jada sprang out of bed and ran for the door with only one thought in her head, and that was to spend the day playing with her new found friend. She had almost made it out the door when reality set in. Whoa there little Miss dragon hunter, Jada's mothers voice boomed from across the room. Where do you think you are going in such a hurry? Why Im going to visit my new friend she replied. "Arent you forgetting something? her mother asked. After a short pause to consider the question, Jada simply said Why no mother, whatever could you be talking about"? Well her mother just laughed and said, "for one thing youre running out without any breakfast or anything for lunch and you are going to be mighty hungry before the end of the day". Oh yeah she said sheepishly with a slight chuckle and decided maybe she should eat breakfast first. And another thing young lady, youre not going anywhere till I get a good morning kiss from my little Miss dragon hunter" Jadas mother said. Im sorry mother" she said as she ran over to give her a big hug and a good morning kiss. Explaining, "I guess I got a little ahead of myself this morning". Her mother laughed again, even harder this time. "Now whats so funny"? Jada asked quizzically. "Well you run into your room and change out of your night clothes and maybe by the time you get done you will figure it out". Jada squealed and spun on her heels and went running back into her room laughing when she realized she was about to go out and play all day while still wearing her night clothes. She was real glad her mother had stopped her. It would have really been embarrassing showing up like that! She changed her clothes in a hurry and gulped her breakfast down so fast that her mother had to warn her more than once to slow down so she didnt choke, which she almost did once or twice. Then she gave mother a quick wet milky kiss before flying out the door after grabbing her collecting bag, explaining that she could not bring home many treasures without it. And then, flit she was gone. The next three years went by just like that. Just like the three miles of beach that connected Jada's home with the home of her new friend. It flew by under her feet. It was almost as if her feet did not really touch the ground at all. Oh they laughed and they played and enjoyed each others company as they discovered life together in that little tide pool. For the next three years, life was just wonderful. It was as if her dream was coming true. Until one day, her wonderful reality came crashing down around her, when she showed up one late fall morning at the side of the tide pool and something was terribly wrong with

Iggy. It scared Jada so because she did not understand. Illustration # 3 Iggy had climbed out of the water that had been his only reality for so long. He was now looking very dead and all wrapped up in some sort of cocoon. As if some spider had wrapped him up and was saving him for a midnight snack. "She began to weep. Clair saw what was going on and rushed to her side. She draped her wing around Jada's shoulders. Comforting her and purred as softly as her loud voice would allow, It's alright honey. Don't worry about Iggy. Hell be alright in the spring. Still whimpering she asked, Are you sure?" Why sure Im sure said Clair. Why next spring when he climbs out of there he'll be able to go anywhere. Together you will run and you'll play and youll fly down the beach and with Iggys new wing's theres no height you cant reach. Now you go on home and we'll see you next spring. You just remember what I said and we'll get through this thing. Of course, she did visit from time to time. She knew Iggy didnt even know she was there. But it did help her to sleep better at night. It also helped to fill the long lonely days of winter. Thinking back on the years past spent with her friend, she experienced a feeling of loneliness like she had never known before. It was the longest and loneliest winter she had ever remembered going through. It just seemed to go on forever. Even her sixteenth birthday was unable to cheer her up when it finally rolled around. Because Iggy still was not out of that cocoon yet. She couldnt enjoy herself without her best friend to share it with. She really didn't feel like getting out of bed that early spring morning, birthday or not. Chapter, 3 Finding the Plunt Solinatry Knock, knock you awake in there little Miss dragon hunter? Her mothers voice came sweetly through the door. "I'll be right out as soon as I'm dressed'' Jada replied. Ok" mom said, but hurry we have a surprise out here for you. Jada snorted to herself. Sure, some birthday present surprise her parents cooked up to cheer her up. But it wasnt going to work without her best friend to share it with. She decided she would act excited anyway so as not to hurt her parents feelings. She finished getting dressed and walked out to see what surprise lay just beyond the door. When she did, her eyes beheld the most beautiful set of riding leathers she had ever seen. All hand stitched with her name beautifully embroidered across the saddle. If that was not enough her father handed her a sword and shield complete with spear and hunting knife, with the most beautiful gold and silver

craftsmanship she had ever seen. Illustration # 4 It was incredibly scrolled and engraved with dragons and beautiful landscapes. Of course, her name was on everything and she just loved them. Everything was so wonderful that she almost forgot about Iggy while she hugged her parents and thanked them for the wonderful gifts. Her mother made her favorite breakfast for her birthday. She still had trouble choking it down trying to eat too fast as she was in such a hurry to try on her new leathers and practice her hunting skills with her new sword and spear. The leathers fit perfectly. The smell and feel of the newly worked leather and freshly forged steel, silver, and gold was wonderful. It gave her a feeling of power and freedom like she had never felt before. She liked it. She rushed down to the beach to begin practicing and honing her skills. She was jumping and spinning with the blade of her sword slicing through the air making a whoosh whoosh sound as she worked out. She worked so long and hard that when she finally stopped to take a breather. She thought that she could still hear the whoosh whoosh sound of her blade, except it seemed to be getting louder. All of a sudden a large shadow passed right over her. She looked up to see a colorful young dragon about to land. She thought how beautiful the thing was with its crimson and sapphire coloring shining in the sun. She looked at the dragon as it landed and he looked at her and said, "Mama! IGGY! she shrieked and ran to her friend and gave him the biggest hug he'd ever had. "Now I can enjoy my sixteenth birthday! she replied. "Oh so it's your birthday today is it? Iggy laughed and said, "It's mine too! Well, what do you know about that. Were going to have to do something special today to celebrate. As they pondered the possibilities Iggy suddenly shrieked, Ive got it! and jumped into the air surprising Jada so that she ended up on her butt. Jada just laid there propped up on her elbows with an indignant look on her face, waiting for Iggy to settle down so she could find out what he was so excited about. He finally stopped, looked down at her and said, "What? Well are you going to share the idea with me so I can enjoy it too? Instead of just lying here watching you jump around like a chicken with its head cut off?" Jada asked. Oh yeah!" he said, with a sheepish grin. "I was just thinking. If that gorgeous saddle you've got over there would fit me, you could climb on my back and we could go exploring, like anywhere we want to, the skys the limit". Well that brought a smile to her face. So she hopped up and grabbed the saddle and what do you know. It was a perfect fit, like it was meant to be. She swung herself into the saddle and they were off. Illustration # 5

Into the wild blue yonder, flying high into the sky, soaring and swooping and flying so fast, she could scarcely catch her breath or hold onto his neck. Looping and spinning they flew through the years, becoming one together through triumphs and tears. As they traveled together they explored the whole world and saw it all with its wonders revealed. But the most wondrous thing that they ever beheld was a beautiful flower in a remote mountain field. They spotted it one day while hunting for game. It was early in the spring just after the rain. The birds were singing the earth was alive. They spotted their game and went into a dive, when a bright yellow twinkling caught their eye. They both saw the flower at the very same time They decided to go check out this beautiful golden flower the game will have to keep. As they approached, they discovered the most beautiful yellow and white flower that they had ever be-held. The smell was heavenly and the nectar was pure ambrosia, for both of them it was their new favorite food. It was the biggest flower they had ever seen. It was as big as a tree. It must have been thirty feet tall with its huge over hanging petals and leaves reaching clear to the ground creating a large dry protected area underneath next to the stalk. It was large enough to live comfortably in, so Iggy and Jada moved right in and set up shop. It didnt take them long to decide this is where they wanted to be, their very own Plunt Solinatry. Chapter 4 Their Own Private Green House Walking into this place was amazing the way the petals and leaves arched all the way over to touch the ground. It created a huge cavernous space inside, with a thirty foot tall green and golden arched roof. With huge twisting vines winding their way up the trunk and trailing across the ceiling, creating a gnarly latticework inside that gave it a real medieval jungle look. It was like a giant indoor jungle gym and Jada spent a lot of time climbing around on it. It also contained many spots for stashing things and a great loft about twelve feet up. It was the perfect spot for her bedroom. It was huge, warm and wonderful and big enough that Iggy could fly around in it and often did. The two of them would play for hours at a time, Iggy flying around and Jada swinging from the vines, it was like an airborne game of hide and seek and tag like they used to play years ago in that little tide pool growing up. They called it, Seek-and-Tag. Jada was enjoying herself so much she got to thinking how long Iggy and her had been playing this game together. Illustration # 6

" Whats it been now" She pondered, twenty no, its been twenty one years since Iggy was born. But their lives have grown so much fuller now that they were home. Hiding up in the rafters of their lattice filled home, Jada sprang on to Iggys back as he flew by underneath her because it had been his third trip around and he still hadnt found her, which made it her tag and her point. Iggy shrieked and roared at being out foxed and swooshed out the door with Jada hanging on for dear life. The beauty and splendor of the little valley at sunset struck them with such awe and serenity that they stopped to take it all in. They looked around at the unicorn, deer and elk feeding in a field full of flora and fauna of all sorts from the beautiful magic mushrooms to the rabbits scampering to and fro amongst it all. A huge waterfall cascaded down the rugged snow capped mountain side plunging into a pool at the base that drained into a creek that snaked and wandered its way down through the center of the valley. Huge rainbow trout were jumping everywhere and birds and fairies of every size and color decorated the scene. It was as if the entire valley were some giant Christmas tree. The late afternoon sun shafting through the clouds and tree tops reflecting off the water, gem's, jewels and crystals everywhere created a scene that moved them both to tears. It was even more beautiful than the lair Iggy grew up in. They just looked at each other smiled and sighed. Jada decided that this was the realization of her dream that she had as a child, a world functioning in perfect harmony. She looked at Iggy and said, " what do you say we go catch one of those big ol' rainbows over there and throw him on the barbeque"? Well they did just that. After they had feasted down, they both drifted off into slumber with the most peace full smiles on their faces. They both got the best night sleep they'd had in years. The next morning they woke up early feeling great. They decided to cruise around checking out their private little kingdom. As they were flying around they were cruising directly over their new flower home they affectionately called, Plunt Solinatry. As they flew over, Jada looked down and noticed that the center of the gigantic flower was hollow. So they swooped down into it to have a look around. Jada could not believe the size of it. She gasped! It must be fifty feet across. It made her smile as she thought, what a perfect place for her garden.

Illustration # 7 It was easy to cut a doorway in the stalk for easy access. Jada quickly went to work planting everything she could get her hands on. She grew the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. It was like walking through a jungle of vegetation. With all the magic mushrooms, herbs, fruits and veggies that the two of them could consume, plus lots of extra to share. You see the color of the petals is golden yellow, but inside the center is white so it reflects the sunlight exceptionally well, which the plants just loved and thrived in. It was their own private greenhouse. Jada spent a lot of time in their new found garden. She created a miniature fantasy land within, complete with a tiny mountain in the center with a waterfall and circular pond that ran all the way around it. Through the years that followed Jada and Iggy picked up a lot of treasures and shiny objects. You know how they are. They decorated their Plunt Solinatry with the treasures they collected and beautiful art work they crafted. They were very creative and they turned their home into one great big beautiful piece of artwork. Jada and Iggy, with the help of their friends, built stairways, bridges, decks and railings running everywhere, they really dolled the place up. You could only imagine the splendor and beauty of the place. After they got it all landscaped, it was enough to take your breath away. Iggy and Jada loved the place, so they spent the rest of their lives there. They never felt the wanderlust again. They found they got a lot more fulfillment out of life by spending the rest of it with their friends creating beautiful things. Chapter, 5 Jada's new beginning Of all the beauty and wonder that Jada and Iggy created around their home, the most wondrous part of their project they discovered one day while hunting for treasures. Jada reached down to pick up a crystal and found she could not pick it up. Upon further examination, she discovered most of it was buried. It must be huge she thought and got all excited and proceeded to dig the thing out. The further she dug the more excited she got as she began to realize how big it really was. It was about 7 long x 3' feet across after she got it all dug out. She was jumping and hollering and running around doing flips. Iggy couldn't figure what the heck was going on over there. He thought maybe she got a buzz fly up inside her shorts.

Illustration # 8 He quickly flew over to investigate. When he saw the giant crystal, he went crazy with excitement as well. They finally settled down enough to get it wrestled inside. As big and heavy as this thing was it turned into quite a project, seeing that they decided to perch it up in the very center of the garden on top of the mini mountain. The sunlight reflected and refracted by the crystal significantly enhanced the light and color levels in the greenhouse, making it even more gorgeous than before, if you can imagine such a thing. It filled the place with little rainbows everywhere. So went the rest of their lives, living in their flower tree. Living and learning, laughing and loving throughout eternity. At least that's the way it seemed to them, like this wonderful life would never end. Then one day the unthinkable happened. Their beautiful Plunt Solintary began to die. Jada noticed the leaves and petals begin to droop and brown spots began to appear everywhere. Iggy was an old dragon now and wasn't able to give her much help in solving the problem. You see dragons only live half as long as people do. So Jada went to work watering and fertilizing and playing doctor to the flower tree. She tried everything she knew how to do to save it, plus some things she didn't know if they would work or not. Unfortunately they did not. Their beautiful home continued to die. To make things worse Iggy had gotten ill and Jada knew as old as he was he probably wouldn't be getting better. All she could do was make him as comfortable as she could. The rest of her time was spent trying to fix the house. A few days later it was the worst day of Jada's life. She climbed out of bed that morning and went to check on Iggy. He didnt move. She had moved him into the green house when he became ill in hopes it would make him feel better. So she just buried him where he lay. When she was done, she broke down and wept and mourned for days. When she did sleep, she dreamed of a world where illness and death did not exist at all. Oh what a silly idea she had in her head. Then one morning she awoke to a beautiful sight. The petals and leaves above her head that had wilted and fallen around her bed were standing up straight and tall and again arching cathedral like over her head. The brown spots were replaced by a beautiful crimson and sapphire that mixed with the original golden yellow color. The petal colors ranged from a bright crimson color on the edges through the color spectrum of burgundy and brandy wine and several shades of orange to the centers. They remained that beautiful golden color she loved so much. So she hopped out of bed and ran to the greenhouse to see what had happen in there. When she got there she was

astonished at what she saw.

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The foliage was twice what it was before. It was as if Iggy had become one with the entire Plunt Solinatry. The white inside walls of the greenhouse had turned translucent with crimson and sapphire sparkling from within. It resembled a giant white opal it was wonderful. It was as if Iggy were back in her life to look after her and to protect her, and she knew he really was. It gave her some consolation and comfort even though she knew it was going to be a long hard lonely life without him physically being there. No Iggy to play with or go hunting with. You know important little stuff like that. She was still sad. Suddenly a twinkling in the water caught her attention. As she looked closer she realized it was a dragons egg about to hatch. A thrill ran through her body like she had never felt before. She thought How could this be? Where did this egg come from? Then she realized Iggy must have been carrying it and when he died next to the pool, he must have laid it in the water in hopes that it would hatch. It brought tears to her eyes. His last act on earth was to give her his most valuable prize. She sat down to watch as the baby dragon began to swim around on its own little journey of discovery into life. The sight of the little creature reminded her of his grandfather Malachai. He was the spitting image with his tiny little tail and oversized eyes and a little pug nose. He looked up at her and exclaimed in surprise, Mama! And this time she really was. The End Illustration # 10