ZULIE DRAGON AND THE MAGIC CRICKET

This is the story of a dragon named Princess Zulie. Now Zulie is not your typical dragon. She
doesn't breathe fire and she can't fly, because she doesn't have wings. She is really more of a
large lizard (but don't tell her I said so.)

Zulie is called a "bearded dragon." Yes, she really does have a beard! It looks like a collar around
her neck. Whenever she feels frightened or angry, she puffs out her collar to make it look like a
black beard. In the wild, this frightens away other animals.

But Princess Zulie does not live in the wild. She lives in a comfortable tank with rocks and
blankets to lie on all day. A bright light shines down on her warm, and another light gives her
special sunshine. She has a human servant who serves her fresh salad and water every day. Zulie
is a very pampered dragon indeed.

Not only that, Zulie is not a real princess either (but don't tell her I said so.) Her human named
her after a warrior princess who was very brave. Zulie the dragon thinks she is very brave too.

Our story begins one day when Zulie's human brought a bag full of crickets as a special snack.
Now bearded dragons love lots of foods, and crickets are their most favorite of all. But the little
creatures are hard to catch. They hop everywhere, and Zulie has to run very fast to catch them
all. (Usually she does not like to run, because it is too much work.)

Today, after she had eaten five large tasty crickets, she climbed upon her rock to rest. But there
was a cricket in her nest!

"Little cricket," Zulie growled. "You don't belong here in my bed. I am going to eat you up!" And
she opened her mouth wide.

The tiny creature folded its front legs and begged in a tiny voice, "Oh Great and Terrible One,
please do not eat me."

Zulie was so surprised to hear the cricket talk that she closed her mouth. She'd never heard a
cricket talk before! (Dragons can't talk either, but don't tell her I said so.)

Finally she asked, "Why shouldn't I eat you? That's what dragons do."

The cricket replied, "Because I am very special. My name is Queenie, and I am a magic cricket!"

Zulie shook her scaly gray head and fluffed her spiny black beard. "There's no such thing as a
magic cricket," she said. And she opened her mouth wide again.

But Queenie was gone. Zulie looked everywhere - under her rock, in her food bowl, and under
her plants. No cricket!

Just then a little voice called, 'Looking for me? Here I am!"
Zulie raised her head. Sure enough, Queenie had hopped to the very top of the green tree.

"You can't catch me," she said. "So stop trying. Now here's a good reason not to eat me. In fact,
there are three good reasons."

Zulie was still hungry, but now she was getting curious. "What?"

Queenie rubbed her back legs together and chirped, "I can grant you three wishes."

"Nonsense," said Zulie. "You've been reading too many fairytales." She shook her head. "What
am I saying? Crickets can't read!" (Neither can dragons, but don't tell her I said so.)

Queenie said, "I can make your wishes come true, if you promise not to eat me."

"Is this a trick?" Zulie crept close to Queenie again. She had a trick up her sleeve too. (Now
dragons don't have sleeves either, but don't tell her I said so.)

"What is your first wish?" asked Queenie. She climbed to the highest branch above Zulie.

"How about a dish full of crickets?"

Queenie wagged her feelers. “Nope, try again."

"Oh all right," sighed Zulie. "How about a dish of food that never goes empty?"

"You sure think about food a lot," said Queenie. She waved her feelers and poof! there appeared
a great big bowl full of fresh green salad and plump, juicy blackberries on top.

"Wow!" exclaimed Zulie. Her fluffy black beard went down and she smiled. (Dragons can't
actually smile, but don't tell her I said so.)

"What's your next wish?" asked Queenie.

Zulie said, "I wish for a nice soft blanket that never gets cold at night."

There was another poof! and a pretty blue blanket appeared on Zulie's bed. She nearly fell onto
the floor. "How did you do that?"

"Ancient cricket secrets," chuckled Queenie. "What's your last wish? And remember, you
promised not to eat me."

Just then, the door to Zulie's room opened. In came her servant, carrying a bucket of water and a
brush. The servant came up close and looked into Zulie's tank. "Hey girl, all done with your
crickets?"

(Now Zulie didn't like being called "girl." She was a princess! But she put up with it, because the
servant brought her food, shelter, clean water, and sunshine.)
The servant took away Zulie's bright lights and reached into her tank.

"Where'd you get all this food, Miss Zulie?" She picked up Zulie's magic dish. Zulie tried to
hold onto it, but the servant took it away.

"Let me get you some fresh stuff." Down came another dish of salad and watermelon. "Now for
some clean water." And the servant took away Zulie's magic water.

"Don't worry," said Queenie. "It's still magic water."

Zulie looked up at the little cricket. "Thank you!" she said, and meant it.

The servant came back and said, "Time to clean your tank, girl." She picked up the green plant
where Queenie was hiding. Queenie fell onto the floor.

"What! There's one last cricket. Here, Zulie." The servant pushed Queenie along the floor
towards Zulie.

"Zulie, help me!" cried Queenie in her little cricket voice.

Now on any other day, Zulie would have just snapped her up without a thought. But today was
not like any other day. "Quick!" she whispered. "Hop onto my tail." Zulie had a very long tail.
It was twice as long as her body, and she could whip it around like snake.

"Do you promise not to eat me?" Queenie squawked.

"I promise. Now hurry up!"

Queenie climbed up onto the dragon’s tail. Zulie raised her up, up, up to the top of the open tank.
"Go!" she whispered.

Queenie jumped from the tank and landed safely on the floor. She turned and waved her feelers
at Zulie. "Good-bye, Princess Zulie" she cried in her tiny voice. "Thank you for saving my life."

Away she hopped. And from that day on, Zulie refused to eat another cricket. Queenie had been a
good friend. And who knows, another one might turn out to be magical too!

THE END