Dragon had hoped to spread her wings, but Brother was weak and she could not fly with him. Brother had a nasty cough, his scales looked blue again.

"We must leave to the desert right now," she said. "The water from the waterfall made you ill, but you are ill again. Something is wrong. Wolf and Paddington are coming with us. Come on, Brother, open your eyes. Let's go. You can lean on me."

Brother nodded. "Dragon, that water was poisoned... or... or maybe it wasn't the water, but... You must find the eggs."

Wolf appeared. "I'm ready," he said.

Old Paddington, the bear, climbed onto Dragon's back. "Ready!" he grunted.

Get off, said Dragon, I can't carry you both. You can walk like Wolf and me.

She was a little disappointed and worried. The journey would be long if Brother couldn't fly and Brother looked worse and smaller.

How much longer, grumbled Paddington.

Long, growled Wolf, Stop whining, honey thief. If you had behaved yourself, you could have stayed home. Say Dragon... am I right, did Brother shrink?

Really. What do you think, Wolf? Is it okay if I fly ahead with him to Volcano. You can't miss it.

Wolf nodded.

With a mighty leap, Dragon flew into the air with Brother in her forelegs. Luckily, she had the wind at her back as they flew over forests and rivers, all the way to the desert where Volcano waited, puffing clouds of smoke.

"You're back," rumbled Volcano.

Brother slid to the ground and scrambled back to his feet. "I have to get those eggs" he said. He sounded as if he would start crying any minute.

Dragon's heart pounded. What was it about those eggs? It seemed a long time ago that she had buried them as a snack on her way to the waterfall. They should be safely hidden in the sand. She smacked her lips as she thought of the now hard-boiled eggs.

"Are they still there?" she asked.

Volcano nodded. Buried but what hides inside...

Strange answer, Dragon thought. An egg is an egg; when it's boiled, it's a hard-boiled egg.

Paddington dug with his paws, Wolf dug along with him, and soon a tapping sound came from below. Dragon dug up three glistening eggs. One quivered. Crack! A tiny snout stuck out, then another, and another! Three baby dragons blinked up at them.

There goes my snack, Dragon thought in disappointment. Those eggs don't look like Brother's back then.

Brother smiled and started coughing when Dragon asked him whose eggs they were.

"If the water wasn't poisoned, why are you sick again?"

"I don't know. Maybe... it was being away from home that made me ill again. The desert is where I belong, maybe the water from the waterfall is clean..."

Dragon's eyes widened. Of course! Brother had missed the warm sand, the open sky, but something was wrong.

As the sun finally set, Brother's scales began to turn red again. His breathing became calmer. The little dragons curled up beside him. They looked different from Dragon and Brother. What were they? Vulcano rumbled but didn't answer..

What kind of dragons are those, Wolf growled, wagging his tail. Are you sure it wasn't poison? Do you know where you found those eggs? Could it be Brother has a girlfriend, or did he lay those eggs?"

Dragon shrugged; she couldn't tell.

I've got sunstroke, Paddington said. I wish I still had my hat. I'm hungry. Does anyone have honey? He didn't get an answer, but that didn't bother him. "East, west, home's best, he thought. I'll be gone tomorrow."

Dragon closed her eyes and thought Brother is exactly where he should be and has arrived home on time—now he has three little creatures to look after. At least he wouldn't be lonely or bored.

23.4.25