Image: Anita Wilcox. Solidarity Forever. Wikimedia.

Dragon was furious. He’d had enough.

Not only had Badinoff gone too far this time but he had insulted the dignity of all the kingdom’s dragons.

It was in so many ways a restraint of trade and Dragon along with his other dragon friends had decided to make a stand. Enough was enough.

As it was how was a dragon meant to operate in the traditional form of a dragon if it activities were restricted to day light hours.

As for the nuisance tax that was a complete and utter joke. What was a dragon without a degree of nuisance value? It was certainly a time to stop this control of the dragons or they would end up, as exhibits in zoos and no one wanted that.

As it was there were rumblings within the towns people that the dragons were part of their tradition and this current impost on their behaviours was curtailing all the stories they told their children, they complained that the fairy tales may have to be re written and who really wanted to read stories about compliant dragons that behaved as dogs on leashes.

Dragon had taken it upon himself to do something about it.

He began attending anger management classes with the renowned Irish Dragon Whisperer Seamus O’Dowd who did much for Dragon in curbing his fire breathing when confronted. He had also been attending Miss Rita Cathcart’s Etiquette class to learn more about human ways and discover that they did singe easily.

But it was in Seamus’ class that Dragon learnt the most. Not only was it management of his behaviour but Seamus also worked on his self-esteem and belief and value of himself.

In was in the second week of training that Dragon decided to do something about the image of dragons in the community.

He would make his mark during the upcoming Harvest Festival parade.

He would have the dragons participate as none had seen them before. He knew just the song to use and set to work organising his dragons.

He knew he didn’t want the whole song just the rollicking chorus, which had an infectious beat and would present the dragons in a light no one would ever have anticipated.

Dragon gathered his dragon friends around him and over the next few week’s rehearsal was the order of the day.

He demanded a commitment from all dragons or nothing would satisfy him. It wasn’t long and the dragons were swinging well and truly to:

Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
Old Mother Nature’s recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life
Wherever I wander,
wherever I roam
I couldn’t be fonder of my big home
With nature are buzzin’ in the tree
Making music just for me
When you look under the rocks and plants
And take a glance at the fancy ants
Then maybe try to sizzle a few
The bare necessities of life will come to you
They’ll come to you!
Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
That’s why we dragons rest at ease
With just the bare necessities of life 

Dragon had set his player to play just those three verses. By the time the parade came around the dragons were swinging as they had never swung before.

On the appointed day the townspeople were dismayed at first to see the dragons all grouped together. One on its own was often a worry but so many gathered in the one spot did cause a bit of mayhem at the beginning of the parade. As fate would have it they were placed at the end of the parade, out of harms way as one official described it.

But to everyone’s surprise and relief the dragon entry was a great hit. Once Dragon hit the play button and the music began and the dragons began to sing and dance in the street, it wasn’t long before the people lining the parade were joining in. By the parades end the line behind the dragons stretched way back into the town with everyone swinging to the beat of the music.

On that day Dragon had shown his community that the dragons were capable of being as normal as they could.

It was all about the bare necessities.

There were a few singed beards as a few over enthusiastic townsfolk got a bit close and some of the younger dragons couldn’t help but spread a few flames in their enthusiasm. But they made more friends than enemies.

Badinoff had watched the entire goings on and scowled the entire time but like so many politicians preferred to sit back and take in the mood before saying anything that might not advantage him. He could sense a change in the wind, his own beard and crown had suffered the effects of the over zealous young dragons though Dragon himself couldn’t resist sending a flame or two the kings way as swung past, his dragon licence aflame in front of the king’s eyes.

Dragon had shown himself and the dragons in a new light and the townsfolk loved it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ogQ0uge06o

I have included the video, because it’s a great song, but only the first three verses apply to the dragon’s song.

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2015/01/31/solidarity-fairy-tale/