The Rain Dragon Rescue Read online

  “Really?” Pearl said.

  Ben beamed. He’d expected a reprimand, or at the very least, a terrible sasquatch chore.

  “Yes. Really.” But Dr. Woo’s smile was short-lived. Her expression turned serious once again. “Though you handled yourselves cleverly under difficult circumstances, do not make a habit of traveling to the Imaginary World without me. I would hate to lose both of you.” Then she glanced at her wristwatch. “You’d better hurry up with that flea bath. It’s nearly three o’clock in the afternoon.”

  Right. The sasquatch still needed a bath. Ugh.

  As they stepped out onto the tenth-floor landing, Metalmouth called, “Hey, Ben!” Ben turned around. “This is for you.” With a nudge of his snout, Metalmouth sent the yellow tennis ball rolling across the floor. It knocked into Ben’s sneaker. Ben picked it up. Despite the fact that it was soaked in dragon slobber, he was happy to have it. He tucked it into his pocket.

  20

  It didn’t turn out to be as difficult a chore as Ben had imagined. He and Pearl were already soaking wet. While Ben sprayed the sasquatch with a hose, Pearl squirted it with liquid soap. Then they scrubbed it with wire-haired brushes. All sorts of things fell out of its fur—twigs, moss, rocks, grasshoppers, and some drowned fleas. When it was rinsed clean, Ben and Pearl toweled it dry. The sasquatch seemed to like the attention. It even admired itself in a mirror when the bath was over.

  Pearl and Ben put everything away in the supply closet: the bucket and shovel from pooper-scooper duty and all the flea bath equipment. They tossed their wet lab coats into the laundry bin and punched out with their time cards. As they stepped into the lobby, they nearly bumped right into Mr. Tabby. His perfectly creased trousers were wrinkled, and his vest had little holes. His mustache was drooping, and he was pinching something between his fingers. It looked like a tiny insect.

  “This should be the last one,” he said as he dropped it into a jar, where it wiggled and buzzed. Then he screwed a lid in place, trapping the creature. “Pixies,” he grumbled. “I hate it when they percolate.”

  Pearl and Ben tried to get a better look at the creature, but Mr. Tabby shoved the jar into his vest pocket. “It is three o’clock, time for you to leave. I understand you broke many rules today.” His nose twitched. “And it has come to my attention that you did not dispose of the dragon droppings in the correct manner.”

  Ben gave Pearl an “I told you so” look.

  “Therefore, when you return on Friday, your punishment shall be…”

  Ben gritted his teeth. What now?

  “… to trim the sasquatch’s nose hairs to a precise quarter-inch length.”

  Pearl giggled. “That’s going to be totally gross.”

  “Why do we have to keep doing things with the sasquatch?” Ben asked.

  “Every creature that comes to us for care is important,” Mr. Tabby said. “Never forget that.” Then he reached into another pocket and pulled out two pieces of paper, each rolled and tied with string. “Dr. Woo asked me to give you these certificates of merit, for helping with the rain dragon.”

  Ben and Pearl took their rewards. After unbolting and opening the front door, Mr. Tabby looked down the driveway. Mrs. Mulberry was peering through the gate with a pair of binoculars. Victoria was sitting in the red welcome wagon, reading. “I expect you’d like to avoid those two?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Ben and Pearl both said.

  “I will distract them.” He stepped out onto the front stoop and waved at Mrs. Mulberry. She let go of her binoculars and waved back.

  “Yoo-hoo!” she hollered. “Hello there! Yoo-hoo!”

  Mr. Tabby began to walk down the driveway, very slowly. “Good afternoon,” he called. “How may I help you?”

  Mrs. Mulberry jumped up and down with excitement. Victoria never looked up from her book.

  Crouching real low, Ben and Pearl darted into the tall grasses. As Mrs. Mulberry clung to the bars of the gate, hollering, “We want to come inside!” Ben and Pearl sneaked across the side yard and climbed over the hidden section of fence. When they were safely on the sidewalk, they waved at Mr. Tabby.

  He stopped walking. “You wish to come inside?” he asked Mrs. Mulberry.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you have a sick worm?”

  “No.”

  “My dear lady, this is a worm hospital. If you do not possess a sick worm, then I bid you good day.” And with that, he turned briskly on his polished heel and hurried into the hospital, where he immediately shut and bolted the door. Victoria ignored the entire scene, her nose buried in her book.

  “Hey!” Mrs. Mulberry called, shaking the gate. “Come back! I have unanswered questions!”

  Pearl and Ben snickered.

  “That was the most amazing day yet,” Pearl said. They stood behind a clump of trees, safely hidden from view. “Can you believe we climbed up a dragon’s face?”

  “Don’t forget about traveling to another dimension,” Ben added.

  “I’ll never forget any of it. I’ll remember every single moment for the rest of my life.” She pulled a pack of gum from her pocket and handed a piece to Ben. The wrapper was soggy, but the stick was perfectly chewable. “I’m wondering…” She chewed for a bit. “Remember what Mr. Tabby had said about a dangerous person trying to get inside the hospital? Do you think that could be Maximus Steele?”

  “I hope not,” Ben said. He glanced over at the building. Someone who could trap a rain dragon would probably find it easy to get past five dead bolts. “And I hope we never meet him.”

  Pearl took off her slippers and twisted each one, wringing them dry. Then she slid them back onto her feet. “Well, if I ever meet him, I’m going to dispose of dragon droppings right on his head!”

  Ben chuckled. He had no doubt she’d do just that.

  Pearl started across the road, in the lead as usual. But it didn’t bother Ben this time. He’d come to realize something. That yin and yang was true. For every girl who sought adventure, there was a boy who was cautious. And that was perfectly okay.

  Just as they reached the first intersection, Grandpa Abe pulled up and offered to drive Pearl to the Dollar Store. They both climbed into the backseat.

  “Oy vey, why are you two soaking wet?” Grandpa Abe asked.

  As Ben fastened his seat belt, a story filled his mind.

  CREATURE CONNECTION

  Chinese Horned Dragons

  China is one of the oldest civilizations on our planet. And one of the most popular characters in Chinese mythology is the dragon.

  While the dragon in Western countries is warlike and aggressive, the Chinese dragon is peaceful, friendly, and wise. It is a symbol of power, strength, and good luck, which is why the emperors of China chose the dragon as their symbol.

  There are many types of dragons in the Chinese tradition, but the dragon that Ben and Pearl encounter in the Land of Rain is a horned dragon. This type of dragon has been given an unlimited amount of power by Chinese storytellers. It can become as large as the universe or as small as a worm. Although it has no wings, it can fly through the sky or through water. It can breathe clouds that make storms and produce rain.

  The life cycle of the horned dragon is long and complicated. It can take a millennium (a thousand years) for the dragon to go from a hatchling to a mature adult. After age 500 it is called a scaled dragon. After age 1,500 it is called a lung dragon. Between ages 1,500 and 2,000 it grows horns. The dragon in our story must be very old indeed.

  If you are lucky enough to visit a Chinese dragon, it will bestow on you many gifts, for these dragons are generous creatures. You are extra lucky if you find a real dragon bone. Tradition claims that if these bones are ground into powder and eaten, the person doing the eating will live for a very long time.

  While the Chinese horned dragon gets along with most creatures, including man, there is one it fears—the tiger. This is why the tiger and the dragon appear on opposite sides of the Chinese zodiac wheel.
r />   One of the questions scientists ponder is—did dragons exist? We have skeletons proving that dinosaurs and woolly mammoths once roamed the earth, but no one has ever found a dragon skeleton. And it seems unlikely that a creature could breathe fire. But the question remains—why are ancient stories about these creatures found in civilizations all over the world? In a time when people couldn’t communicate over long distances, the same descriptions and drawings were being created by storytellers who lived continents apart.

  And so we still wonder—is it possible they were real?

  So the next time you see something large flying across the sky, and you think it might be an airplane, take a longer look. You never know.

  STORY IDEAS

  Imagine that you are the emperor of China. News has reached you that a dragon has been found, living peacefully in the hills above the empire. You are old and very sick. And you know that dragon bones can bring you long life. But you also know that to harm a dragon could bring bad luck to your empire. What do you do?

  You are a horned dragon and your job is to make rain. All day long you fly around, breathing clouds and summoning storms. You’re getting kind of bored with the same old routine. Then one day, you run into another dragon who has an entirely different job. What is it? And what happens when you trade?

  ART IDEA

  Draw a dragon—any kind of dragon. Go for it! Give it horns. Give it scales. Make its body snakelike or make it fat. Give it whiskers or a beard. Are there wings? That’s your choice. Maybe it has two sets of legs or four. The dragon comes from your imagination. Color it red, yellow, green, blue, or all the colors in the rainbow. Have fun.

  CREATURE CONNECTION

  Satyrs

  The ancient Greeks created a vast collection of stories that centered on many gods. These are known as myths. One of their lesser gods was called Pan. He was an odd-looking fellow. His lower half was goat, and his upper half was human. And sticking out of his curly hair were two little horns. He carried a flute and was said to live in the wild, where he played music and danced. Because of his connection to nature, he was called the god of the wild, shepherds, and flocks. He was also the god of wooded glens and fields, and the protector of nature. Believers preferred to worship Pan in natural settings, such as caves and grottos.

  Pan was a satyr. Satyrs are found in many Greek myths. They are most often men, but later stories featured females, called satyresses. Violet, the switchboard operator, is such a creature. All satyrs are half goat and half human. Not all played flutes, and not all sang and danced. What they did have in common was a fondness for living in the woods and the mountains.

  STORY IDEAS

  Imagine that you are a satyr. It is a peaceful morning in the meadow. You’ve been nibbling on the spring grass, listening to the singing of the meadowlark. Then, all of a sudden, one of your flock calls from the distance. “Run to safety! The wolves have left the forest!” What happens next?

  You and your best friend are taking a walk in the woods. It’s a trail you’ve never been on before. It winds down to a small pond. There, at the edge of the pond, lies a basket. You pull back the cover and find, to your utter amazement, a baby satyr tucked inside. What do you do?

  ART IDEA

  A satyr is half human and half goat. Now it’s time for you to create your own creature that is half human and half whatever you’d like. Maybe you’ll choose a well-known animal, like a cat, dog, pig, or elephant. But maybe you’ll choose something unusual, like a spider, moth, whale, or peacock. Have fun!

  SCIENCE CONNECTION

  How to Make Rain

  This is an easy experiment you can do in your kitchen. Here’s what you need:

  A plastic 2-liter soda bottle with a cap

  A pair of scissors

  Some ice cubes

  Some hot water

  Make sure that the cap is still on the bottle. Using the scissors, cut the top off the bottle and set it aside. Now fill the bottom of the bottle with one cup hot tap water. Then pick up the bottle top, turn it upside down so that it acts like a cup, and fill it with ice cubes. Then rest the ice-filled top above the hot water.

  The sides of the bottle will begin to fog up. Soon, droplets will form and drip off the end of the bottle cap. Why does that happen?

  Water can be in three forms—liquid (the stuff we drink), vapor (the invisible water in the air around us), and solid (the ice that cools our sodas).

  As warm air rises from the surface of the hot water in the bottle, it carries water molecules. That means some of the liquid water in the bottle has turned into water vapor. As the warm air rises and comes closer to the ice cubes, the air begins to cool. Cool air can’t hold as much water vapor as warm air. Why? Because when air turns cold, the air molecules cling closer together and don’t leave the water molecules with much room. So the water molecules have only one place to go—down, down, down. And that is why you see water dripping inside your bottle.

  This happens in nature as water vapor rises from the warmer earth toward the cooler sky. As the vapor cools, the water is changed back into liquid. This process is called condensation.

  So congratulations. By turning liquid water into vapor, then turning that vapor back into liquid water, you’ve made rain.

  CREATIVITY CONNECTION

  Yin and Yang

  The ancient Chinese symbol of opposites, called a yin-yang symbol, is pretty easy to draw. Here are the instructions:

  1. Draw a large circle.

  2. Draw a curved line down the middle, almost like a backward S, separating the circle into two shapes.

  3. Draw two small circles within the larger circle—one at the top and one at the bottom.

  4. On one side, color in the small circle, but do not color in the larger shape.

  5. On the other side, color in the larger shape, but do not color in the small circle.

  6. You’ve drawn a yin-yang symbol!

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Special thanks go to Lynn Brunelle, Emmy Award–winning science writer and science geek extraordinaire, for helping me with the rain experiment. To Gary Pazoff for his help with Grandpa Abe’s occasional Yiddish.

  And Pam Garfinkel, my new editor. We were a bit scared to be on our own for the first time, but we did it!

  ALSO BY SUZANNE SELFORS:

  The Imaginary Veterinary Series

  The Sasquatch Escape

  The Lonely Lake Monster

  The Rain Dragon Rescue

  The Smells Like Dog Series

  Smells Like Dog

  Smells Like Treasure

  Smells Like Pirates

  To Catch a Mermaid

  Fortune’s Magic Farm

  1

  The first thing many people do after getting out of bed is put on a pair of slippers.

  The first thing Pearl Petal did on that Friday morning was slip her feet into a pair of leprechaun shoes.

  That’s right. Shoes made by a real, living, breathing leprechaun.

  They fit perfectly around her medium-sized feet. Pink was not her favorite color, but she wasn’t about to complain. She’d been told by the leprechaun that the shoes did something special. But he hadn’t told her what. This lack of information was keeping Pearl awake at night, and she found herself doing very strange things in an attempt to solve the mystery.

  The shoes didn’t make her fly—that’s for sure. She’d tried wearing them while jumping off the kitchen counter and flapping her arms. She’d ended up with a twisted ankle and a scolding from her father. They didn’t make her invisible. She’d tried sneaking into the kitchen for a late-night helping of ice cream. Her mother had looked right at her and said, “It’s too late for sugar, young lady.” They certainly didn’t make Pearl strong. She’d tried lifting the car, but all she’d gotten were some weird looks from passersby.

  Maybe Cobblestone the leprechaun was a big, fat liar. Or, in this case, a little, fat liar. Maybe the shoes did nothing at all.

  Even if that proved to be
true, no one else in Buttonville had shoes created by a cobbler from the Imaginary World. That fact in itself made Pearl smile.

  After opening her bedroom window, Pearl stuck her head outside to see what the morning might bring. Across the street, a flock of pigeons preened their feathers as they perched on the Town Hall roof. The scent of sizzling bacon drifted up from the Buttonville Diner, and Mr. Wanamaker’s keys jingled as he opened his barbershop. The morning sky was cloudless, which made Pearl happy. It was also dragonless, which made Pearl extra happy. No clouds meant sunshine. No dragons meant that certain secrets were still… secret.

  She closed the window. Then her gaze swept across her bedroom shelves, which she’d filled with some of her prized possessions. Her bird-nest collection included nests from a blue jay, a robin, and a hummingbird. But the pigeon’s was the most beautiful because pigeons liked to decorate with ribbons, bits of plastic, and buttons.

  Pearl’s board game collection included Monopoly, Scrabble, and Pony Parade. The goal in Pony Parade was to move a plastic pony from the forest, where it was lost, to its home in the barn. Standing in the way were obstacles, such as a slippery banana peel, a pollywog pond, and a swarm of bees. If you landed on the golden square, you got to trade in your pony for a plastic unicorn. That was Pearl’s favorite part. Although she’d outgrown the game, she still longed for a pony. She’d spent a great deal of time trying to persuade her parents to buy one. She’d imagined braiding its mane and riding it around town. “We can keep it in the alley,” she’d said when her parents pointed out that they didn’t own a barn. Mr. and Mrs. Petal hadn’t liked that idea.