# Kara and the Dragon's Egg 🐉 🥚 Kids Bedtime Story

An episode of [Snuggle: Kids bedtime stories](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1714672018), 8 Sep 2024, 1 h 03 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/62031694/4506e824_b5a6_52ee_7e50_6fddd64ef247.mp3

On her way home from school, 10-year-old Kara makes a magical discovery. Narrated by: TK Kellman Written by: Chase Doan Welcome to Snuggle! The best kid's story-telling podcast. Enter a cozy world of imagination perfect for bedtime, quiet time, or any time you want to embark on an enchanting adventure. Learn more at slumberstudios.com/snuggle To enjoy ad-free listening and exclusive bonus episodes, start your 7-day free trial of Snuggle Premium: https://snuggle.supercast.com/ November only: try Premium free for 90 days. Ad-free listening and more at slumber.supercast.com

## Transcript

[0:03] Speaker 1: Welcome to Snuggle Cozy Stories for kids. This episode is
[0:10] Speaker 1: called Carra and the Dragons. Egg Snuggle is a production
[0:15] Speaker 1: of Slumber Studios. To listen ad free and support the show,
[0:20] Speaker 1: sign up for our premium feed. Hey friend, I'm so
[0:27] Speaker 1: glad you're here for story time. My name is Tom,
[0:32] Speaker 1: and it's a pleasure to have your company. Make sure
[0:36] Speaker 1: you're all settled somewhere cozy, ready to listen to this
[0:41] Speaker 1: dreamy story. Our friend TK will be reading it for us.
[0:48] Speaker 1: He's got a lovely, soothing voice that might just help
[0:52] Speaker 1: you feel sleepy and RESTful. Soon we'll join a girl
[0:58] Speaker 1: named Cara as she'said stumbles upon something unusual on her
[1:03] Speaker 1: way home from school. Her wild is full of magic,
[1:09] Speaker 1: where anything is possible, and her discovery will change her
[1:15] Speaker 1: life forever. Hint, hint, there might just be a dragon
[1:21] Speaker 1: in this story. So let's prepare to listen by warming
[1:27] Speaker 1: up our imaginations. Take a deep breath in, then a
[1:38] Speaker 1: slow breath out. Close your eyes and keep breathing a
[1:46] Speaker 1: little bit slower than you were before. Great job. Now
[1:54] Speaker 1: that you're settled in, imagine a beautiful place in the countryside.
[2:02] Speaker 1: It's a bright sunny day without a cloud in sight,
[2:08] Speaker 1: and in this peaceful spot there is a girl skipping
[2:13] Speaker 1: along a path lined with flowers. This is where our
[2:20] Speaker 1: story begins.
[2:37] Speaker 2: Cairo has just left school for the day. She is
[2:44] Speaker 2: taking the long route home through the meadow on the
[2:52] Speaker 2: path she knows by heart. As she skips a lat
[3:01] Speaker 2: she wonders what form her magic will take when it
[3:08] Speaker 2: finally emerges out of the four kinds air, water, earth,
[3:22] Speaker 2: and fire. She is hoping it will be the first air.
[3:34] Speaker 2: Her greatest dream in life would be to control that
[3:41] Speaker 2: element to fly if she wanted to. Kara has just
[3:51] Speaker 2: turned ten, the a jet which most children discover whatever
[4:01] Speaker 2: magical power resides within them. The majority of the other
[4:11] Speaker 2: students in her class have already gotten Theirs, and she
[4:20] Speaker 2: is among the last who haven't, but she is hopeful
[4:28] Speaker 2: that it will happen soon. After all, thoth her parents
[4:38] Speaker 2: were her age when they got Theirs, and both of
[4:45] Speaker 2: them possess eir magic. With that thought in mind, Kara
[4:57] Speaker 2: begins to whistle as she continues down the worn dirt
[5:07] Speaker 2: have The flowers on both sides sway in the breeze.
[5:19] Speaker 2: The sun is high overhead. It's rays a gentle caress
[5:30] Speaker 2: on her face. Just as she rounds the bend, Kara
[5:41] Speaker 2: almost trips over something. It is an egg, the biggest
[5:50] Speaker 2: one she has ever seen. She stops and bends over
[5:59] Speaker 2: to inspect. The egg is almost a foot long and
[6:09] Speaker 2: is ivory colored. It has an irridescent chin that sparkles
[6:19] Speaker 2: in the sun. She's never seen anything like it before.
[6:30] Speaker 2: After glancing around to make sure its mother isn't close by,
[6:39] Speaker 2: Kara scoops up the egg in her arms. This baby
[6:49] Speaker 2: will need a home, and she is quite certain that
[6:55] Speaker 2: her parents won't mind if she takes care of of it.
[7:02] Speaker 2: Someone has to, and she is just the person for
[7:10] Speaker 2: the job. Although she isn't sure what kind of creature
[7:18] Speaker 2: this is, she has a feeling it's something special. Besides,
[7:31] Speaker 2: she has always wanted a pet. As she walks home,
[7:41] Speaker 2: so many thoughts run through her mind. She wonders where
[7:50] Speaker 2: this egg came from and what the baby will look like.
[7:59] Speaker 2: I will tell, she thinks. Passing by her neighbors houses,
[8:09] Speaker 2: Kara smiles that everyone she sees they all give her
[8:17] Speaker 2: a curious look, noticing the large egg that she is carrying.
[8:27] Speaker 2: Her village is a close knit one and there are
[8:33] Speaker 2: no strangers here by the end of the day, everyone
[8:43] Speaker 2: will know of Kara's find. When Kara arrives home, she
[8:54] Speaker 2: enters the kitchen where her parents are making dinner. Her
[9:03] Speaker 2: mother and father turn from the stove as she gently
[9:09] Speaker 2: places the egg on the table. They come over to
[9:17] Speaker 2: see what she has found. Their eyes are light with wonder.
[9:28] Speaker 2: Kara tells her parents everything, explaining that the egg was
[9:36] Speaker 2: all by itself on the path and that she couldn't
[9:44] Speaker 2: leave it. They listen attentively, nodding as she shares the story.
[9:58] Speaker 2: When Kara asks if if she can keep the egg,
[10:03] Speaker 2: much to her relief, they say yes. Her mother lifts
[10:13] Speaker 2: the egg up, turning it over slowly to further inspect it,
[10:23] Speaker 2: and she lets out a low whistle of amazement. The
[10:32] Speaker 2: only time Kara's mother has ever seen an egg like
[10:39] Speaker 2: this is in the history books. If this is what
[10:47] Speaker 2: she thinks it is, and they are going to need
[10:53] Speaker 2: all the help they can get. Handing the egg to Kara,
[11:04] Speaker 2: her mother instructs her to get a large crate and
[11:09] Speaker 2: fill it with a bed of straw. The egg will
[11:15] Speaker 2: need to incubate, she explains to her daughter, for this
[11:24] Speaker 2: creature is surely a magical one, perhaps the first dragon
[11:35] Speaker 2: to be found in ages. Kara's eyes widen and she nods,
[11:46] Speaker 2: cuddling the egg close to her chest. An hour later,
[11:55] Speaker 2: the crate is set up in her room in the
[12:00] Speaker 2: corner next to her desk. It is huge, with space
[12:10] Speaker 2: to accommodate the dragon until it grows large enough to
[12:17] Speaker 2: move outside to the barn. Of course, they don't know
[12:24] Speaker 2: exactly how big it will get, but for the time being,
[12:34] Speaker 2: the egg is safely nestled inside the grate with a
[12:42] Speaker 2: heat lamp positioned above it. Now that it is settled,
[12:52] Speaker 2: Kara can feel the magical energy emanating from it. Her
[13:00] Speaker 2: own magic seems to stir in the presence of the egg.
[13:11] Speaker 2: She speaks to it, telling the baby inside that she
[13:18] Speaker 2: will take good care of it. After rubbing the side
[13:26] Speaker 2: of the shell gently, she leaves the room and heads
[13:34] Speaker 2: back to the kitchen for dinner. Her parents have already
[13:42] Speaker 2: set the table, so she takes her seat as she
[13:51] Speaker 2: enjoys the stew They ask her about school. Tells them
[14:01] Speaker 2: that although her magic has yet to emerge, she feels
[14:09] Speaker 2: like it will come soon. She is learning how to
[14:15] Speaker 2: control it once it does manifest. Their class is being
[14:24] Speaker 2: taught all about the four elements. She describes the different
[14:32] Speaker 2: ways her other classmates magic has presented itself, and she
[14:42] Speaker 2: smiles at the memory of her friend Thomas singing his
[14:50] Speaker 2: eyebrows off with his firepower. Then there were genies, flower
[15:00] Speaker 2: baring vines. They grew around the classroom as Genie's earth
[15:09] Speaker 2: abilities flared in response to their teachers encouragement. It was
[15:20] Speaker 2: a memorable day, to be sure. In the kitchen, the
[15:29] Speaker 2: apple cobbler is passed around. Everyone takes a generous helping
[15:38] Speaker 2: As the discussion turns toward the weekend. Since the library
[15:47] Speaker 2: will be open tomorrow, Kara and her mother make plans
[15:54] Speaker 2: to visit so they can check out books about dragons
[16:03] Speaker 2: if there's any chance that the egg is indeed a dragon,
[16:12] Speaker 2: and they need to prepare as best they can. After
[16:21] Speaker 2: helping to clean up the kitchen, Kara returns to her room,
[16:29] Speaker 2: eager to see the egg. She feels naturally drawn to it,
[16:39] Speaker 2: like she can't get enough of it, and it hasn't
[16:45] Speaker 2: even hatched. Looking through her bedroom window, Karen notices that
[16:56] Speaker 2: the sun has set and that taking its place is
[17:03] Speaker 2: a silvery crescent moon. She closes the curtains and then,
[17:15] Speaker 2: wanting to ensure that the room is kept well and
[17:21] Speaker 2: truly warm. Kara tends to the fire. She strokes the
[17:30] Speaker 2: flames until they are licking the size of the fireplace.
[17:39] Speaker 2: Now the room is cozy, and her eyelids are growing
[17:47] Speaker 2: heavier by the moment. All the excitement of the day
[17:57] Speaker 2: is starting to fade, and taking its place is a
[18:05] Speaker 2: profound sense of sleepiness and happiness. She cannot wait until
[18:23] Speaker 2: the egg hatches. Peering over the edge of the crate,
[18:32] Speaker 2: Carol whispers a soft good night the egg. When she
[18:40] Speaker 2: decides to call baby Louis. Somehow she knows it is
[18:50] Speaker 2: a boy, and it feels right. Then she tiptoes to
[18:59] Speaker 2: her bed, Sliding under the covers, Jee snuggles in for
[19:09] Speaker 2: the night, delighting in the warmth of the fire which
[19:18] Speaker 2: spreads throughout the room. Her mind wanders and she thinks
[19:30] Speaker 2: of the adventures that lie ahead. She can only imagine
[19:41] Speaker 2: how much her life is about to change. Whenever that
[19:48] Speaker 2: egg decides to hatch, Kara's eyes finely clothes, and before
[20:03] Speaker 2: she falls asleep, the image of the egg is the
[20:10] Speaker 2: last thing she sees. The next morning, Caa wakes up
[20:22] Speaker 2: to the sounds of birds calling to one another outside
[20:30] Speaker 2: shafts of yellow sunlight sneak through the curtains, illuminating parts
[20:39] Speaker 2: of the room. Sitting up in bed, she rubs her
[20:47] Speaker 2: eyes and the events from the previous day come rushing
[20:55] Speaker 2: back to her. Kara slides off the mattress her feet,
[21:03] Speaker 2: finding her slippers on the floor. Eager to check on
[21:12] Speaker 2: the egg, she walks over to the window and folds
[21:20] Speaker 2: the curtain back to let the light in, then moves
[21:27] Speaker 2: toward the crate, just as before. When she gets closer
[21:36] Speaker 2: to the egg, something within her stirs. A tingling feeling
[21:46] Speaker 2: irrupts across her fingertips as she peers inside the crate.
[21:56] Speaker 2: It's a hint of the magic that is to come,
[22:05] Speaker 2: and what she sees surprises her. The egg has moved
[22:14] Speaker 2: just a little bit. She brushes her hand over the
[22:21] Speaker 2: smooth surface to find it is warmer than it was
[22:29] Speaker 2: last night. Thrilled, Kara picks up the egg and hears
[22:39] Speaker 2: a barely discernible noise coming from within. She holds it
[22:48] Speaker 2: up to the light, admiring the way the shell sparkles.
[22:57] Speaker 2: This baby is coming soon, she can feel it. That morning,
[23:09] Speaker 2: as the family tucked into their breakfast waffles, Kara informs
[23:17] Speaker 2: her parents of baby Louise's new name and his nightly movements.
[23:29] Speaker 2: Between mouthfuls, she asks them what they know about dragons.
[23:38] Speaker 2: Her parents tell her that it's been ages, perhaps centuries,
[23:47] Speaker 2: since a dragon was last seen. No one knows exactly
[23:56] Speaker 2: what happened. Dragons disappeared all of a sudden and haven't
[24:06] Speaker 2: been seen since, at least not in this part of
[24:12] Speaker 2: the world. The dragons of old were strong and fierce,
[24:22] Speaker 2: and they were solitary creatures. At least that's what kars
[24:30] Speaker 2: parents remember learning, but there are also other stories which
[24:41] Speaker 2: have been passed down through the generations. It's said that
[24:48] Speaker 2: some species, particularly the blue dragons, we're protective of the
[24:57] Speaker 2: humans that care them. It just depends on what kind
[25:06] Speaker 2: of dragon it is, Kara's parents tell her. Once the
[25:14] Speaker 2: waffles are all eaten, Kara helps to clean up. She's
[25:23] Speaker 2: counting down the days until she can use her own
[25:29] Speaker 2: magic to help her with tasks like these. When everything
[25:37] Speaker 2: is spick and span, Kara returns to her room to
[25:44] Speaker 2: change clothes and grab her backpack. She meets her mother outside.
[25:55] Speaker 2: Together they start walking through the village on their way
[26:02] Speaker 2: to the library in town. Her father will stay home
[26:09] Speaker 2: with the egg and finish a few projects around the house.
[26:19] Speaker 2: While Kara and her mother walk, they enjoy the pleasant weather.
[26:28] Speaker 2: It is another gorgeous day. The sun is shining bright,
[26:39] Speaker 2: and it seems that others have the same idea as
[26:46] Speaker 2: they pass by several locals enjoying time outdoors. Even the
[26:57] Speaker 2: fairies are out and about, h flitting through the trees.
[27:05] Speaker 2: They are the size of hummingbirds, and they're hard to
[27:11] Speaker 2: track as they move so fast. On the way, a
[27:21] Speaker 2: few people inquire about the egg, having heard about Kara's discovery.
[27:32] Speaker 2: She is happy to share her story, and her fellow
[27:39] Speaker 2: villagers seem delighted to have a new addition to their
[27:45] Speaker 2: small community. Some even ask if they can come to
[27:53] Speaker 2: see the creature. When the egg hatches. In no time,
[28:02] Speaker 2: Kara and her mother reach the library. The librarian greets
[28:11] Speaker 2: them warmly from behind the desk and asks how she
[28:17] Speaker 2: can help. They tell her about the egg and their
[28:24] Speaker 2: suspicion that it may be a dragon. The librarian instructs
[28:32] Speaker 2: them to follow her the section on magical creatures. Kara
[28:42] Speaker 2: can hear and feel the power humming through the chamber
[28:49] Speaker 2: that preserves the old texts. The towering shells they walk
[28:57] Speaker 2: by are built from stone, no doubt they were created
[29:06] Speaker 2: i Earth magic to house the thousands of scrolls and
[29:14] Speaker 2: leather bound books. All the shelves are full and the
[29:23] Speaker 2: leather spines of the books are soft to the touch.
[29:31] Speaker 2: As Kara drags her fingers across them, they enter a
[29:39] Speaker 2: large open space with a window in an alcohove on
[29:46] Speaker 2: the far wall, which looks out into a garden. There
[29:55] Speaker 2: is a row of tables with desk lamps in hitting
[30:00] Speaker 2: a soft glow. A few flush couches and over stuffed
[30:09] Speaker 2: chairs occupy the rest of the area, along with ledges
[30:17] Speaker 2: filled with books all along the wall. The librarian raises
[30:28] Speaker 2: her hand and a few of the books begin to
[30:34] Speaker 2: jiggle BacT and forth as her magic pries them loose
[30:41] Speaker 2: from their spots. Two of them soar through the air
[30:49] Speaker 2: to land in her hands. The librarian passes the books
[30:56] Speaker 2: to Kara before heading over to assist another person. Kara
[31:06] Speaker 2: and her mother take a seat at one of the tables.
[31:14] Speaker 2: The book that Kara has is about the history and
[31:20] Speaker 2: anatomy of dragons. Flipping through the pages, she starts to read,
[31:31] Speaker 2: absorbing the information. It is surreal to be reading about
[31:41] Speaker 2: these creatures, knowing that soon there might be another dragon
[31:50] Speaker 2: in the world. She learns that dragons can grow to
[31:58] Speaker 2: be more than twenty five feet long and way up
[32:04] Speaker 2: to three tons. They have an average wingspan of about
[32:12] Speaker 2: thirty two feet, and they can fly for miles and
[32:19] Speaker 2: miles without needing to rest. A dragon takes flight by
[32:30] Speaker 2: scooping the air with its wings and forcing itself upward. Apparently,
[32:42] Speaker 2: baby dragons learn to fly in much the same way
[32:49] Speaker 2: that baby burds do. They jump from high spots and
[32:57] Speaker 2: learn to control themselves in flight. The most interesting thing
[33:07] Speaker 2: about dragons Kara reads is their magical ability to breathe fire.
[33:18] Speaker 2: They have hydrogen glands, which provide the fuel for fire
[33:25] Speaker 2: breathing and also help with flying. From ingesting rocks and stones,
[33:37] Speaker 2: dragons can generate a spark from powdered platinum. This reacts
[33:46] Speaker 2: with the stored hydrogen to produce fire. Kara is also
[33:55] Speaker 2: amazed to learn the dragons possess a sixth sense, which
[34:04] Speaker 2: enables them to mind speak to other beings. The next
[34:13] Speaker 2: few hours pass by quickly. As lunchtime approaches, Kara and
[34:24] Speaker 2: her mother pack up their things and decide to head
[34:31] Speaker 2: home with their books. When Kara returns to her room
[34:40] Speaker 2: to check on the egg. She discovers that it is
[34:46] Speaker 2: petering upright, as if it is about to break open.
[34:55] Speaker 2: She leans down to pick it up just as a
[35:01] Speaker 2: crack appears in the shell. Cradling the egg in her arms,
[35:12] Speaker 2: she lowers herself to the floor and sets it down.
[35:19] Speaker 2: Another crack joins the first, running down the length of
[35:26] Speaker 2: the shell. Suddenly a blue snout pokes through, followed by
[35:36] Speaker 2: the body of a baby dragon. He has bat like ears,
[35:47] Speaker 2: very small, translucent wings, and a tiny tail. His head
[35:56] Speaker 2: is spiky, and his stomach is pale, coral and armoured.
[36:06] Speaker 2: Louis gazes up at Kara, emitting a puff of smoke
[36:13] Speaker 2: as he squeaks at her. He's covered in shiny blue
[36:20] Speaker 2: scales all over his body, which is about the size
[36:28] Speaker 2: of a teddy bear, and his eyes are a vivid
[36:34] Speaker 2: orange yellow with vertical slits or pupils. Clumsily, the creature
[36:44] Speaker 2: hops poward Kara, nudging her with his nose. She picks
[36:52] Speaker 2: him up and instantly he relaxes in her arms. Walking
[37:01] Speaker 2: down the hall, she carries Louie into the living room,
[37:07] Speaker 2: where her parents are sitting on the sofa. As soon
[37:15] Speaker 2: as they see the baby dragon. They come over to Kara,
[37:22] Speaker 2: their eyes full of wonder. Louis pears out from behind
[37:31] Speaker 2: the curtain of Kara's hair, becoming still when her father
[37:38] Speaker 2: gently pets him. Although the dragon's sapphire blue scales look
[37:47] Speaker 2: hard and rough, they are smooth and soft like silk.
[37:57] Speaker 2: Louis sounds like he is as he receives loving rubs
[38:04] Speaker 2: from both Kara's parents. After a while, Kara takes Louis
[38:13] Speaker 2: outside to the backyard to play. She waves through the grass,
[38:22] Speaker 2: heading toward the trees to stay out of sight of
[38:27] Speaker 2: the neighbors. For Louise's first time out in the world,
[38:35] Speaker 2: she wants him to acclimate to his surroundings without the
[38:42] Speaker 2: curious looks of others. The time will come for them
[38:49] Speaker 2: to meet him. Setting him down on the carpet of
[38:56] Speaker 2: green grass, Karras suddenly feels a tingling sensation in her palms.
[39:06] Speaker 2: Air bursts from her hands, stirring the flowers around them.
[39:15] Speaker 2: Louis cocks his head at her, his big eyes wide
[39:21] Speaker 2: with intrigue. She looks down at her hands and then
[39:29] Speaker 2: back at the baby dragon. Smiling, she directs her palms
[39:38] Speaker 2: down toward her feet. A thrill of excitement vibrating through
[39:46] Speaker 2: her Her air magic just emerged. She can feel it,
[39:56] Speaker 2: and she has a distinct feeling. Louis helped initiate the process. Slowly,
[40:08] Speaker 2: she allows the pressure to build in her veins until
[40:14] Speaker 2: a stream of air rrupts from her hands. Her body
[40:21] Speaker 2: begins to lift off the ground. It feels exactly how
[40:32] Speaker 2: she imagined it would, like a rush of the purest kind.
[40:44] Speaker 2: Within moments, she is towering over Louis, looking down at
[40:52] Speaker 2: him with a grin. From several feet in the air.
[41:01] Speaker 2: He emits a puff of smoke, gazing up at her
[41:06] Speaker 2: with a toothless grin of his own. She hears him
[41:13] Speaker 2: encouraging her, yet no words are coming out of his mouth. Distracted,
[41:24] Speaker 2: Kara humbles out of the air, landing next the baby
[41:30] Speaker 2: dragon with a soft thud. She laughs, and in her
[41:40] Speaker 2: mind she hears him return the laugh. He's mind speaking.
[41:50] Speaker 2: She realizes they must have a mental bond. To further
[42:02] Speaker 2: test her theory, Kara directs a question at him without
[42:10] Speaker 2: saying a word out loud. She asks him if he
[42:18] Speaker 2: wants to learn how to fly, suggesting that they learn
[42:26] Speaker 2: how to master their new found abilities together right away.
[42:36] Speaker 2: She hears an enthusiastic yes inside her mind, while the
[42:46] Speaker 2: baby dragon nods in front of her. For the next
[42:54] Speaker 2: few hours, they both test out their skills. Their practice
[43:02] Speaker 2: has attracted the attention of the fairies living in the woods.
[43:12] Speaker 2: They're perched high in the tree tops, observing Kara and
[43:20] Speaker 2: Louis with interest. Louis isn't flying yet, but he is
[43:30] Speaker 2: becoming more comfortable with his wings. When stretched out fully,
[43:42] Speaker 2: they extend far from his body. They are thinly veined
[43:50] Speaker 2: with an irridescent sheen that Kara finds especially beautiful. Louis
[44:02] Speaker 2: hops from place to place while she tries to lift
[44:09] Speaker 2: him in the air with the use of her magic.
[44:17] Speaker 2: For a few seconds, he rises off the ground and
[44:23] Speaker 2: beats his wings up and down. A trickle of smoke
[44:33] Speaker 2: escapes his nostrils in his effort to remain aloft. They
[44:41] Speaker 2: communicate through their mental bond. Kara encourages him to focus
[44:52] Speaker 2: and aims her air magic at the space below him.
[45:00] Speaker 2: He remains there for a second before he loses his
[45:06] Speaker 2: balance and falls toward her. She catches him in her arms,
[45:16] Speaker 2: his warm body nestled close to her. The little dragon squeaks,
[45:24] Speaker 2: nuzzling her with affection. The sun is beginning to lower
[45:33] Speaker 2: in the sky, which is a wash with colors. There
[45:41] Speaker 2: are streaks of pink, orange, and red for as far
[45:50] Speaker 2: as the eye can see. They decide that it's time
[46:00] Speaker 2: to go inside, both hungry after all their hard work,
[46:11] Speaker 2: Kara promises to take Louis to the waterfall when he's
[46:17] Speaker 2: better at flying. That way, he can test out his
[46:25] Speaker 2: flight from a high spot. As she carries him around
[46:33] Speaker 2: the side of the house, a fairy darts toward them. Surprised,
[46:43] Speaker 2: Kara slows to a stop, allowing the tiny creature to
[46:49] Speaker 2: come close. Her wings move so fast that Kara can
[46:59] Speaker 2: own see a blur. The fairy is obviously curious, probably
[47:10] Speaker 2: because she has never seen a dragon before. She comes
[47:18] Speaker 2: within an inch of Louie, hovering in front of him.
[47:25] Speaker 2: He remains still as she darts around, checking him over. Then,
[47:39] Speaker 2: after sharing a smile with Kara, she flits away. After dinner,
[47:50] Speaker 2: Kara reads in bed with Louie already asleep on her lap.
[48:00] Speaker 2: He is curled up with his wings unfurled around him.
[48:08] Speaker 2: She strokes the top of his head in the space
[48:13] Speaker 2: between his horns as she flips to the next page
[48:19] Speaker 2: of her novel. But her attention isn't on the words
[48:27] Speaker 2: on the page. She can't stop thinking about how much
[48:35] Speaker 2: she cares for this adorable creature. Although he's only just
[48:45] Speaker 2: gotten here, taking care of him feels as natural as breathing.
[48:57] Speaker 2: A deep rumble of contentment ums through the dragon's body
[49:06] Speaker 2: as he twitches in his sleeve. Kara glances out the
[49:14] Speaker 2: window at the night sky. This has been the happiest
[49:24] Speaker 2: day of her life, and she feels so grateful. Not
[49:34] Speaker 2: only did Louis enter the world, but she also got
[49:40] Speaker 2: her magic on the same day. Who knows what they
[49:49] Speaker 2: can do together. With that thought in mind, Kara aims
[49:58] Speaker 2: her palms at the curtains, the air, pushing the two
[50:05] Speaker 2: sides together. Once the curtains are closed, her eyes grow
[50:16] Speaker 2: heavy and she slowly falls asleep. Her dreams are vivid
[50:32] Speaker 2: and unusual. That night, she rides on Louise's back while
[50:41] Speaker 2: they fly through the clouds. He soars on massive wings
[50:52] Speaker 2: that can take them anywhere, and they both hoot with
[50:58] Speaker 2: joy as he flies all over town. Kara's dreams are
[51:08] Speaker 2: so detailed they almost feel real. The next few weeks
[51:21] Speaker 2: pass by quickly, between school and spending all her free
[51:29] Speaker 2: time with Louis. Kara is growing just as much as
[51:36] Speaker 2: he is. She has gained confidence in wielding her magic,
[51:47] Speaker 2: while he is getting more and more adept at flying.
[51:55] Speaker 2: He can manage to stay aloft in the air for
[52:00] Speaker 2: a few minutes now instead of a couple of seconds
[52:07] Speaker 2: like before. It is also easier for him to breathe fire.
[52:20] Speaker 2: The library book seems to have been right about dragons
[52:26] Speaker 2: eating rocks and stones when Louis eats some. Now that
[52:34] Speaker 2: his teeth are growing in, he can breathe out a
[52:40] Speaker 2: few sparks almost instantly, but it's not a full flame yet.
[52:52] Speaker 2: Most of Kara's classmates and friends have come over to
[52:57] Speaker 2: meet the baby dragon. He was shy at first, wanting
[53:04] Speaker 2: only to be around Kara, but over the past few
[53:11] Speaker 2: days he is warmed up to the others and he's
[53:19] Speaker 2: grown quite a bit physically. Now he is the size
[53:25] Speaker 2: of a horse, and he's staying in the barn at night.
[53:33] Speaker 2: Kara has moved her mattress and joined him there. They
[53:42] Speaker 2: have fallen into a routine that works for both of them.
[53:49] Speaker 2: When Kara is at school during the day, Louis is
[53:56] Speaker 2: looked after by her parents. Mostly he plays in the yard,
[54:05] Speaker 2: smelling the flowers and testing out his wings as he
[54:11] Speaker 2: flies around the property. While Kara's mother ends to the garden,
[54:20] Speaker 2: Louie keeps her company. When Kara returns home, the two
[54:30] Speaker 2: of them immediately go to play and train in the
[54:36] Speaker 2: field near the house. Those sessions usually have an onlooker
[54:46] Speaker 2: or two, and Louie has come to enjoy showing off.
[54:56] Speaker 2: Kara and her parents eat dinner outside most evenings to
[55:02] Speaker 2: keep Louie company. Is part of the family now. One
[55:12] Speaker 2: sunny Saturday afternoon, Kara decides it is time to take
[55:20] Speaker 2: Louie to the waterfall as she promised, now that his
[55:27] Speaker 2: flying has greatly improved. They walk side by side on
[55:37] Speaker 2: the dirt road that cuts through the village, looking like
[55:45] Speaker 2: quite an odd pair, but everyone knows Louie by this point,
[55:54] Speaker 2: and they all love to see him any chance they get.
[56:03] Speaker 2: Kara can tell that he enjoys all the attention. He
[56:10] Speaker 2: puffs up his scales to try to appear larger than
[56:15] Speaker 2: he really is. As they pass by the neighbors. Kara
[56:24] Speaker 2: and Louis mahander through the woods, leaving the village behind.
[56:35] Speaker 2: Before long, the roar of rushing water greets their ears.
[56:45] Speaker 2: They find themselves on an open plain that runs the
[56:51] Speaker 2: length of the cliff, where the long grass sways in
[56:59] Speaker 2: the breeze. To their left is the top of a waterfall.
[57:10] Speaker 2: The curtain of water reaches far below, meeting a pool
[57:18] Speaker 2: at the bottom. But they're not here to swim. They're
[57:26] Speaker 2: here to fly, really fly. For the first time, Louis
[57:39] Speaker 2: assures Kara that he is ready communicating through their mental bond.
[57:49] Speaker 2: He lowers himself to the ground so that she can
[57:54] Speaker 2: climb onto his back. When she he is safely seated
[58:03] Speaker 2: with her arms wrapped around his neck, Louis looks at
[58:08] Speaker 2: her over his shoulder with a glint of mischief in
[58:15] Speaker 2: his eyes. Then he takes off running, heading straight to
[58:24] Speaker 2: the edge of the cliff. The second he jumps, Kara
[58:32] Speaker 2: aims her air magic downwards. This helps him gain even
[58:41] Speaker 2: more altitude. Just as his wings begin to flap up
[58:48] Speaker 2: and down, propelling them skyward. Kara lets out a whoop
[58:58] Speaker 2: of delight as they soar into the air. It is
[59:06] Speaker 2: exactly like her dream. They are flying high above the
[59:13] Speaker 2: treetops and through the clouds. She holds on tight, her
[59:24] Speaker 2: hair whipping around her while her heart bursts with joy.
[59:33] Speaker 2: This is the greatest feeling she has ever felt. They
[59:43] Speaker 2: fly over the village where she can see tiny spots
[59:50] Speaker 2: below which must be people watching them. Louis lets out
[1:00:00] Speaker 2: a burst of fire, more than he has ever produced before.
[1:00:11] Speaker 2: They continue to fly all over the countryside. The utter
[1:00:18] Speaker 2: freedom is intoxicating. These past few weeks have been the
[1:00:28] Speaker 2: best of Kara's life, and she knows that she and
[1:00:36] Speaker 2: Louis are just getting started. Us on the
[1:01:37] Speaker 1: N When you wh

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