The Sick Young Dragon
by John Foster (Mulberry English Course Book)
The Poem :
" 'What can I do?' the young dragon cried.
'Although I've simply tried and tried.
It doesn't matter how hard I blow,
I cannot get my fire to go!
'Open your mouth', his mother said.
'It's no wonder! Your throat's red.
Your scales are cold. You must be ill.
I think you must have caught a chill.'
The doctor came. He looked and said,
'You'll need a day or two in bed.
Your temperature's down. No doubt
That's the reason your fire has gone out.'
'Just drink this petrol. Chew these nails.
They'll help you to warm up your scales.
Just take it easy. Watch TV,
You'll soon be as right as rain, you'll see.'
The young dragon did as he was told.
And soon his scales stopped feeling cold.
He sneezed some sparks. His face glowed bright.
He coughed and set the sheets alight.
'Oh dear!' he cried. 'I have burnt the bed!'
'It doesn't matter', his mother said.
"Those sheets were old. Go out and play.
Just watch where you breathe fire today!'
Summary of the Poem :
The young dragon is upset as he is not being able to breathe fire as he usually does. He has tried very hard, over and over again. But he has not got back his fire. Without fire, his blow is worthless.
His mother asked him to open his mouth and finds his red throat. His scales are cold. He is sick. He has caught a cold.
The doctor has been called. He checks the young dragon and suggests him to rest for a day or two in bed. His body temperature is low. That is why he is not being able to breathe fire.
The doctor further asks him to drink petrol and chew some nails. Those help him to warm up his scales. The doctor tells him not to be worried and relax watching TV. He will be perfectly all right very soon.
The young dragon listened to the doctor and becomes gradually fit. His scales stopped feeling cold. He sneezed some spark of fire that glowed his face. He sets the bed sheets on fire while coughing.
He is sad for he set the bed on fire. His mother says him not to bother as those were the old ones. She tells him to go out to play and be careful while breathing fire.
MAKING CONNECIONS
1. Choose the right answer.
a. 'Although I've simply tried and tried' means
i. the dragon tried doing simple things. [ ]
ii. he tried very hard, over and over again. [✓]
iii. he tried hard, just once. [ ]
b. 'I cannot get my fire to go!' shows that the dragon
i. wanted his fire to start, but he could not do it. [✓]
ii. wanted his fire to go away, but he could not do it. [ ]
iii. wanted his mother to get him some fire but she would not get it. [ ]
c. 'No doubt,
that's the reason your fire has gone out.' tells us that the doctor
i. did not know the reason why the fire had gone out. [ ]
ii. did not want to tell anyone the reason why the fire had gone out. [ ]
iii. was very sure of the reason why the fire had gone out. [✓]
d. 'Just watch where you breathe fire today!' means
i. do not breathe fire today. [ ]
ii. sit and watch yourself breathe fire today. [ ]
iii. be careful where you breathe fire today. [✓]
2. Read these lines and answer the questions that follow.
a. 'Open your mouth,' his mother said.
'It's no wonder! Your throat's red.
Your scales are cold. You must be ill.
I think you must have caught a chill.'
i. Why did the dragon's mother ask him to open his mouth?
= The dragon's mother asked him to open his mouth to check his throat.
ii. What are the two symptoms of illness that the mother noticed in the young dragon?
= The two symptoms of illness that the mother noticed in the young dragon are -
❐ His throat is red.
❐ His scales are cold.
iii. What did the dragon's mother do next?
= Next, the dragon's mother called the doctor to check her son.
b. 'The young dragon did as he was told.
And soon his scales stopped feeling cold.
He sneezed some sparks. His face glowed bright.
He coughed and set the sheets alight.'
i. Who told the young dragon what to do?
= The doctor told the young dragon to drink petrol and chew some nails. Those would help him to warm up his scales.
ii. What did the young dragon have to do?
= The young dragon has to be not to be worried and relax watching TV. He would be perfectly all right very soon.
iii. Which signs showed that he had begun to feel better?
= The young dragon listened to the doctor and becomes gradually fit. His scales stopped feeling cold. He sneezed some spark of fire that glowed his face. He sets the bed sheets on fire while coughing.
3. This is a humorous poem - one that we find funny. What do you think makes this poem funny?
= First of all, the thing that the young dragon has caught a cold, is a humorous fact. He is very worried about not being able to breathe fire. It is a matter of prestige for him. His mother comes and checks him like our mother does the same with us. This makes us laugh. His body temperature has gone. The mother calls the doctor.
The doctor checks him and suggests some remedy for his disorder. The remedies are the most humorous things of the poem. The doctor gives him some petrol to drink. He also added some nails to chew. This is the most wired thing a doctor can say to his patient.
Then surprisingly we can see that the dragon is recovering. He gets some fire back and sets his bed sheets on fire. This is another element of humour. In the next moment, he is sad at burning his bed.
His mother consoles him and says him to go outside to play. His mother warns him to be careful while breathing fire as he can burn many useful things in silly way.
4. The young dragon fell ill and he could not blow fire any more. His mother thought he must have caught a cold. Can you guess how he might have caught a cold?
= The young dragon fell ill and he could not blow fire any more. His mother thought he must have caught a cold.
I think the dragon might have played beside the sea with his friends. He might have blew fire in the sea water. He might be running in the sea water. This made his fire gone. This led him to catch cold.
About the Poet :
John Foster (born 1941) is a British poet who has written many poems and complied numerous anthologies of children's poetry. He is also an educationist who taught in schools in Oxfordshire. He worked on textbooks before he became a children's poet.