The Legend Of Pip

“The Legend Of Pip”
By
Amber Holt

March 13, 2007

ONE:

Lydia sat deep within the forest on her blanket having her picnic lunch on that fine day. She nibbled on pears, grapes, cheese, and crackers. She sipped on sparkling mineral water.

Armand, her mate, was not able to make it with her that day. He was always so busy with work and business. Busy, busy, busy! He would always say, “Lydia, you’re so flighty and bubbly-headed. It’s a good thing one of us has a solid head on their shoulders.”

Maybe he was right.

She couldn’t help it. She loved Mother Earth and all of her children and creation. She adored being her near the waterfall. She felt so one with nature.

Armand, he didn’t understand her ways.

“Lydia, you’re such a hippie-child”, he would say.

Maybe he was right.

But, no matter. It didn’t dampen her spirits one bit. He could have his world of neckties, number-crunching, and pie-charts. She would take the wild roses, the hummingbirds, and the fertile soil any day.

As she nibbled on the last of her crackers, and the crumbs dusted over her bosom, she heard a rustling amongst the brush nearby her. She went over to investigate it.

She saw a small puff of smoke rise from the brush, then heard a faint “grrrrrrrr”.

She parted the brush, then drew in her breath in amazement at her discovery. Of course, she always believed that they existed, she had just never seen one.

A baby dragon, a red one at that!

He looked up at her, gave a little “grrrrrrrrr”, and flapped at his wings. She could see a little tear in one of them.

“Oh, you’re hurt!” she exclaimed, as she moved closer to him.

He responded with a defensive puff of flames from his nostrils.

Lydia jumped back a step. “Easy little fellow. I won’t hurt you. I want to help you.”

He seemed to understand, and took a tentative step towards her.

“That’s it, little fellow, come to me. I’ll help you.”

Lydia giggled as the baby dragon’s claws tickled her fingers, as he stepped into her open palm.

“I do believe that I’ll call you Pip, and I do believe that I’ll take you home with me and nurse you back to health. What do you think of that?”

Lydia did believe that she heard, “grrrrrrr-yyssss.”

“I’ll just tuck you in here for safe keeping”, she said, as she tucked Pip into her pocket.

“Grrrrrrr-oowwww!”

“Yes Pip, I know that hurts. We’re going to take care of that, I promise you.”

Lydia gathered up her picnic supplies and headed home with her new friend.

TWO:

Lydia slipped through the front door, looking all around her. Armand was not home yet. Not that she expected him to be. She rushed off to the bathroom.

She took Pip from her pocket and sat him on the sink counter.

“Grrrrr-eerrr-eerrr.”

“Oh Pip, don’t cry. I’m going to take good care of you.”

Lydia dabbed at his torn wing with the antiseptic.

“RRROOAARRR!!!” A puff of flames burst from his nostrils.

“Yes Pip, I know that stings. It will be over soon, I promise you.”

Lydia bandaged Pip’s wound.

“Now, we need to find you a place to sleep.”

Lydia found a shoe box, and laid a small blanket in it.

“Here Pip, you need your rest.”

She laid Pip in the shoe box, covered him with the blanket, and slid the box under the bed. She soon heard the gentle rumble of his sleep.

THREE:

After dinner, Armand went downstairs to his home office to work on his presentation for the next day. Work, work, work! But this gave her the chance to check on Pip. She had wrapped up some leftover roast beef and put it in her pocket for him.

Lydia could still hear Pip’s gentle rumble as she looked over her shoulder then pulled the box out. He was sound asleep.

“Pip, Pip”, she whispered. He snorted a little.

She ran the tip of her finger down his side and called out to him again. He jumped awake, flapping his wings a bit, and giving a little “grrrrrrrrr”.

“Easy Pip, it’s just me. I’ve got some dinner for you” said Lydia as she took the roast beef from her pocket and began to unwrap it.

As soon as he smelled the roast beef, he began eagerly approaching her. She took a pinch of roast beef and held it out to him.

“Grrrrr-nngggrryyy.”

Pip heartily ate the roast beef.

“Grrrrr-mmmrrrrr.”

Lydia slipped off to the kitchen to get more roast beef for Pip. She ran into Armand in the hallway.

“What are you doing with that?” he asked.

“Uh, midnight snack”, she said.

“Lydia, you know that I don’t like it when you nibble in bed. Please don’t do it anymore. Sit at the table like a proper person.”

“Yes Armand.”

“I’m almost done with next quarter’s projections. I’ll be up shortly.”

“Yes Armand.”

She went back into the bedroom, peeking around the corner, watching until Armand had descended the stairs.

“Here Pip, you must eat this and go to bed. Armand will be up soon, and he just wouldn’t understand you. I promise that we can have some time together tomorrow.”

He ate just as heartily as before. When he was finished, he burped, and a little flame came from his nostrils.

“Grrrrrr-seepee” mumbled Pip, as his eyelids began to droop and he yawned.

Lydia tucked him back into his box and slid him back under the bed. She could once again hear his rumble. She got into bed above Pip and awaited Armand.

He came in, and began talking about his facts and figures. Lydia tried to listen with interest, but she just didn’t have the head for it all. She didn’t know how Armand did it.

“And what did you do today, Dear?”

“Oh, nothing out of the ordinary.”

Armand climbed into bed, and Lydia heard Pip give out a little snort. She was so afraid that he would hear it, but he didn’t appear to.

Apparently, you must believe to be able to hear, she thought.

FOUR:

Lydia waited for Armand to leave for work the next morning, then she went to wake Pip. She pulled the box from under the bed and called out to him. He raised his groggy head, and grumbled “grrrrrrr-mum.”

“Yes Pip, I guess I am your mommy now.”

“Grrrrrrr-nnnggrrryy.”

Lydia fed Pip a scrambled egg for breakfast, then took him to the bathroom to redress his wound. When she unbandaged his wing, she found that it was already healed.

“My, but you little creatures heal quickly” she exclaimed.

“Come Pip. I have a special day planned for you”, she said, as she held her palm out.

He crawled into the palm of her hand, and continued up her arm. He nestled himself against her shoulder.

“Grrrrrr-rrr-rrr-rrr-rrr.”

“Why, you purr just like a little kitten!”

She took him to the forest that day, so that he could learn to be one with nature. She laughed as he splashed around in the pond. She gathered up some twigs, and he made them a small campfire with his flames, snorting fiercely through his nostrils. Lydia noticed the time.

“Oh, we need to get back before Armand gets home.”

FIVE:

Later that evening, after dinner, Lydia snuck up some leftovers to Pip while Armand was working – a pork chop. He loved it, and gobbled it down. She then put him to bed for the night, sliding the shoe box under the bed.

Lydia continued to care for Pip, and watched him grow. She snuck him dinners, and took him to the forest as often as she could. Why, Pip had even learned that when he heard Armand approaching, he should run and hide under the bed.

But the sleeping boxes were getting bigger and bigger, and harder to slide under the bed. It was getting harder and harder to slip enough food to satisfy him. And the last time Pip tried to run under the bed to hide from Armand, he had to lie on his belly and slither under. He was about knee-high now.

Lydia knew that it would soon be time. She decided that she could confide in Mrs. Abbott.

Armand didn’t like Mrs. Abbott. Truth be told, Lydia believed that he was afraid of her. In their community, she was thought upon to know things, see thing, hear things, and be able to sense and read things. Some even thought that she could do things. Most people believed that she had some sort of special powers.

Lydia called Mrs. Abbott one day while Armand was at work, and asked her if she could come over, that she had something important to talk to her about. She had Pip hide in the bedroom. Mrs. Abbott came in and had a seat.

“My dear child, you sounded distraught on the phone. What is it? Can I help you?”

“I certainly hope so, Mrs. Abbott.”

“Please child, call me Lorna.”

“Oh Lorna, I so want to tell you, but I’m afraid.”

“Lydia, I know why people in this community come calling on me, and it’s not for idle chatter. They believe me to have The Power, and I do, to some extent. I’m sure that you have such a situation at hand, no?”

“Well…”

Lydia told Lorna all about Pip.

“He’s growing big, Lorna. I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep him much longer. Can you help me teach him to live on his own in nature?

“Lydia my child, of course I will help you. I must say that I am very intrigued. May I see him?”

Lydia called out for Pip to join them. He shyly peeked around the corner.

“It’s okay Pip, this lady is a friend of ours.”

He approached Lorna.

“We must begin tomorrow” stated Lorna.

SIX:

Lydia and Lorna began taking Pip to the forest nearly everyday. They had him practice his flaming skills until he had full control of them. He practiced spreading his wings and learning to fly. They taught him of the small animals that he must learn to hunt, and the vegetation that was good for him. After quite some time, Lorna pronounced Pip ready.

That night, Pip hit his head hard on the bed frame, trying to hide from Armand. He barely made it in time. Lydia decided that tomorrow was the day.

She called Lorna early that morning.

“We must take him today” she stated.

“I will be with you child.”

Lydia, Lorna, and Pip went very deep into the forest.

“I must speak with him now” said Lorna to Lydia reassuringly.

Lorna whispered what sounded like an ancient language to Pip.

He looked at Lydia with a knowledge and understanding that seemed wise beyond his young life.

“Grrrrrrr-wuv.”

“Grrrrrrr-mmssss.”

“Oh Pip, I will love and miss you always” sighed Lydia.

With that, Pip turned, spread his wings, and soared away, high over the mountain top.

Lorna put her arm around Lydia, saying “He will do well. We have taught him all he needs to know.”

SEVEN:

The following spring, Lydia and Armand went deep into the forest for a picnic. It was a beautiful day, and Armand was in a rare, mellow mood. Armand tossed his head back in laughter, then looked around at Lydia with a look of shock on his face.

“Quick, we have to get out of here!” he said, quite frightened.

“What is it?”

“Over there!” Armand pointed behind him.

Lydia saw a great red dragon approaching them. At first, she was frightened, too. The dragon stopped in its tracks and eyed Lydia intently. Then, he let out a loud roar.

She saw the scar on his wing, and she knew.

“Armand, it’s okay, he won’t hurt us” she said.

“How do you know?”

“Just a feeling” Lydia said with a smile.