‘The Friendly Dragon and the Island of Rum' - a short story for children of all ages

By Richard W Symonds

Once upon a time, in the lush, green heart of Ifield Brook Meadows, lived Friendly Dragon. He wasn’t your usual fire-breathing kind. No, this dragon breathed laughter, music, and kindness wherever he went.

The birds sang sweeter when he passed, and the flowers swayed in joy at the beat of his wings.

One sunny morning, while sipping dew from a bluebell, the Friendly Dragon received a shiny envelope tied to a thistle stem. He opened it carefully.

‘You are cordially invited to Rum Dragon Island, Scotland’ - By Order of Lord Alfred de Dragoncourt.

“Bring joy, bring colour, bring your true self.”

How could he resist?

The Journey Begins

With a flap of his wings and a happy “Whoooooosh!”, ##Friendly Dragon soared north. Over sparkling rivers, patchwork fields, and snow-kissed peaks, until at last—he saw it:

A wild and wonderful island surrounded by the sea, shaped just like a sleeping dragon! This was Rum Dragon Island.

Waiting on the shore was a much larger dragon—deep blue with silvery scales like the sea at night. He had big gentle eyes and wore a scarf stitched with ancient runes.

“Welcome!” boomed the dragon. “I’m Mega Dragon. And you must be… Friendly.”

They welcomed each other with a dragon-welcome - a tail-high-five.

A Castle in the Mist

Together they flew to Dragoncourt Castle, built high on the cliffs and filled with odd-shaped windows, warm lanterns, and rooms that echoed with ancient laughter.

Lord Alfred de Dragoncourt—a kindly old man in a green kilt and dragon brooch—greeted them with a twinkle in his eye.

“You two are here to rest and play—but also to learn. This island has secrets.”

The Secret of Rum

Every evening, Mega Dragon would take Friendly to the old Dragon Stone above the sea. There they played ancient language games—whistling winds into meaning, making clouds spell out stories, or shaping new words from the rustle of trees and splash of waves.

“You see,” said Mega Dragon, “language isn’t just for talking. It’s for feeling, dreaming… and becoming who we truly are”.

Friendly Dragon listened, wide-eyed. Back in Ifield Brook Meadows he loved words—but here on Rum, he discovered that language was a kind of magic.

A Festival of Meaning

One day, they threw a great festival: The First Annual Dragon Language and Fun Day.

Creatures came from every corner of Scotland: otters, puffins, seals, and even a polite sea serpent named Morag.

They played story-drawing games, sang tunes without words, and danced in dragon-circles by the sea.

Lord Alfred stood on a driftwood stage and announced:

“Thanks to these two dragons, Rum is now a World Island of Wonder. Where words grow like trees, and fun is the first language!”

Time to Fly Home

As the sun set on Rum Dragon Island, Friendly Dragon hugged Mega Dragon goodbye.

“I’ll miss our cloud conversations,” he said.

“You’ll take them with you,” said Mega. “They’re inside you now. And share them. Especially with the little ones.”

So Friendly Dragon flew home—his heart lighter, his soul deeper, and his words full of magic.

And to this day, if you ever visit Ifield Brook Meadows, you might hear a dragon humming a Scottish tune, or see a cloud shaped like a castle in the sky.

Because once you’ve been to Rum Dragon Island…

You’re never quite the same again.

The End.

(Or just the beginning…)