The Paper Dragon Who Couldn’t Fly

In a little shop full of kites, there was one paper dragon who had never left the ground. His tail was too long, his wings were too small, and every time the wind came, he tumbled over his own feet. The swallow kites giggled. The box kites sighed. The butterfly kite said kindly, “Maybe you are a sitting-down sort of dragon.” But at night, when the shop was dark, the dragon practised. One windy morning, a boy called Ashan came in with his grandfather. Every kite flapped its very best flap. The dragon only blushed. “That one,” said Ashan. “He looks like he has a story.”