Don't Feed the Dragons

Once upon a time there was a happy little prince who lived a cheery little life in his merry little castle. He was brave, bold, and fearless...

Except when it came to dragons.

"I know," said the prince, eager to venture outside the castle, "I will play with the dragons. They will be my friends."

The dragons were pleased. So they came back the next day, and even brought curious friends.

With all the fun and play, the dragons had worked up an appetite. The jolly prince was hesitant to leave his castle. He could not ignore the dragons forever, so the overwhelmed prince tried his best to keep them busy.

So he fed them,

And fed them,

And fed them.

Sadly, the enthusiastic dragons did not go away, they only grew bigger and stronger.

The prince felt safe from attack as long as the dragons were satisfied with his efforts to feed them. Yet in feeding the dragons, the prince missed out on other things he would rather be doing. The disappointed prince did not want to spend all of his time feeding dragons, but there were just to many to please.

Upset and sullen, the tired prince retreated to the security of his castle walls. No dragons begged for his attention there. No fun. No adventures. No voice.

But one day the dragons were no longer content to wait outside the castle.

Knowing that a dragon in a castle would not be a good idea, the prince spoke, "Now listen up dragons, let me be clear, there is no room, no room in here. No room for dragons of any kind. Don't try to come in. I've made up my mind."

"I live in this castle - I have a voice. No dragons may enter and that is my choice!"

At the sound of the prince's voice, the dragons began to shrink...
And shrink,
And shrink.

Wishing for more food and fun, the dragons intently replied, "We hear you, prince, you have been clear. We want to wait, so we'll stay here. We have grown smaller, and we are kind. There's room for us. Please change your mind."

But the prince did not change his mind. He felt good about the value of his voice. He felt good about standing up for himself.

As his voice grew louder, the dragons became smaller. And the smaller they became, the more the prince realized the power of his voice.

He no longer feared the dragons. He just stopped feeding them.

The End