In the days of long ago and far away Malbys the Terrible terrorized the lands surrounding his mountaintop lair. Being a dragon of great might, he raided villages far and wide taking spoils, spreading devastation, and in general making life miserable for anyone in his way. He brought misery to peasants and nobles alike. The latter hired knights to assail his stronghold but to no avail. Many a valiant warrior climbed the dragon’s mountain in attempt to end his reign of destruction, but none returned to tell their story. Malbys’s raids continued without check.
One fair morn, when as dragons are known to do, Malbys lay in front of his lair basking in the morning sun after a busy night of looting. The fairy Goodfinger appeared before him in a protective magic bubble.. “Oh, mighty dragon,” she said. “Long have the inhabitants of the land complained to me about your exploits. It is time for you to move on or change your ways.”
Malbys opened one eye while lying in place. “Now why would I want to do that? I like it here and I gather much loot from my many raids.”
Goodfinger, no bigger than the dragon’s head, floated to within an arm’s length of the scaly beast. She held out her wand. I could make things miserable for you with my magic.”
“How so?”
The fairy looked up. “Well, I can curse your tongue so everything you eat turns bitter.”
Malbys rolled his eyes. “Not impressed. What else?”
“I can dry up the rivers, so you have to go elsewhere to drink.”
“But that would only hurt the people you want me to leave alone.”
Goodfinger shrugged her shoulders. “I know, but there are many other things I could name, but I am sure you have an answer for each one, so I’ll just do this. I’m leaving you a mirror. Not an ordinary one but one that shows how you end if you continue in your present course.”
“Fine,” said the dragon. “Just do it and leave me to my morning nap.”
The fairy waved her wand and a mirror appeared on the top of Malbys’s hoard of treasure.
Sometime after Goodfinger disappeared, the dragon stirred to look at what she had left him. He thought, I’ll just have a peak, not that it will make a difference.
What he saw made him shudder. As he looked in the mirror an old decrepit dragon stared back. Scales fell from him like rain. He could hardly walk. His fire had all but gone out. Worst of all he was alone.
Now as you know dragons live for many lifetimes of men and Malbys proved to be no exception, and so he comforted himself. If this is my end, at least it will not be for some time yet. However, he could not stop thinking about the loneliness and sadness he saw in the eyes of his future self.
It didn’t happen right away, but Malbys found himself yearning for a quieter simpler life. He wanted companionship, but a dragon’s life is a lonely one (one can’t have friends to dinner if what he really wants is friends for dinner). But being a dragon, Malbys found himself unable to change his ways. He searched the nearby woods and valleys for Goodfinger, but she was nowhere to be found. And so, he decided to visit the five wise men that lived in the lands below his mountain to seek their advice.
The first seer told him, “It is a fine thing you wish to do.” He noticed the hungry look in the dragon’s eye. “You can start by not eating me. Next, you can’t stop being a dragon as long as you look like a dragon, so you must change your appearance.”
Smoke bellowed from his snout as Malbys replied. “But how do I change how I look? After all I am a dragon, and this is how my kind looks.”
Number One sat up straight. “Mine is not to tell you how but merely what. How to accomplish this you must figure out for yourself. But ask, who in society is most respected?”
Malbys did not know how to answer that. The only interaction with people in society he had was him chasing and the people fleeing. But then he thought of the brave men who had assailed his stronghold. Knights are respected. People always send them to me. I’ll become a knight.
He returned to his lair and gathered up the pieces of armor left behind from failed attacks on his person. Using his fiery breath as a forge and his mighty feet as hammers he formed a coat of armor to fit him. He donned it and checked himself out by looking at his reflection in the lake at the foot of his mountain. He managed the best smile that a dragon can do. He told himself, Now I am a knight and will do knightly things. But, that evening he ravaged the closest village without thinking. Failure.
The next day he went to seer number two. “What, pray tell can I do to change my ways. I want to stop being a dragon but can’t seem to do it.”
Number Two sat before a fire of incense. He too, saw the hungry look in the dragon’s eye. “You can start by not eating me. Next, think on this, it is not enough being a knight. You must make sure you do a good deed every day.”
Malbys shook his head spreading streams of steaming saliva drowning out the seer’s fire. “That’s easy enough,” he said. “Why did I not think of that before?”
He returned to his lair and gathered up what he had taken on his raid the night before and dropped it on the village next to the one he had raided. But when night came, he returned to that village and carried away all their livestock. He just couldn’t resist. Failure again.
On the third day, he visited Seer Three. “How can I change my dragon ways?” he asked.
Number Three looked out from his open door. “Well don’t eat me. Then, start by cleaning up your lair. Get rid of the stench and your hoard of ill-gotten gain. As long as you have your dragon stench and your hoard, you will think like a dragon. Get rid of them if you want to change.”
So, Malbys went back to his cave and quite admirably cleaned up his mess. He burned all his debris, quite easy to do when you’re a dragon. His treasures he buried in a deep pit. He thought, At least I’ll have something to fall back on if things don’t work out. But then, what am I thinking? They will have to work out. They must. After he completed his task he lay down to rest. The next morning, he awoke to a new pile of things taken in an overnight raid. “Oh no!” he cried. “Why can’t I control myself?” Failure number three.
He went to Seer Four who rubbed his white, ragged beard. After asking the dragon not to eat him he said, “When I need to change something, I make a list of things to do. I find when I complete my list, I have had no time to do the things I don’t want to do.”
So, the dragon made a list, on which he worked on the day and into the night, but still the next morning more debris outside his door. He had made a raid during the night. Again, he had failed
He went to Seer Five. “I’ve tried everything to change my ways, but just can’t seem to be able to. What do you say?”
Seer Five looked Malbys over from head to toe. He too asked the dragon not to eat him before saying, “Do you really want to change? After all, you are a dragon, and raiding and pillaging is what dragons do. That seems to be your purpose, so why fight it?”
The dragon hung his head. “But it’s such a lonely life. I’ve lived a hundred twenty years and haven’t accomplished anything. I mean, if you’ve destroyed one village what is it to destroy another?”
Number Five frowned. “I see what you mean. But to stop doing the things of a dragon, you have to cease being a dragon, and I have no idea how you do that.”
Malbys shook all over, spitting out fire that burned the seer’s hut. The wise man barely escaped and waved his hands. “But wait. I didn’t mean to say there is no hope. I have no suggestion. That is true. You must look for help from above.”
The dragon’s fire ceased. “How do I do that?”
“Return to your lair and tonight when the stars return ask the brightest one you see how you can change. If he has favor on you, he will answer.”
Malbys returned once again to his mountain where he sat in front of his lair until the stars came out at night. Finding the brightest one he called out, “Oh, Bright Star. Listen to my plea. I want to stop living the life of a dragon and have tried many things, but I still do the things I don’t want to do. Help me change.”
The dragon stared at the star, but nothing happened. He waited an hour. Still nothing. He sighed and resigned himself to his dragon life. He tensed his muscles to prepare for flight. He had not touched the village on the fringe of the valley. It stood ripe for the picking.
However, motion from the bright star caught his eye. It descended to earth setting foot on the top of his mountain. Yes, he told himself. The star has set down afoot. As it descended I can see it has the form of a man with a white hair and beard and dressed in a brilliant white robe.
“I heard your cries as I heard you when you asked the seers your question,” said the Star/man. “The last seer told you right. You cannot cease doing the things a dragon does, because you are a dragon.”
Malbys shook his head. “Then there is nothing I can do?”
The visitor gazed into Malbys’s eyes. “There is one thing.”
“Tell me, and I will gladly do it.”
“Give me your dragon heart.”
Malbys’s shoulders hung low. “I said I would do anything but that would put me at the mercy of all my enemies.” He said this knowing a dragon could live without his heart as long as it was kept beating. “Do you promise to keep it safe?”
“No,” said the star. “I intend to destroy it, but I am not just a star but the maker of all things. You can trust me. This is the only way you can change.”
“But then I’d die, wouldn’t I?” Malbys looked up at the Star/man. “I may not like my life but it’s the only one I have, as miserable as it is. I’d kind of like to keep it.”
The Star/man smiled. “Then you don’t really want to change. This is the only way.”
Malbys turned to walk away but froze in his tracks. He thought of his life as it had been and what would be his end. No, I don’t want to go on the way I was. He turned back to the star and reaching with his claws he tore away the flesh until he reached his blackened heart and held it up. “Here do with me as you please.”
The Star/man took the black dragon heart. It dried up and became dust. Malbys fell into a swoon. He never saw the star place a new red, beating heart in the place where the old one had been. The change began. Scales dropped. Underneath pink flesh formed. Malbys revived, and looked in a pool of water. No dragon stared back at him rather he looked at a middle-aged man whose heart had been given from above. He raised his eyes and stared into the face of the Star/man.
“What have you done?” The former dragon asked.
“I’ve answered your pleas,” replied the star. Now you no longer have to do dragon things but are free to do my things¬good things–because I have given you my heart.”
Malbys left that place never to return to his dragon lair. He settled in the village where he had done the most damage and helped rebuild it. Its people never knew his full story but were glad for the help of this kindly man who with fire in his eyes helped mend their wounds.