Papa dragon stood among the thistles. He guarded the three eggs while Mama went off to find something to eat. Papa stood as high as a house and his wings, when spread open, were wider than he was long. He had sharp fangs and a long, scaly tail.

One of the eggs moved around. Papa didn't notice. He was too busy guarding them and not paying attention. The egg cracked a tiny bit. A few minutes later it cracked again and a beak pecked a small hole in it. A pair of eyes looked out and saw Papa dragon standing there. “Yikes! What is that? It looks mean and scary. I'm not coming out of this egg. Where's my mama?”

The second egg cracked and then the third. The three eggs stood next to each other and the tiny dragons inside whispered to one another. “What is that creature? It's big and it has fangs and claws. I'm not pecking my way out of this shell. It's not safe.” They talked back and forth.

Papa dragon watched patiently, making sure nothing harmed his eggs. All day he stood there, guarding them.

As the sun set, Mama dragon came back, carrying a meal for Papa. She saw the holes in the eggs. “Papa, our eggs are hatching. Come and see.”

Papa turned around, swinging his long tail and wings out of the way. He bent his head over and stared into one of the holes in the eggs.

The dragon hatchling pulled back. “Yikes! It's even scarier close up.”

Mama pushed Papa out of the way. “You're scaring them, Papa.” She bent her head down and kissed the shells. Talking in a soothing voice she spoke to her babies. “Come out of your eggs and meet your mama and your papa.” She whispered to each egg, “He is big and looks mean, but he's a pussy cat inside.”

The babies believed their mama. They chipped away at the eggshells until they were free. “Papa, come and see. Look at our dragon hatchlings.”

Papa saw three tiny dragons, all the same color as him. “My boys!” He kissed each of them with a dragon kiss.

“Papa!” No longer were they afraid. They licked their papa and mama. Papa taught them to fly and Mama taught them to blow fire. They learned quickly that Mama was right. Papa was as soft as a pussy cat after all.”