Jennifer Jane and the Crown Jewels 4/6

A large red dragon's head popped out of the cave mouth. "What's all this hello Clarence, then? Oh, I might have guessed. Hello, Jennifer bach."

"Hello, Megan," said Jennifer Jane, "I thought this cave looked funny. You've brought me to the wrong dragon - oh!" As she turned round to tell the witch about her mistake, she was just in time to see the broomstick disappear in the clouds.

"However am I going to get home?" she said.

"Why hurry?" asked Megan. "Frosty is due with the rations in two days. We could have a lovely long talk, I'm sure."

"But I can't, I have to give Clarence his crown back today or he'll come and get it himself and do something horrible."

"There's crafty," said Megan, "has he lent you some treasure on that old contract?"

Jennifer Jane nodded.

"That's trouble for you. Terrible it is, the things he can do to you unless you return his treasure today."

Just then, a rumbling noise came from inside Megan's cave and to Jennifer Jane's surprise, Megan made similar noises in reply.

"You must meet a friend of mine," said Megan, "his name is Bai Long and he comes from China. I'm afraid he doesn't have much English, so we have to talk to each other in basic Dragon."

Megan came right out of her cave and then spoke in dragon rumbles to Bai Long. A strange looking dragon came slowly out of the cave, walking with such very small steps, that he seemed to glide across the ground.

Bai Long was very much bigger than Clarence and was completely white. His face was rounder than either Clarence or Megan's and he had a lot more whiskers; indeed he practically had a beard.

"Pleased to meet you, Bai Long," said Jennifer Jane.

"Velly please also Jerrifer," replied Bai Long and then he rumbled to Megan.

Megan spoke to him at some length and then Bai Long looked at Jennifer Jane so sadly that she thought he was going to burst into tears. "Poor Jerrifer," he said, "Callence numpa one bad dlagon."

"Chinese dragons may be big but they're great softies really," said Megan. "They don't even collect treasure properly; all they want is pearls!"

"Why is he so upset?" asked Jennifer Jane.

"It's that Clarence and his contract," replied Megan, "really upset he is thinking about it. We can diddle him yet though. Bai Long is on his way home to China and it wouldn't take him long to take you to see Clarence. He's not interested in that old crown, only collecting pearls like, so he'll not be any trouble at all."

She rumbled for a moment or two to Bai Long, who looked happier as she spoke.

"He'll be ever so pleased to help," she said, "in fact, he wants to start now."

Bai Long bent his foreleg so that Jennifer Jane could step up and sit on his back. It was surprisingly comfy and she was able to wedge her parcel between herself and the dragon's shoulder and have both hands free to hang on.

"All leddy?" asked Bai Long and Megan nodded just as Jennifer Jane said "yes."