The cold stone floor beneath the king’s bed bruised my elbows, but it kept me alert. I was on a mission to rescue Shenghuo, the dragon of life. Shenghuo, a pearl-colored dragon not much bigger than a small bat, gave life to all the plants of the world by flying over them and breathing the fire of life. Our evil king had kidnapped her to cultivate his Tree of Everlasting Youth. Now the crops were all dead, and our kingdom was starving.
    
I strained my ears to hear if the king slept yet, but he tossed about beneath his covers. Shenghuo whimpered from behind the door of the king’s wardrobe as I waited.
    
At last, a snore descended from the bed, and I crept from my hiding place. I tiptoed to the wardrobe and tugged at the door. It didn’t budge.
    
“He’s locked it!” I thought and looked desperately around the room for a key. My eyes rested upon the king’s mattress, and my heart stopped. A large ring of keys lay beneath the king’s left hand.
    
I inched across the room over to the bed. I drew my quivering hand beside the king’s and grasped one of the keys. Slowly, I began to tug, my body shaking like a leaf. The keys gradually slipped out from underneath this hand.
    
“Clang!” My hand slipped, and the keys clinked against each other like gongs in the silence of night.
    
The king’s hand twitched. His long fingers reached out, and he clasped my hand. I stared at him, frozen in terror, and awaited disaster.
    
But the king did not move. He lay completely still upon his bed, and after a moment, he snorted and rolled over in his sleep.
    
The keys now in my hand, I crept to he wardrobe. I unlocked it, cupped Shenghuo in my hands, and we slipped silently out of the castle.
    
In the cool night air, Shenghuo lifted her wings and soared up into the air, breathing her fiery breath over the plants of the kingdom.