The Fairies and the Monster

Once upon a time, fairies lived in America. You would expect me to say Iceland, Ireland, or Norway or some more mythical place, but I chose to say America and that is what I’ll stick with.

In a hole near the fairies’ castle lived a dragon who belched steam and hot water. She had a large, greenish blue head, and her eyes were like coals. The only things she cared for were her two daughters.

The fairy king made a plan to trap the dragon. Invisible, the fairies crept up to the hole. With their magic they made the hole too small for her to come out. The dragon and her offspring roared and fought to get out, but they could not.

That night there was a great celebration. The king called back all the animals that the dragon had frightened away. “From this day forth,” he said, “this place shall be sacred to all animals. No hunter shall dare to place his foot here.”

For the celebration the fairies covered all the stones with gold. The gold has faded away, but we still call the place Yellowstone.

When the fairies come on invisible wings to tease the dragon, she sprays steam and water at them. We call her Old Faithful.