StorySafari
It was an ordinary day. The sun was shining when Levi and Dad got to the park. Levi had something wonderful he wanted to tell Dad. But the words wouldn’t come. Dad tried hard to understand Levi, but he couldn’t.
When they got home, Dad sighed. “I wish I knew what Levi was trying to tell me,” he said. “There must be a way,” Mom said.
So Mom and Dad started searching. They searched high and low, in every place they could think of. They searched so hard that they hardly noticed Levi wasn’t searching at all. He was too busy exploring.
He hiked up Cold Spring Canyon, high into the mountains. There, he stumbled upon a hidden cave.
Levi stepped inside. He was always up for an adventure. Deep inside the cave was a dragon. The dragon walked over to Levi and gently touched his forehead to Levi’s. *Hello, Levi,* he heard. *Welcome to my cave.*
Levi’s eyes grew wide. “You can understand me?” The dragon nodded. The dragon wanted to know all about Levi and the world below the mountains. Levi told him about Mom and Dad. He told him about the places he liked to explore and all the things he loved to do. The dragon listened to every word.
“But I’m different,” Levi told him. “Most people talk with words. But I lost mine.” The dragon laughed. “Most dragons fly. But I only have one wing.” Levi smiled. And that was that.
Levi and the dragon became great friends. They climbed rocks, splashed through creeks, found secret trails, and explored places no one else knew about. And when they came to a steep hillside, the dragon spread his wing like a sail, and together they raced down the grassy slope.
When Levi came home, he touched his forehead to Mom and Dad’s, just like the dragon had done to him. They couldn’t hear him. But Levi smiled and giggled. Mom and Dad smiled back and gave him a big hug.
The next morning, Levi grabbed Dad’s hand and pulled him toward the door. “Where are we going?” Dad asked. Levi just smiled. He led Mom and Dad up Cold Spring Canyon, over the rocks and into the hidden cave.
Mom stopped when she saw the dragon. “Oh,” she whispered. “He only has one wing.” Dad looked worried. “But how does he fly?” The dragon looked at Levi. Levi looked at the dragon. Then they both burst out laughing.
The dragon raced out of the cave, and Levi took off after him. “Come on!” Dad called to Mom. They followed. They scrambled over boulders, splashed through icy creeks, and discovered waterfalls hidden behind the trees.
When Mom was afraid to cross a fallen log, Levi reached back and took her hand. And when Dad couldn’t find the trail, Levi showed him the way.
When the rain came, the dragon gathered all three of them beneath his enormous wing. By the time the sun began to set, Mom and Dad were muddy, tired, and laughing.
Dad looked at Levi and the dragon. “We thought you were the one missing out,” he said. He looked out over the mountains and smiled. “But it was us! Look at all the adventures you’ve been having!”
Levi giggled and pressed his forehead against Dad’s. And this time, Dad understood.
When Dad looked up, the dragon was gone. But Levi was already running ahead, leading Mom and Dad toward their next adventure.
