Ch. 5.1 — Meanwhile, Jay B. R. Wokky flew home. He landed on the doorstep of his cave tired, miserable, and cranky. He was met by his trusty servant, who had a big smile on his face and a large white envelope in his hand.
“Look, Sire, it came! Your invitation.” Fritter proudly waved the envelope in the air. “You see, they didn’t forget you after all.”
Jay looked at Fritter. He looked at the envelope. Then he opened his mouth, and a stream of fire flew out and incinerated the envelope.
“Owww!” Fritter grabbed his hand and began to suck on his thumb and finger. “What did you do that for?”
“I’m going to bed.” Jay stomped past the gnome into the cave. “Do not disturb me until I call for dinner. And it had better be a good one, or I’ll fry you as well.”
Fritter bowed. “Yes, sire. Delicious dinner coming right up.”
He looked down at the ground. A single corner of envelope had missed the flame and had fallen to the ground. Fritter stared at it thoughtfully and then put it in his pocket. When he got to his bedroom, he tucked the singed corner in his satchel, where he kept all kinds of things that might be useful.
Fritter hurried to the kitchen to cook a dinner for Jay that might make him feel better: perhaps a rabbit pie with baby carrots, new potatoes, fresh herbs, and a golden flaky crust; and for dessert — a chocolate cake with fresh whipped cream and sliced strawberries on top.
However, Jay was suffering from a guilty conscience, and the beautiful dinner Fritter prepared gave the dragon a stomach ache.
Instead of admitting he had made a terrible mistake, Jay held his bad feelings inside. Day by day he became more irritable. Nothing pleased him: not the delicious meals Fritter made for him; or the warm, sunny spring weather; or even his favorite storybook. His writing hand swelled up and the pain spread up his arm to his elbow.
Jay had always been conscientious about patrolling the eastern mountains and destroying any monsters he caught trying to invade from Wonderland, but now he spent his days alone in the dark, lying on his treasure.
Carol Nicolas 