The Dragon Donkey Race
In a Glen, with shadows snaking and dancing within a sunlit patch sat a group of friends; looking at the flowers, clouds, and foliage and taking in the fragrance of the pure unspoilt forest.
The birds sang on that beautiful morning and the rainbow of butterflies seemingly danced from one flower to the other; while the monkeys pendulated, undulated, whirled and twirled as they gracefully glided through this moving dancing sea of colour from one liana to the other.
As the trees whispered to each other (a language that was created by forcing the gentle breeze to move through various branches), discussing the beauty of the little multicoloured pebbles that the Junglee River had transported to the clearing, and sighing at the peace and quiet; they were startled by a note, almost like a guitar riff entertaining a crowd listening to pan pipe flute music!
The trees were startled, the monkeys stopped their aerial dance, one bird banged into a tree as he lost concentration, and went ouch, ouch, ouch as he hopped from one foot to the other, holding his hurting head with a wing; whilst glaring at the chipmunk who was laughing at him.
The source of the guitar rift was one of the jungle's most gifted and proud animals. A beautiful creature with soft fur, graceful wings all in different shades of red, and blue, with matching eyes that could peer deep into the darkness. Their voice was romantic and authoritative, splendid and sounded exactly like a guitar. They were called Donkeys.
The complaint they made sounded a lot like something from a Hard Rock Metal Music Album. Translated into English the complaint was: how dare you suggest that you, oh Dragon, can reach the far mountain where the Big Bada Boom stays, faster than me. Yes added his fellow Donkeys (sounding a lot like a hundred classical musicians playing "Ride of the Valkeyri" only with guitars.
Bigding Briganza, the biggest of the Donkeys, speaking in his best English said, "Hawooo dhair vyuuu think that aiyeeeee aihm slower as thaaaan youaaaa."
"Huh", said Tiny the Dragon, "what in God's name did you just say?"
"Kaaaant vyu uhndrstandaaa zimple langhuage? Nonshenceaaaa. Raskala.. Rowhdyaaaa. Aiiiiyayiiiooo."
No one understood what this creature was saying. Finally!, After a few minutes of garbled conversation, they made him write things down; which is when they understood that he was amazed that Tinpot Thwoo Thwoo thought anyone could beat Bigding Briganza, or any other Donkey.
After several hours of arguing the forest Bat, who had been woken up from his daytime slumber by all the noise, suggested they have a race, get lost, and stop harassing him with all their constant shouting. Bigding agreed, and assumed that Thwoo Thwoo had agreed as well.
The two sides separated to chose the person from their group who would take part in the race. The Donkeys choose their fastest flyer, known to everyone by as, Speedway Raskala . His real name was long and no one had been able to pronounce it, ever. It was abeareheeeehaaaatoootaaadrinkstinkratfinkoiyaraabooohhooootooopylaolaovooodoooosheeetooo! Which is basically what the recorder of names thought they wanted to name the baby but what was actually his mother scolding his father about something.
The Dragons chose Tinpot Thwoo Thwoo!
"You made that stupid comment and you thus should race", said the proud leader of the Dragons, who reminded Tinpot about the Dragons' moto, "failure results in loss of pride, thus do only that which you are good at."
This moto was rigidly enforced and thus the Dragons, for many many years, had never tried anything new.
Everyone started gathering around for the big race. The start line was decided, a route map drawn, animals guarded the route to ensure no one cheated and the monkeys set up stalls selling Banana Chips (Bananas cut into thin slices and roasted on Banana leafs on the sides of a volcano) and Strawberries and cream (cream made with sugarcane juice squeezed by making a hippopotamus sit on the sugarcane and adding that to milk mixed with coconuts)
All this noise disturbed the Bat who got angry and threw handfuls of fruit on whoever he thought made more noise. Some noisemakers merely caught the fruit and ate it, thereafter making more noise so they would get more fruit. This was useful as one of these noisemakers, named Soe knees Singhwala was so good at catching that they made him wicketkeeper in the local cricket team.
Finally, when everyone was ready, the Elephants got ready to sound the trumpet. They had added to the festive nature of the occasion by adding colourful feathers to their trunks. Just as they were about to sound the trumpet the biggest elephant sneazed, and fell on the Giraffe, who jumped away just in time but bumped into the Bat.
The very sleepy Bat who was gathering even more fruit to throw, could only yawn at the Giraffe when he tried shouting at the Bat. After a while everything was ready, the Elephants blew their Trumpets, and after Thwoo Thwoo and Rascala had recovered from the loud sound they set off in a flurry of flapping wings.
Soon they were out of the clearing and we're swerving thru the surrounding forrest. Raskala thought he would easily win and thus didn't bother checking on Thwoo Thwoo.
The forest was thick with trees and the racers had to fly between them. Raskala, being a lot bigger than the tiny Thwoo Thwoo had to do a lot more swerving to avoid the trees. This slowed him down and he was thus not much faster than the dragon.
Halfway thru the flight in the forrest Raskala's mother stopped him and asked him if he had taken his sweater and told him to go to the toilet.
"Always go to the toilet before you go out", she said.
"But Mom!" Said the irritated Raskala, "I am in a race and you're delaying me". Saying this he flew off.
All this was however enough to allow Thwoo Thwoo to get far ahead of Raskala. The competitors then flew over the swamp section of the race. Thwoo Thwoo had a tough time as he had to dodge the snakes and crocodiles living in the swamp. Raskala was much stronger and bigger and could thus easily avoid these dangers. He was thus able to catch up with Thwoo Thwoo, and even fly ahead of him. He looked back at little Thwoo Thwoo with a gleam in his eyes and wondered, if Thwoo Thwoo would be able to survive the swamp. His overconfidence and not paying attention to the race however cost him as, at the edge of the swamp, at the foot of the mountain, he bumped into a tree.
The tree shook and a lot of angry bees swarmed down on poor Raskala, who got bitten as he tried everything to escape from the bees; eventually depending on his superior speed to help him escape. He was not sure where Thwoo Thwoo was and whilst wondering if he had escaped the swamp he looked around for him. Finally he saw him flying ahead of him.
Thwoo Thwoo was entering the part of the forrest where the last few trees grew, up the mountain where the Big Bada Boom stayed.
This was the home of beautiful flowers in many brilliant colors and shapes, rainbows of colourful butterflies, weaver birds, streams, spiders and big trees with thick trunks. Each tree had many branches and a thick cover of trees. Light that was able to come thru these thick trees fell upon the colorful, playful butterflies and made them look even more beautiful. There was enough space between these trees to fly fast, but with so many butterflies around Thwoo Thwoo had to fly a little slower, so he wouldn't hurt them.
Raskala however didn't care about anything and flew as fast as he could, and depending on his superior strength to get past spider webs, butterflies, monkeys or anything else that got in the way. Because Raskala did this he was able to catch up with Thwoo Thwoo, but only after hurting many butterflies and other forrest creatures. The big eagle who lived above Big Bada Boom on the mountain saw what was happening and along with the other birds flew down and hit Raskala, thus slowing him down and allowing Thwoo Thwoo to stay ahead.
The other Donkeys and Dragons who were following behind, and the animals who had been placed on the path to make sure no one cheated told the Eagles about the race and calmed them down. Raskala was finally allowed to fly away. The butterflies were kept away from his path by the Eagles and he flew at a ferocious pace and once more started catching up with Thwoo Thwoo. Raskala's friends flew with him to protect him from the Eagles and the Dragons, surprised that Thwoo Thwoo was doing so well, flew with him. Beyond the trees, just before the cave where the Big Bada Boom stayed, was a stony part of the mountain. Bigding Briganza was worried that the Raskala would make more mistakes and Thwoo Thwoo would win.
He spoke to the other Donkeys and told them," eif vyuuu leet Thwoo Thwoo win aiiiiyayiiiooo weel heat awlll oph vyuuu."
"Huh", said another Donkey, "Please don't heat us, it is already very hot."
It's only Bigding Briganza hit him with a stick did everyone understand what he was saying. Not wanting to get walloped by Bigding the rest of the Donkeys tried to distract little Thwoo Thwoo and when all else failed started attacking them.
As the Dragons were trying to escape the Donkey's attack they saw a Forrest waif, a beautiful guardian who looked after the forrest's flowers. She was seven feet tall with a thin figure and was wearing red hot shorts and a tube top, showing of the red flower tattoos on her belly. Her hair reminded them of that warm safe place where as children they'd hid (they were Guns and Roses fans!). They hid behind her from the blue and pink speckled donkey (the one with golden wings) who was trying to stop them with the multitude of black balls the Donkeys had found on the mountain side.
The attack slowed down Thwoo Thwoo and Raskala was able to sneak past and win the race.
Raskala shout for Big Bada Boom, wanting to show off his victory to him.
The other animals, some of whom had seen the cheating the Donkeys had done, shouted at them and told them they had only won by cheating. The animals also shouted at the Donkeys for damaging the part of the forrest where the butterflies stayed.
The Eagles who had seen everything also started shouting. There was a lot of noise as everyone was shouting at everyone else and no one was listening to anyone.
From Big Bada Boom's cave there came a loud "Enouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh", much louder than all the shouting from everyone else. There was complete silence. One could have heard a fly sing!
From within the cave came a loud crash, as if huge rocks were being thrown around and suddenly was heard the sound of a powerful river flowing. After the river noise stopped came a loud thadam thadam thadam. Everyone backed away from the cave as they heard these sounds, wondering why rocks were falling, where the river came from and what was happening.
After a while the most horrid smell came from the cave and following that came out Big Bada Boom, rubbing his sleepy eyes and wearing a huge frown on his face. "who is making all this noise?" he rumbled, with a voice like thunder, lightening and rocks crashing into each other.
When he stretched he blocked out the sun and everyone stared at his huge hairy arms, giant legs, and the pink bow he tied around his waist. No one dared say anything about the pink bow.
After some commotion the smallest animal there was told to explain things to Big Bada and he climbed on top of his shoulder and told him about everything that had happened.
Big Bada looked at everyone and said. "when I made all of you I made you so you could live together and live happily. I had told your ancestors that if you did not stay together and look after the forrest. I would be angry. Also you woke me up with your stupid race. So now hear this judgement of mine," he said.
"the Donkeys who have hurt so many animals and cheated will be turned into small grey coloured animals who have a horrible voice and can't fly.
The Dragons will become bigger and more powerful, as long as they continue being the good creatures they are. If I find that they are not good for the forrest they will also suffer."
Saying this he yawned and went back into his cave.
Just as the animals were beginning to understand what had happened he said, "and if anyone disturbs me when I am sleeping you will suffer."
Everyone laughed at the Donkeys, who over the next few months became smaller, less powerful, dull colored and wingless.
The Dragons became wiser, more powerful and the noble protectors of the forrest.
To this day everyone in the forrest remembers Big Bada Boom's warning, and no one disturbs him if he is asleep.
