The Fire Dragon

(a Michaelmas Story by Victoria Robertson 2023)

There was once a terrible Fire Dragon who roamed the Bibbulman lands, wreaking havoc all around. During the hot Birak and Bunuru seasons he would fly over the forests and coastal lands, spreading his flaming fire breath far and wide. Great old Marri and Karri trees were reduced to blackened stumps, and Yongka the kangaroo, Quenda the bandicoot and Koolbardi the magpie all fled before the heat and smoke of the fierce fire storm.

Brave fire fighters would try to tame the flames with their strong water swords, and sometimes managed to douse the dragon’s fire storm. But at other times the flames were so fast that they swept through homes and bush like great waves of sparks and left enormous destruction in their wake.

The animals had had enough and decided to tame the fire dragon once and for all. They agreed to gather together in a cool cave underground, just after yet another fire storm had swept through their bushland. The tree trunks were still smouldering, and the ground was covered in a thick layer of ash when they secretly met at dusk, scurrying from cover or flying in quickly through the desolate forest. Yongka came bounding through the ashes, Nyingarn the echidna waddled in, little Djer-djer the blue wren flitted into the cave, until all the animals were there.

‘What are we going to do?’ said grandfather Yonka. ‘Soon there will be nowhere for us animals to hide, and nothing to eat’

‘My nest has been destroyed, and I have nowhere to live’, said Ngwayir the possum.

‘One of us will need to go and talk to that bad dragon’, said Quenda.

‘Who will go?’, said Wetj the emu. ‘That dragon is very big and scary’

 All the animals looked down at their paws and claws and tails. They were all afraid of the dragon.

But suddenly a little voice piped up, ‘I will go!’

It was tiny little Nyoolboongur the honey possum.

‘You can’t go!’ said the other animals, ‘You’re far too small! We need someone strong and big to go and talk to the dragon’.

‘I may be tiny’, squeaked Nyoolboongur, ‘but I’m very brave. Just you wait and see!’

As there were no other animals who volunteered, it was decided that little honey possum would indeed go to talk to the dragon. He set off straight away, scurrying off through the ash carpet until he was covered in a thick white layer. He soon found the dragon having a little nap on top of a smouldering pile of logs, tired out from his latest attack.

Nyoolboongur stealthily climbed onto the dragon’s tail which was flung out away from the glowing embers and tiptoed carefully towards the great dragon’s head. He was so tiny that the dragon didn’t even notice him tickling along his scaly body. He slept on, snoring loudly with a great rumble. Finally, Nyoolboongur reached the dragon’s head and stuck his own head into an ear. He squeaked as loud as he could, and the dragon awoke with a start.

‘Who was that?’ he roared, annoyed at having been woken from his sleep.

‘It is I’, said possum, ‘The spirit of all possums that have ever lived.’

‘Where are you? I can’t see you!’ said the dragon.

‘I am here’, said Nyoolboongur, and scuttled onto the dragon’s enormous snout.  ‘I have come to punish you for all the damage you have done for so long.’

The dragon laughed. ‘What can a tiny little thing like you do to me? There is no creature greater than I!’

‘You may be big, but you’re not great!’, said possum. ‘I may be so before me, to haunt you and give you bad dreams for the rest of your life. You wouldn’t be able to sleep anymore, for fear of the nightmares coming back. Unless you mend your ways and undo all the bad things you have done for so many years’.

Now, if there was one thing that the dragon valued above all else, it was his sleep. Breathing fire storms and wreaking havoc takes a lot of energy, and he always looked forward to a nice, long, undisturbed nap after all his burning. Furthermore, it took a good long rest for his fire powers to rekindle while he slept. He didn’t much like the idea of not getting enough sleep.

‘I’m listening’, he said to possum. ‘What would it take for you and your cousins to leave me alone?’

‘Just promise us to not burn so widely and fiercely, but to use your fire for the good of everyone’, said possum. ‘Use it to help people keep warm during the cold Makuru months, and to open up the seeds in the Kambarang season. Kindle your fire in our hearts and minds, so that we may look after one another and care for the Earth.’

The Fire Dragon thought for a while, weighing up Nyoolboongur’s words. Finally he bowed his great head and said,

‘I promise to do as you ask. I will use my Fire to do good from now on’.

The dragon and the honey possum shook hands on their agreement, meaning, the dragon touched the tip of one of his massive claws to the possum’s puny paw. Then he went to sleep again with a sigh, while Nyoolboongur scuttled down to the ground as quick as he could, just in case the dragon changed his mind.

He made his way back to the cave where the other animals were waiting and told them all that had happened. The animals were overjoyed and prepared a great celebration in honour of Nyoolboongur who had been so courageous.

From that day on, the Fire Dragon only used his power for the good of all, helping with backburning during the cooler seasons, keeping people warm at night with his little fires, and helping the bush come back to life. The people and animals of the bush were so grateful for the changed Dragon that they made a special Fire Blessing to thank him.

FIRE BLESSING – a gift from Burnum Burnum

May the fire be in our thoughts.

Making them true, good and just.

May it protect us from the evil one.

May the fire be in our eyes;

May it open our eyes to share what is good in life.

We ask that the fire may protect us from what is not rightfully ours.

May the fire be on our lips, so that we may speak the truth in kindness; that we may serve and encourage others.

May it protect us from speaking evil.

May the fire be in our ears.

We pray that we may hear with a deep, deep listening so that we may hear the flow of water, and of all creation and the dreaming.

May we be protected from gossip and from things that harm and break down our family.

May the fire be in our arms and hands so that we may be of service and  build up love.

May the fire protect us from all violence.

May the fire be in ou-r whole being- in our legs and in our feet, enable us to walk the Earth with reverence and care; so that we may walk in the ways of goodness and truth and be protected from walking away from what is truth.