Jonah and the Last Great Dragon by M E. Holley Page B

meadow. Immediately, everyone stopped looking at Jonah and stood mesmerised by fear of the huge creature in the field. The dragon was swishing its tail over the damp grass and peering across the lane. Then its small amber eyes fastened on Jonah. He gulped and looked round frantically for help but everyone was standing stock still, hardly daring to breathe. Jonah looked apprehensively at the dragon. It was still looking hard at him but, somehow, it didn’t look as if it was about to attack. Its gaze was interested, you could almost say friendly. It raised its horned head to look up at Saint Michael on the church roof.
    â€˜Who is the young Heart Eater? Did he speak the truth? Will they bring me meat? I’m ravenous. I could eat the entire herd over there.’ It jerked its head towards the farms down the lane.
    â€˜Be patient for a little while. I have something to explain to the boy first.’
    The dragon groaned but dropped down meekly enough on to the grass, settling itself to rest. The crowd in the churchyard gazed at it, open-mouthed, and Jonah began to look for Bryn. Surely he would know how to get some meat for it. Emlyn and Gwen came hurrying over, and Erin, with Gethin and some more friends, rushed towards him.
    â€˜Are you all right, son?’ Emlyn asked, gripping his shoulder.
    Gwen looked anxious. ‘I don’t like the way that great thing keeps staring at you! What’s going on, Jonah?’
    â€˜I don’t really know,’ he began, as Bryn and Claire joined them.
    â€˜Whatever did you shout like that for? It was awfully dangerous, love,’ said Claire. ‘It might have gone for you.’
    Bryn shook his head at her. ‘It’s OK. No harm done.’
    â€˜Saint Michael’s over the moon about something,’ Emlyn put in, nodding towards the Archangel, who was chatting animatedly with the dragon.
    â€˜It’s because Jonah yelled at the dragon,’ Gethin said.
    â€˜Hardly likely,’ another boy said. ‘If you ask me, it was daft to copy the noise it makes, like he did.’ He turned to Jonah. ‘No offence or anything, but if it had got mad, that old thing could have just gobbled you up. Nice snack for it you’d be.’
    Erin rounded on him. ‘He wasn’t copying it. Were you, Jonah?’
    â€˜No, course not. It wanted to eat Bryn’s cattle and I just said I’d try and get it some meat.’
    Bryn’s eyes were wide. ‘You what?’
    Everyone gaped at Jonah.
    Saint Michael had crossed the lane and began to laugh. ‘You should just see your faces!’ His smile made them feel as if they were standing in warm sunshine. ‘You heard Jonah talking to the dragon, didn’t you?’
    The children looked at each other. ‘We heard him yelling at it,’ Gethin said uncertainly, not wanting to seem rude.
    â€˜Oh, it was rather more than just shouting.’ Michael said. ‘And did you notice how the dragon calmed down afterwards? Well, it’s because of Jonah.’
    As everybody swung round in surprise to look at him, he scuffled his feet on the grass and flushed with embarrassment.
    Michael went on, ‘I’ve discovered something wonderful about Jonah. I’m just going to tell everybody what I’ve found out.’
    â€˜What’s he done?’
    â€˜It’s not what he’s done but what he’s going to do,’ said Saint Michael. ‘Everything is going to be fine because Jonah can control the dragon!’ With a slight movement of his wings, he rose above the wall and dropped lightly into the churchyard. The Archangel’s face was radiant. He looked even younger now, much more like his Mike Golding self. He stretched out his hand, shimmering with light, towards Jonah.
    â€˜I wondered whether I dared hope for this,’ he said, smiling. ‘Jonah, this is marvellous!’
    Jonah turned apologetically to the Archangel. ‘I know I