Ode to Sundance, A Gentle Soul
We got the call on December 24th – a juvenile dragon needed a home. My husband had already heard about this one – sandfire, they knew the breeder that imported it in, good stock, fecal tests already taken, waiting for results but looked clean. Abused. Scared of most people. Scared of its own shadow.
Our supplier of dragons knew us quite well, and also knew us for suckers. We’d already raised three babies successfully, and had already taken in an adult male dragon who missed his owner (went away to college). All had been purchased through this one supplier, who happily supplied our needs to feed the ravenous crew. So they figured us (correctly) for the soft touch we were, and are.
Christmas Eve day. All of us bundled for the long trek. Packages half wrapped, food still not bought and definitely not prepared for the eventual mass of friends and family that would descend. Yet still we went to at least see this creature.
It was in a very small glass container, with newspaper for bedding. It crouched, it crunched, it looked terrified. “Kids were quite rough with it, so the parents brought it in, we’re aware of its background”. Then the old ploy designed to hook any caring person. “We don’t know if you can handle it…let’s see how you hold it”. Jeff (the sales rep) took this reluctant creature out, and placed it in my hands. “We think she may be female, but don’t want to open the cloical just yet, due to.. ah, you know…don’t want to hurt her anymore.” Our eyes widened, sadly shaking our heads. She felt soft, but a mass of nerves….suddenly she leapt from my arms onto my shoulder – took a quick look around, and defying all fear of falling, took a flying leap at Jeff, bounced off, and fell directly into my son’s arms. She turned and look at all of us – wide eyed, tail straight, defiant, scared silly.
Her fate was sealed. Sundance (after that death-defying leap into what was for her an unknown canyon, she was named after Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) came home. We had an extra partner for the holidays, the supplier had a home for a high risk resident.
Sundance was the only dragon I’ve ever heard make a sound – and what a sound that was. She had been so abused that anytime anything white like a Kleenex came near her (it was difficult to scoop her original tank) she would hiss as loud as a 10 pound angry cat! She was also starving – and she could not believe her good fortune when she was fed twice a day – she ate as if she would not get another meal.
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