Elsie’s Big Idea
In a little workshop at the edge of the village lived a girl named Elsie. While other children played tag in the fields, Elsie loved gears, springs, and screws. Her workshop was full of clinks and clanks as she built marvelous contraptions from bits of metal and wood.
One day, she decided to make something extraordinary. “I’ll build a dragon” Elsie whispered, “not a scary one, but a dragon who can be my friend.”
She gathered old clock parts from the attic, scraps of tin from the blacksmith, and shiny buttons from her mother’s sewing box. For weeks she worked, turning cogs, tightening screws, and polishing wings.
At last, a dragon stood before her, with gleaming brass scales, silver wings, and eyes made of emerald marbles, but it was silent. Elsie sighed. “I suppose you are just a statue.”
The Dragon Comes to Life
That night, as the village bells rang twelve, Elsie heard a faint tick-tick-tick. She rubbed her eyes and gasped. The dragon’s gears began to spin, its wings fluttered, and with a whirr and a puff of steam, the creature blinked its emerald eyes.
“Hello” it said in a gentle, mechanical voice. Elsie’s jaw dropped. “You can talk!” “I am the Clockwork Dragon,” it replied, bowing slightly. “Thank you for giving me life.” Elsie laughed with delight. “I’ve never had a dragon for a friend before!”
From that night on, the Clockwork Dragon woke only when the clock struck midnight. Together, they explored the quiet village under starlight.
Midnight Adventures
They mended squeaky doors, fixed broken windmills, and straightened the baker’s bent weather vane. Wherever they went, the dragon’s gears clicked cheerfully, and Elsie’s laughter echoed through the night.
But one evening, as the two repaired a toy wagon left in the square, they overheard the villagers murmuring. “There’s a strange noise at night,” said one. “Clanking and clattering,” said another. “Maybe it’s a monster!” whispered a third. Elsie frowned. “They think you’re scary,” she told the dragon. The Clockwork Dragon tilted its head. “Then we must show them otherwise.”
The next night, the dragon had an idea. “Tonight is the festival,” he said. “Let me help.” While the villagers decorated the square with lanterns, Elsie and her dragon set to work. He polished the fountain until it sparkled, carried heavy baskets of apples on his strong metal back, and even lit the lanterns with gentle puffs of steam.
When the villagers turned and saw the dragon standing proudly beside Elsie, they gasped. Children hid behind their parents, and the mayor stepped forward nervously. Elsie stood by her friend. “Don’t be afraid. He’s not a monster—he’s my Clockwork Dragon. He fixes things and helps people.”
The dragon gave a polite bow, and with a careful breath of steam, he made the lanterns flicker like stars. The crowd went silent. Then a child giggled. Another clapped. Soon the whole square rang with cheers.
A Friend Made of Gears and Kindness
From that day on, the villagers welcomed the Clockwork Dragon. During the day he remained still like a statue, but at night he became the village’s secret helper—fixing, carrying, and cheering with his whirring gears and shining wings.
And Elsie? She had not just built a machine. She had made a friend who turned midnight into magic. As she whispered to him one starry night: “Not all dragons breathe fire. Some bring kindness and light.” The dragon’s emerald eyes glowed, and the gears ticked happily on.
The End.
Curious about the history of dragons? Explore their origins with the Smithsonian — then browse our Storytime Companions to meet your very own cuddly dragon.
