Gobbledygook

A Girl and Her Dragon

Original Short Stories and Articles for Students in the Intermediate Grades

A Girl and Her Dragon

“Wake up, Mallik!” ordered Valerie, as she tugged on his wide, drooping ears. “You are the laziest dragon I have ever known! You must sleep more than any ten dragons in the kingdom!” Mallik continued to snore peacefully.

Valerie brushed her longish hair from her face. She folded her arms over her abdomen. “Wake up! Wake up, now!” She stomped on the ground, to try to rouse Mallik from his slumber.

Mallik opened one eye just a sliver. He did not welcome the light. “What is it Val? I’m very tired. I had a late night. There was this dragon party, and I couldn’t…”

“I don’t care about a dumb party,” interrupted Valerie. “I need a ride.”

“Figures,” replied Mallik. “I bet that’s the only reason you are even friends with me. If I didn't taxi you everywhere, I’d be just another fire-breather to you.”

Valerie faked an expression of shock. “That is not true!”

she said. “There are numerous reasons I'm friends with you.”

“You are the worst actress on this side of the kingdom,” said Mallik. “At times, you’re no better than the princess.”

Valerie smiled. “I better be. It takes some good acting to pretend I like waiting on the royal family, in that stuffy old palace. You try cleaning up after that buffoon of a king, and remaining courteous the entire while. It’s hard work!”

Mallik laughed even harder. “Shut up!” said Valerie, as

she kicked Mallik playfully on his neck, in a fit of frustration. Though, Mallik had such thick skin, it felt like a tap to him.

Mallik coughed, rose up to a standing position, stretched his wings wide, and yawned. Valerie was always amazed at how big he could seem, when his head wasn’t down at her level. “You do realize,” said Mallik, “that I could pretty much breathe out one breath of fire, and burn you to a crisp.” He looked down at her with an amused expression.

“Sorry,” she said—meekly. “Now, may I please have a ride?” She smiled a sparkling grin, and attempted to look as charming as possible. “You're the handsomest dragon I have ever known, in all my years.” She grinned even wider than before. She batted her eyes.

After a moment, he gave in to her request. Mallik huffed

and bent downward—allowing Valerie to climb up around the back of his head. “What about Marty Hink?” asked Mallik, as he flapped his wings to take off into the sky.

“Oh, please,” said Valerie. “Marty isn’t half the dragon you are. His fire breaths are tiny spurts, and he looks like a moldy plum.”

Mallik laughed—loud and full. “Okay. Where to this time?”

“I would really like to go to Dragon Pub and have another glass of Fire Juice. It’s so very spicy, and tangy, at the same time. I can never get enough of that stuff.”

Mallik sprang forth from the side of the cliff, and floated through the sky. He began to flap his leathery wings faster, and faster, to the point that Valerie took in the landscape below as only a blur.

“Do you know how much trouble I got in for bringing a human to the pub? The guys are still making fun of me a month later. They tease me. They say I am in love with a human, of all things.”

Valerie hugged the dragon’s body closely, so she wouldn’t plummet to her demise. She kissed him gently behind the ears—causing him to blush. “Well, of course you love me, you silly dragon,” she said. “So, what do you say?”

“What do I always say?” sighed Mallik. “As you wish.”

1. Which of the following would be the best definition for the word plummet as used in the following sentence from the story?

“Valerie hugged the dragon’s body closely, so she wouldn’t plummet to her demise.”

A. Fly. B. Plunge. C. Crash. D. Collide.

A B C D

2. Why does Valerie want a ride from Mallik?

A. She needs a way to get back to the castle.

B. She understands that he is secretly in love with her.

C. She has a craving for some Fire Juice.

D. Because of a nagging injury, she has trouble walking.

A B C D

3. Another word for suspicious, as used in paragraph 12, is—

A. frustrated. B. angry. C. confused. D. doubtful.

A B C D

4. Which detail is provided by Valerie to suggest that she must be a good actress?

A. She has been in a few plays and even had a small part in a blockbuster movie.

B. She has made Mallik fall for many practical jokes in the past.

C. She can always talk her way out of trouble.

D. She has to pretend to like serving the royal family and thus must be a good actress.

A B C D

5. What does Valerie use to get Mallik to do as she wishes?

A. Flattery. B. Guilt. C. Threats. D. Lies.

A B C D

6. A good synonym for the word drooping, as used in the first paragraph, would be—

A. Pointy. B. Sagging. C. Moving. D. Heavy.

A B C D

7. Which of these phrases is an alternate title for this story that makes sense?

A. Valerie’s Dragon Taxi. B. How to Charm Dragons. C. Drinking Dragon Juice. D. My Best Friend is a Dragon.

A B C D

8. What happens in paragraphs 1, 2, and 3?

A. Mallik lets Valerie climb on him and takes off flying.

B. Valerie tries to wake up her dragon friend, and succeeds.

C. Mallik expresses anger when Valerie playfully kicks him.

D. Valerie and Mallik visit the Dragon Pub to enjoy a few mugs of Fire Juice.

A B C D

9. How does Mallik react when Valerie kicks him in his neck playfully?

A. He yells and screams in her face.

B. He tells her that they can no longer be friends.

C. He reminds her that he very easily could breathe fire to burn her to a crisp.

D. He falls off the side of a cliff, and into the rapids of the river below.

A B C D

10. To find out whether or not you would like to drink Fire Juice, you would most likely ask Mallik—

A. about the ingredients used to make the drink.

B. if it's poisonous for humans to drink the substance.

C. how the beverage is made. D. how much it costs to buy

the drink in bulk.

A B C D

11. Which is the best antonym for the word handsomest, as found in paragraph 12?

A. Prettiest. B. Ugliest. C. Cutest. D. Most attractive.

A B C D

12. Why have the other dragons at the pub teased Mallik in the past?

A. He couldn’t drink more than three glasses of Fire Juice before getting sick to his stomach.

B. He had previously brought a human with him to the pub with whom they believe he might be in love.

C. They think he dances a lot like a human.

D. They feel he is getting soft, as he has not breathed fire on any villagers in months.

A B C D

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