This is StoryQuest. Today's story is...

Tea Kettle the Dragon.

Tea Kettle was a dragon with a difference. He was a small grey dragon with just the slightest

hint of blue when the sun shone on his

little scales. Dragons, as you know, blow fire from their snouts. The colour of the fire depends on the

dragon's scales. So, red dragons blow red fire, which is the fiercest fire of them all. These fellows

are grumpy souls, and you would

be well advised to steer clear of the red dragons. Green dragons blow green fire. These are more

thoughtful, bookish types, fond of quiet contemplation and long naps. You'd still be wise to steer

clear of green dragons dragons because, well,

they are still dragons after all, and would consider you to be a most delicious snack.

Grey dragons are usually very special because they can blow fire of any colour they like.

Well, usually. The colour will depend on their mood, or other things such as what

they've had for tea. But here's the thing about our hero tea kettle. He could not blow fire out of his

snout, not in red or green or blue, no flames of yellow or pink or any colour at all when he

tried and how he tried. The most that would come out of his little

grey snout, which has a touch of blue when the sun shone, was steam. Great mists of steam.

Still hot enough to wilt a fern, but steam and not fire.

Ha, ha, ha, you, a little more use than a tea kettle, the other dragons had laughed, and in time this became his name.

Now, our story begins in the forest on a cool spring morning.

Tea kettle, as usual, was on his own, scratching around from morsels and trying to enjoy the breeze rippling over his back.

The other grey dragons had flown to the next village with plans to terrorise some peaceful folk, but as usual, tea kettle was not invited.

...