Title: The Boy and the Gentle Dragon

Once upon a time, in a small village at the edge of a wide green forest, there lived a young boy named Eli. Eli loved to explore the woods, chase butterflies, and climb trees that reached toward the clouds. His mother always said, “Stay close to home, Eli. The forest is big, and dragons live in the mountains beyond it.” Eli had never seen a dragon. He wasn’t sure they were even real! But one sunny morning, curiosity filled his heart. He packed a little basket with bread, cheese, and a shiny red apple, and he set off toward the deeper part of the forest. The air grew cooler and the trees taller. Birds chirped above, and sunlight flickered through the leaves. Eli felt brave—until his foot caught on a root. He tumbled down a small hill, landing with a soft thud! “Ow!” Eli cried, holding his scraped knee. Tears welled in his eyes. Then—whoosh!—a sudden gust of warm air swept over him. Shadows danced across the ground. Eli looked up and gasped. A dragon stood before him. Her scales shimmered like emeralds, and her eyes were the color of sunset. She tilted her great head, looking at Eli curiously. Eli trembled, but the dragon didn’t roar or breathe fire. Instead, she lowered her head and gently sniffed his hurt knee. A soft puff of warm breath made it feel a little better. “Y-you’re not scary,” Eli whispered. “You’re… helping me?” The dragon gave a low, rumbling purr. Carefully, she dipped one claw into a nearby stream, then touched the cool water to Eli’s knee. “Thank you,” Eli said, smiling now. “You’re very kind. Do you have a name?” The dragon blinked and gave a small huff that sounded like “Luna.” “Luna,” Eli repeated. “I’m Eli.” From that day on, Eli and Luna met in the forest almost every afternoon. Eli would bring fruit and tell stories about his village, and Luna would show him secret places—sparkling caves, glowing mushrooms, and hidden waterfalls. They became the best of friends. One day, when a storm rolled over the village, Luna flew above the clouds and roared so loud the thunder stopped. The villagers looked up in awe as the rain slowed, and Eli smiled. “See?” he told them. “Dragons can be gentle, too.” And from then on, the villagers were never afraid of the mountains again—because they knew a kind-hearted dragon named Luna was watching over them. And Eli? He never walked the forest alone again—he always had his dragon friend by his side. The End