The Dragon In The Well
by
Nike


Once upon a time, there lived a dragon in a well. People from all places came to this well because it was said to be magical and it would grant them any wish they made by the well. They did not know that there was a dragon in the well who whispers at them to make a wish. Sometimes the dragon would whisper very softly to their hearts that the people would think that they were the ones wishing. But this dragon , like all dragons, was very greedy. He doesn't grant a wish unless he gets something in return for it. So whenever a man would say, "I would give my right arm for a car." He would get a car but have an accident in the car that would make him lose an arm. Or when a woman would say, "I'd give up my health for a beautiful home." She would have a house but she would only fall ill in trying to make the house look beautiful. This went on for years and years, until the dragon had succeeded in making the people's lives miserable.
One day, a young girl came to the well. She had heard the stories about the well and thought that she could do something about it. So, she walked towards the well and wished the only thing that had never been wished by the people there. She wished for happiness.
Now, the dragon was surprised. No one had ever wished for happiness before. He did not even know what that is since the dragon, like all other dragons, did not have a heart. So, he decided to show himself to the girl.
He was even surprised to see that the girl was not even afraid of him. So, he spoke using his scariest voice. "Do you not know who I am?" the dragon began. "I am the dragon of the well and I can grant any wish made beside the well."
"I don't believe you." The girl replied. "But if what you say is true, then grant my wish. Make me happy."
Finally, the dragon thought that he can trick the girl into giving him something that he had long wanted to have without giving something in return. A human heart to eat. "I will grant you your wish," the dragon replied. "But first you must give me your heart as an exchange."
The girl thought for a while. Then she spoke up. "All right then." She said. "But if ever you cannot grant my wish you must kill yourself for breaking our agreement."
The dragon nodded as it thought of how the girl's heart would tastes. "It's a deal." He replied.
The girl laughed and showed the dragon where her heart is. "Take my heart, you green, scaly thing." She began.
So, the dragon took the girl's heart and the girl died.
The dragon was very happy because he thought that he now have a human heart for free. He took it home with him and planned to eat it someday.
But there was something wrong about the heart. It still kept on beating even though it had been long taken out of the girl's body. The heart beat loudly that the dragon could not fall asleep from the sound. But his greediness, kept him from throwing away the heart.
Finally one night, he could not anymore stand the sound the heart made. He got the heart and swallowed it down whole in one gulp.
For a while, the dragon thought it was all over. But then, he began to feel a dull beating sound inside him. He became scared when he realized that the heart had survived and it was beating inside him. It was worse. Every minute he would feel it beating and it kept him from getting a peaceful rest any time. He did not know what to do since he didn't have a heart before. He asked the other dragons for help, but they did not know what to do either since no dragon had a living heart beating inside him before. Soon they began to avoid the dragon and leave him to his fate.
The poor dragon did not know what to do. He was no longer thinking clearly and was getting desperate from the restless moments that the beating heart gave him. He now would give anything to keep the himself from hearing the heart beating.
One night, the dragon heard a soft voice in the air. He recognized the voice as the girl who gave him the heart. "Do you remember the agreement we made?" the girl's voice asked, "Grant me my wish. Make me happy."
"I can't do it. You are already dead." The dragon pleaded. " Help me. Tell me how can I stop hearing your heart from beating."
The girl's voice laughed. "Kill yourself then." The voice began. "Grant me my wish. Make me happy."
It was only then that the dragon realized that it was he who had been tricked and not the girl. The only thing that could make the girl happy is when the well would stop granting wishes that would only bring misery in the end and that would only happen if he, the dragon, would be dead. His greediness had made him blind to the truth. He now knew that he had lost the deal.
"Damn you," the dragon whispered. "You've won."
Then he got a sword and fell upon it. The dragon died , but still the girl's heart kept on beating inside his body.