"The Green Dragon of Mordiford"
       (After Leonard Da Vinci's Leda And The Swan -
        In Celebration of Da Vinci's 500th Anniversary - 2019)

A tale that tells of an affection so deep that it survived through dark days and light.
In the village of Mordiford there dwelt a young child, Maud, a lonely girl who so wanted a pet. Her dream was realised one day in the wood where she’d gone for her daily walk. In a soft, mossy clearing she found a baby dragon, which had been left on his own, motherless. She picked it up gently, took it back home to feed it, look after it, nurture it as her pet.... (Regardless of her mother’s strictures).
T’would be a remarkable, unconventional, out of the ordinary, friend. The years passed and Maud grew into womanhood. She’d received no education, could neither read nor write, but was adept at executing those duties which, women of her day, must carry out.
The dragon grew tall, grew broad, indeed, vast and his armour-like pea green skin deepened to emerald. He learned to fly, and learned that when angry, he could blow grey smoke and red orange flame from his quivering, nostrils.
However....
Much to Maud’s dismay he developed an overkill liking for any, taste or texture of meat.  He terrorised the countryside, killing sheep, cows and goats - any farm animal or some other animal as a substitute. These he consumed on the spot or tore apart and left for the vultures or of rats. He laid waste to the countryside, ruined the farmers.
An appeal was made to the Garstone family: “Please help us in ridding our lands of this monster, this thieving, murderous beast. A member of the Garstone family accepted the offer and pronto, retired to don a heavy suit of armour. Neatly sidestepping a piercing, well-aimed, strike of flame, he thrust his lance deep into the dragon’s throat. The dragon threw its head back, screamed and.... died. Maud threw herself to the ground screaming and beating the hard earth with her fists.“I pray that ye olde be cursed....”

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