“Achoo!” echoed through the forest. The sneeze was so loud that the trees shook.
“Achoo!” echoed even louder a moment later
“Achoo!” boomed for the third time.
The sound was so strong that it knocked the squirrels out of the trees.
“What was that? Who is it? What’s going on?” chirped the birds, circling confusedly above the trees. All the animals wondered where the sneezing was coming from. Who could have such a terrible cold that it woke the entire forest?
The search began. Squirrels leapt between the trees and surveyed the forest from above. Birds flew high into the sky and looked around in every direction. Wolves followed their sense of smell, trying to sniff out the sick creature. After a long search, they all gathered in front of the big cave where Tobias the forest dragon lived. He was a good friend to all of them.
“Tobias, hello! Come out, come out of your cave!” the animals called.
“Achoo!” came the reply from inside. When the dragon still did not come out, the squirrels hurried in.
“Tobias, why are you hiding in here? Come out. Everyone is outside waiting to see you,” the squirrels pleaded.
“I’ve got a terrible cold and I don’t want to infect you,” grumbled the dragon, his snout dripping. In the end, though, he gave in and stepped out. The others felt very sorry for the dragon when they saw him breathing through his mouth, his snout swollen and red. They immediately began thinking about how to help him get better.
First, they brought fragrant herbs. They crushed them, mashed them, rubbing the mixture around the dragon’s snout. Then they gathered some more and rubbed them all over his body.
The squirrels had an idea: “The dragon can’t go back to the cave. It’s cold, damp, and dark there. The sun never reaches it. He’ll get cold again right away. We have to make him another den, somewhere where the sun will warm him and he’ll have fresh air.”
“Yes, yes, definitely. That’s a good idea,” agreed all the animals.
And so another task began. It wasn’t easy to find a suitable den for such a large animal. But there was nothing the animals wouldn’t do for their friend. After a long search, the birds found the perfect spot. The bears used their great strength to make a soft bed lined with leaves and moss. The squirrels led Tobias the dragon to his new den, and they all the animals took turns bringing him herbs to help him heal.
Time passed, and soon there was no more sneezing in the forest. Tobias the dragon had fully recovered, all thanks to his friends. It’s nice when friends take such good care of each other. And because they did such a great job, the dragon watched over them in return and protected the forest from any danger.