Stories by ROUWEN LIN
star2@thestar.com.my

The winged, scaly, fire-breathing beast has captured the hearts of young and old, east and west.

THERE is a dragon living on our doorstep, up in the mountain and deep in the jungle of Borneo. The majestic beast guards a gem the size of a peafowl’s egg and, on moonlit nights, comes out from its lake and plays with it – tossing it gracefully into the air and chasing after it.

Many a brave man has tried to retrieve the gem, but all have perished in their attempts. Enraged by the unworthy adversaries that come its way, the dragon would thrash its tail about and, in a fit of fury, raise a great storm, bringing floods and angry waters to the people below.

Legend has it that the son of a Chinese emperor sailed the seven seas to fire a cannonball at the dragon, which it swallowed, mistaking it for its beloved gem, and died. However, in other versions of the tale, the dragon lives on, shrouded in the swirling mists of the mountain and coming out to play on nights when the moon shines bright.

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