“Once upon a time…” Mama prompts. Friday nights are always story nights. We go around in a circle and make up a story together. It’s usually pretty fun.
My little sister Molly pipes up, “There was a dragon named Dave!”
“Dave is a horrible name for a dragon,” I say, and Molly sticks out her tongue at me.
Mom throws a handful of popcorn at the both of us before she says, “Dave is a fine name for a dragon. They both start with the letter D.”
I accidentally steal Mama’s turn by breaking the order of the circle, but Mama doesn’t seem to mind. “So we should have a fish named Frank, then.” I’m trying to be sarcastic, but Molly loves the idea.
“Yes! Dave the dragon and Frank the fish are best friends!”
I’m about to ask how a dragon and a fish can be friends before Mom adds, “Dave was a sea dragon and lived in the ocean with his best friend, Frank.”
Okay. I guess that makes sense.
Mama finally takes another turn. “But there was some trouble in Coral Town where Dave and Frank lived.”
“Princess Seaweed had been kidnapped!” In every single story, Molly has to add a princess.
I think it’s time to change things up a bit. “Actually,” I say. “It was Prince Seaweed and he wasn’t kidnapped. He ran away to go…on a quest. To find the legendary treasure of the Coral King.”
“Because only the treasure could save the people of Coral Town from the evil Mr. Shark,” Mom says, and she and Mama share a grin.
“The evil Mr. Shark wanted to destroy all the candy stores in Coral Town and make the town an unhappy and boring place, but Seaweed knew that by getting the treasure, they could buy up all the candy stores and save the town,” Mama builds onto the story.
Molly immediately gasps, “Oh no!” before she adds, “And Princess Seaweed made sure to take her best friends, Dave the dragon and Frank the fish, along because they had magical powers and wanted to help find the treasure!”
I roll my eyes. Mom and Mama glance at each other.
“Seaweed can be both a prince and a princess,” Mom tries to help. “Seaweed has a magical crown that allows her/him to change genders anytime he/she needs to!”
I like that idea. “Okay,” I say. “Seaweed was a princely princess. And he took along his best friends Dave and Frank. Frank the fish could see through walls and Dave the dragon could breathe, um…” I want to say fire, but how could a dragon breathe fire underwater?
“Bubbles,” Mama adds with a smile. “Dave the dragon could breathe bubbles.”
Molly giggles and I can’t help but smile at the thought of a bubble-breathing dragon. We’re adding onto the story out of order now, but none of us seem to mind. As we near the end of the story, we all try to talk over each other at once.
“They had to climb to the top of a hot pink mountain covered in glitter!”
“And face a cross-eyed troll in a flowery dress!”
“Dave the Dragon blew bubbles up the troll’s dress and the troll ran away crying.”
“And then Frank the Fish could see the Coral King’s treasure through the mountain wall. He led the way deeper into the mountain where he, Dave the Dragon, and the Princely Princess Seaweed also had to face…”
“Sea lions!”
“An octopus wizard waving around eight wands!”
“A walrus wearing a tutu.”
We all laugh at that. Mom throws more popcorn at me and I try to catch it in my mouth while Mama continues with the story.
“Finally, the three friends find the Coral King’s treasure. What’s inside?”
“Cookies!” Molly immediately cries out. I roll my eyes again.
“Cookies would get soggy in the water.”
“Not if they were magical waterproof cookies, duh.”
Mom grins. “Molly has a point. They found a treasure chest full of magical waterproof cookies!”
“And money,” I add. “So they can buy up all the candy stores from Mr. Shark.”
“Big shiny coins in the shape of starfish,” Mama says.
“And they smell like bubblegum!”
We all laugh again. It’s past Molly’s bedtime now and we race each other up the stairs while Mom and Mama clean up after story night. After teeth brushing and goodnight kisses, I’m lying in my bed and trying to fall asleep when I hear my door open. It’s Molly.
“Bobby, I can’t sleep.”
I sigh, but I scoot over anyway so she can crawl up into bed with me. “Why can’t you sleep?”
“We never did finish the story. What happened to Dave and Frank and Seaweed?”
I give my little sister a hug while I say, “They bought up all the candy stores and lived happily ever after. Best friends forever.”
This seems to make Molly happy and I think she might want to go to sleep now. But then she asks, “Will you make up another story with me?”
“Another one?” I want to roll my eyes, but I end up smiling instead. Even though Molly always wants to add a princess to her stories, it’s still a fun game to play with her.
“Once upon a time…” Molly starts out just like Mama always does.
“There was a dragon named Dave.”