The Bedtime Adventures of Duggan the Dragon

By Peter Perry

In an old farmhouse, four young children are visited at bedtime by two friendly dragons that only children can see. The children are amazed that dragons can talk, fly and make themselves invisible when they want to. Grown-ups cannot see dragons and to them all this talk of dragons is simply fantasy. This is a world that only good children can visit.
While their parents sleep, the dragons fly the children to Dragonland, a mysterious world, full of strange and exciting adventures, always to return safely in time for breakfast.
When evil comes to Dragonland, the dragons return to the farmhouse. They need help to restore peace and overcome a bad dragon. The Dragon King has been captured. Once again, the children are flown to Dragonland where they face new adventures and danger. They must reach the palace without being caught by the bad dragon’s guards.

Can the children find an old leather book of magic that grants wishes, and will they save the King or will they be too late? Will they get home safely in time for breakfast?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Aug 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781528999472

Peter Perry

Peter Perry lives in Sheldon, Vermont. He has three children and is currently working on writing song lyrics and poetry. He hopes that in the near future, he will publish his poetry book.

Book preview

About the Author

Peter Perry has worked in the UK as a primary and secondary teacher. Furthermore, he taught at colleges overseas for fifteen years. He holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Management with distinction. His earlier work includes writing college course books for business and marketing students.

He is now retired and living in Cornwall. Duggan’s Bedtime Adventures were created to satisfy the demands of Peter’s four grandchildren for stories at bedtime – designed to inspire their imaginations in a fantasy world of make-believe and adventure. He continues to write for children and further dragon adventures will follow.

Dedication

For my grandchildren, Olivia, James, Edward and Harry Napier, the inspiration for these bedtime stories, and for my wonderful wife, Monica, who means the world to me.

Copyright Information ©

Peter Perry (2021)

The right of Peter Perry to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781528999458 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781528999465 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781528999472 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published (2021)

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd

25 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5LQ

Acknowledgement

Thank you to Monica, my wife, for her constant input and for patiently editing the final version before submission for publication. Thanks also to the publishing team at Austin Macauley for enabling me to achieve my long-held ambition to be published.

Introduction

Do you believe in dragons? A lot of people think lizards are a lot like dragons. Lizards are definitely not dragons. We’re talking about dragons that breathe fire out of their mouths…dragons that can also fly. They really do exist. Have you seen one? Not many people have, and there’s a very good reason for that.

The thing about dragons is they are invisible to grown-ups. They can only be seen by children and only children who are good. Oh yes, and they can sometimes be seen by grandpas, because most grandpas are like children in many ways…they never really grow up. Perhaps you know a grandpa like that. Anyway, back to dragons.

Dragons have quite large mouths and long noses. They have beautiful big eyes which are normally green. Their legs are short but very strong and they have long tails. Halfway along their bodies they have wings, one on each side. These are very powerful and they can fly long distances. Strangest of all, they can breathe out fire from their mouths when they want to. They don’t often do it because it is bad for their teeth. Dragons are usually green or grey in colour, but some are black or brown. Their skin is quite hard, a bit like the skin on a crocodile. Some dragons can swim a little but they don’t often go into water, because if they open their mouths the water would put out the fire inside.

The most important things to know about dragons is that they love children, and love to spend time close to them. Dragons never get angry, they are very peaceful. Sometimes they can be mischievous, especially where food is concerned. They eat almost anything.

Their favourite foods are burgers, definitely burgers, sausages and chocolate éclairs.

So, if you believe that dragons do exist, read on. This is about Duggan the dragon and his dragon friends, and their amazing adventures with four young children—possibly children just like you. If you would like to know more about Duggan, snuggle down and read on.

Chapter 1

The Adventures Begin

In a village not too far from you, four children were getting ready for bed. What happened next changed their lives forever. It’s not every day that a dragon lands on the roof just outside your bedroom window! Especially a dragon that can fly and breathe fire from its mouth. Scary!

The children live with their parents in an old farmhouse on the edge of the village. Olivia is the oldest. She is eleven and likes to be called Livvie. James is nine, Edward seven and little Harry is five…although if you ask him his age he will tell you, ‘I’m nearly six.’

It was getting late. The sun had set, and it was dark outside. Livvie was in bed and James was walking past her door when they heard a strange noise at the window. It sounded like ‘whumph’ followed by something tapping on the glass.

‘Did you hear that?’ asked Livvie, ‘what was it?’

‘I don’t know,’ replied James, as he stepped into her room.

‘Go and see!’

‘Why me?’ answered James.

‘Because you’re a boy, you’re supposed to be brave.’

They heard more tapping on the window, this time a little louder. James walked over to the window. He put his hand on the curtain to open it, but he was a little scared of what might be outside. After all, they were upstairs. What on earth could tap on the window so high up?

Livvie was still in bed, with her hands on the sheets ready to pull them over her head if there was something she didn’t like outside.

‘Go on,’ she said, ‘see what it is.’

James opened the curtains and jumped back in surprise. Outside, in the darkness, standing on the chimney ledge, he could see two large eyes and a long nose pressed against the glass.

‘Open the window and let me in,’ said a voice, ‘it’s freezing out here.’

James opened the window just a little, to see who was out there, when suddenly it was pushed wide open and in jumped a dragon. It was grey in colour and the size of a large dog. James stepped back in alarm, looking around for something to protect himself.

‘Thank you,’ said the dragon, much to their amazement. ‘It’s really cold out there.’

‘I’m Duggan,’ he said, ‘Duggan, the dragon. It’s lovely and snug in here.’

‘James, go and fetch Mummy and Daddy, quickly!’ she said.

‘Don’t bother,’ said Duggan, ‘they will not be able to see me. They’ll think you are just being silly. Grown-ups can’t see dragons.’

‘We can see you,’ said James, wondering if he could get past Duggan safely and out of the door. ‘Dragons don’t really exist, so I must be dreaming all this. Anyway, if we can see you, so can Mummy and Daddy.’

‘Wrong!’ said Duggan. ‘Dragons can make themselves invisible, even to children.’ And with that, he disappeared. Just like that, one moment he was there, the next moment he was nowhere to be seen.

Just then Edward and Harry walked in. They had heard the noise and wondered what was happening.

‘We heard a noise outside on the roof.’ said Edward, ‘what was it? Harry was frightened.’

‘No I wasn’t,’ said Harry, trying to sound brave.

‘It was nothing,’ said Livvie, trying not to frighten them. ‘I think James and I were having a dream. Go back to bed.’

‘Hello,’ said Duggan, surprising everybody as he made himself visible again. ‘I’m Duggan.’

Edward and Harry stepped back towards the door, only to find that Duggan was standing in their way. Harry stood by James. If it’s going to eat anyone, he thought, he’ll eat James, because he’s much bigger than me.

‘There’s no such thing as dragons,’ said Edward. ‘They only exist in storybooks.’

‘We’ve already done that bit,’ said Duggan, ‘and we really do exist.’

Harry had been staring hard at Duggan. He reached out, touched Duggan’s tail and then quickly pulled his arm away.

‘You are real,’ he said. ‘I could feel you. Make yourself invisible again.’

Just then the children heard daddy coming up the stairs, along the passage and into the bedroom.

‘You children should have been in bed and asleep ages ago. Why aren’t you in bed, and why have you got the window wide open, letting all the cold air in?’

‘It’s Duggan the dragon,’ said Livvie and Harry speaking at the same time.

‘It’s a real dragon,’ added James, ‘he knocked on the window to come in because he was cold.’

‘Nonsense!’ said daddy. ‘What dragon?’ He looked around the bedroom but of course there was nothing to see. Grown-ups cannot see dragons (except grandpas, of course). ‘Now go back to bed, all of you, or there’ll be trouble.’

‘But Duggan is there!’ said Edward, pointing right at him. Duggan was standing by Livvie’s dressing table, looking at himself in the mirror.

‘You must be able to see him,’ insisted Livvie, ‘look over there by my dressing table.’

It was of no use, Duggan quickly made himself invisible, even to the children, and then just as quickly he reappeared on the end of Livvie’s bed. But of course, only the children could see him.

‘Bed!’ said daddy firmly, ‘or