The Earth Dragons
If you look closely, you may see little holes in the trunks, and, maybe, small, friendly rascals who sneak in and out – the earth dragons. I’m afraid I don’t know since how long there have been earth dragons in the Seven Mountains.
According to the legend they are a gift of the moon to a little forest fairy. Back then, it is told, a pious monk had chased away the spirits from the Seven Mountains. Whether he had succeeded in his exorcising or the spirits had just left because they didn’t feel welcome anymore, it became quiet in the hills and valleys of the Seven Mountains.
Only Ragnan, a little forest fairy, was still there. She had hidden herself all the time in a hollow trunk and she didn’t want to leave. For some days, she found comfort in her familiar surroundings, but then she missed her friends and went in search for them .. but wherever she went, there was nobody. Sadly she sat down on a tree stump and cried bitterly.
That touched even the moon.
"Look," he said to her, "I have so many stars around me that bring me
happiness, I want to give some of them to you. Catch them and spread them over these
beautiful fir and pine cones around you, and then they will bring you happiness,
too!"
Gratefully Ragnan looked up, caught the stars and spread them carefully over the cones .. and as soon as a star had touched a cone, the cone was transformed into a small, friendly rascal - an earth dragon. The fir cones where transformed into boys, the pine cones into girls. Only moments later Ragnan was surrounded by a bunch of little dragons who looked at her expectantly .. and from then on you couldn’t even think about silence in the woods any more.
