Dragons · Courage · Being different
The Dragon Who Was Scared of Fire
Every dragon in the valley breathes fire. Ember breathes steam, and only when nobody is watching.
- Age range
- Ages 4-8
- Reading time
- 6 minutes
- Category
- Dragon stories
What happens
Ember can do everything a dragon should do except the one thing dragons are famous for. When a rainstorm floods the low caves, it turns out steam is exactly what the valley needs — and Ember discovers that the thing she was hiding was never the problem.
Read the opening
Listen to this story
Every dragon on Ember's ridge could breathe fire. Her brother could light a bonfire from the top of the hill. Her cousin could toast bread mid-flight, which showed off, frankly.
Ember breathed steam. A soft, warm, apologetic cloud of it, the kind that fogs a window. She had learned to do it behind the rocks where nobody would ask.
"It's still breath," said her grandmother, who was very old and had stopped pretending about most things. "Nobody ever asks what a river is for. It just turns up on the day you need it."
The rest of the story is written around your child — their name, their age, and the hero they describe.
What if your child were the hero?
Make This Story About My ChildFree, about 20 seconds, no card needed — this same adventure, starring them.
Imagine your child in this story
Type a first name. Imagiverse writes, illustrates and narrates the whole story in about a minute — free, no card needed.
Why this one is worth your time
- Frames a difference as unused rather than broken, which lands better than "everyone is special."
- The turn is earned by something Ember already had, so the message isn't that she changed to be accepted.
- Good for a child who has noticed they are behind peers at one specific skill.
Talk about it afterward
- What is something you can do that not many people can?
- Why do you think Ember hid behind the rocks?
What if your child were the hero?