So, all summer long the forest folk took turns feeding and caring for the newly hatched dragon, which they continued to call "Egg," since it seemed to be as good as any other name. Dragon was already "Dragon." Robin shared her protein rich earthworms and bugs among her own baby birds and the baby dragon, which visited Robin's hatchlings.

The rabbits took Egg to their burrow in the rock pile, where they shared carrots and lettuce and played with a family of new bunnies. He learned to hop like the rabbits, but they never did learn how to fly. Of course they had no wing like Egg's.

Possum took a turn and taught Egg to sleep hanging by his tail, curled around a branch. Frog brought nourishing house flies, and took Egg swimming in the pond. Raccoon taught the wee dragon to wash food in the brook, while she was teaching her own raccoon children.

Even Fox took a turn. PearBear didn't want to ask what he fed the orphan. He knew that Fox would not harm it, however. PearBear could keep Fox in line. Fox also knew that if Dragon could blow feathers off Spotted Owl, he could probably do the same thing to his fur when he got back. If he got back.

PearBear fed Egg ripe Bartlett, Bosc and Anjou pears. He lined the old Robin's nest with one of his red and white checkered napkins, for a baby bed. And when everyone, even Spotted Owl, had taken their turn Egg sitting, they started all over again. All the forest folk had become very fond of little Egg, and he had become part of the forest family. Spring turned to summer, and summer became autumn.

Then one day it was Cow's turn to feed and care for the little dragon. They were all sitting under Favorite Pear Tree, admiring how fast Egg could chase Squirrel up the tree clear to the top branches.

Suddenly, with a whir of his wing, Dragon appeared from somewhere or other, saying "Hi everyone! I'm baaack!" Today Dragon was pink and blue.

No one seemed very glad to see Dragon. In fact no one wanted to say "hello."

"Well, how is my egg, PearBear?" said Dragon seeming not to notice the uneasy silence. "I do appreciate your having dusted it for me. I will take care of it now. I'm sure it is nice and safe. That's why I left it with you, PearBear. Do you still keep it in the robin nest? Let's go see it, could we?"

"Um... no. It really isn't there any more," answered PearBear.

"Not there? Not there! Where is it? Did someone steal my precious 2000-year-old egg? Did an elephant step on it?" Dragon was very upset and turning colors, mostly shades of red.

"I must have it! Oh, my beautiful pink egg!" He was jumping up and down. "You broke it!"

"It hatched," PearBear tried to explain.

Dragon simply wasn't listening.

"What have you done? That was one of the few miniature dragon eggs in the world and probably several other worlds... it... what?"

"It hatched," PearBear repeated.

"Hatched? Into a baby dragon?"

"Humph, what else would it be?" said Spotted Owl.

"Where is it? Have you taken good care of it?" Dragon had settled into a quieter shade of red.

"Of course we have taken good care of it!" Spotted Owl huffed.

"Come down, Egg," Cow called to the baby, who was swinging by its tail at the top of Favorite Pear Tree. Thinking there was probably a tasty earthworm or drink of fresh milk, Egg scampered down the tree.

Dragon was thrilled. He held out his arms. Egg ignored him and hopped up into PearBear's lap. "Mama," Egg said.

"Mama!" Dragon exclaimed. "PearBear is not your mama. Your mama is... uh... well she is somewhere. We'll go and look for her."

"Moo," Egg giggled.

Dragon was not pleased. "I certainly thank you all for caring for this beautiful child. I only regret that I couldn't have been here for the hatching. But now it is time to introduce the new baby to its relatives. I think we should probably leave very soon."

The forest folk were very still. No one knew exactly what to say. Spotted Owl was never at a loss for words, and he was very brave considering that Dragon could blow his feathers off again.

"See here, Dragon! You just left Egg without even worrying about it. When it hatched, PearBear would have had to feed and care for it for nearly a year. We all pitched in and took turns seeing that it had plenty of healthy food to make it grow, and a safe place to sleep and play. No one knew for sure whether you would ever return again. We are quite ready to continue to care for it. Egg needs responsible parents, which I might add, you don't appear to be!"

Everyone expected Dragon to be very angry, and perhaps do some awesome magic if he happened to remember any. But he was thinking.

Finally he said, "Well, you could be right. But I think that Egg, since that is what you have named it, should get to know some of our relatives. Egg doesn't even know it is a Dragon! Winter is coming you know, and even we dragons get cold. We could come back in the spring. How would that be?"

Cow frowned, which she hardly ever did. "Will you be able to provide milk?"

"And pears?" said PearBear.

"How about carrots?" Rabbit wanted to know.

"And grain for carbohydrates?" Mouse asked.

"Oh yes," Dragon assured them. "Probably other fruits and vegetables that don't even grow here. Seaweed is very nourishing too. Come along, Egg. We'll visit some cousins."

Egg, always a good natured child, thought it might be fun, and he unfurled his wing and followed Dragon as they whirred off through the forest and out of site. But first he turned and waved at all of them.

"Why, I had no idea that Egg could fly yet!" exclaimed Robin.

"He probably learned a lot of things, cooped up in that egg for 2000 years. That's a long time to think about things," Spotted Owl offered.

"It's lonesome already," said PearBear.

A large tear appeared in Cow's eye. Then she cheered up and said, "We'll have to plan a big welcome home party when Egg comes back!"

By the time the sun went down they had made plans to welcome spring and Egg's return with the biggest party they had ever had.