Bill Komodo Dragon snoozed in the hot, steaming sun. The rainforest had been unbearable for three days and Bill Komodo Dragon, like most animals, slept because doing anything took too much energy. It wasn't long, as the sun bore down, for a dream to form in his mind.

 Water, cool water, was pouring into a big vat. It splashed and sprinkled with cool drops as the vat filled to the top. The water swayed and rippled as it edged itself up the side. Bill Komodo Dragon smiled as he visualized himself swimming in that coolness.

 Something else was pouring into that coolness and Bill Komodo Dragon could see the word Javex on the side of the container, but he didn't know what that meant. Then soap powder poured into the water in a stream and Bill Komodo Dragon sighed as he visualized a bubble bath. Glorious bubbles that he could scoop up in his hands, blow into the air and pile on his head. A smile covered the sleeping komodo dragon's mouth, as he pictured himself lying in that water on his back as bubbles popped around his ears.

 Then the dream took a turn as Bill Komodo Dragon saw a unicorn peering over the side of the vat dumping a big pile of white clothes on to him. The shirts pushed him down into the water and Bill Komodo Dragon's legs paddled frantically to the surface. Everywhere were white shirts! There were white shirts with short sleeves and white shirts with long sleeves. All white except for a dark red sock that had tried to escape from the dark clothes and ended up tangled in a sleeve. The dark sock hit the water with the Javex in it and colour ran through the shirts. Colour ran through the short sleeves and the long sleeves, colour ran into the white.

 Bill Komodo Dragon saw the unicorn peering over the edge again and horror crossed the unicorn's face. His white shirts were now various shades of pink and the only white thing was the face of the unicorn.

 "My white shirts!" gasped the unicorn. "How can I go to work at the restaurant in a pink shirt?"

 Suddenly the dream changed to a crowded restaurant and Bill Komodo Dragon and the unicorn were serving customers. They carried trays of drinks in many colours adorned with cherries, lemon and lime wedges, olives and onions. The komodo dragon and unicorn wore pink shirts while the waiters and the customers pointed and snickered.

 A gorilla jumped up and down seeing the pink shirts. "I must have pink shirts!" he gushed as he tore off his white one and gave it to the unicorn and took another white shirt from his briefcase for Bill Komodo Dragon. The owner rushed from the kitchen to fall into a faint, at waiters changing shirts in the middle of the restaurant. The unicorn quickly grabbed a glass of water and threw it at the owner. Water, cool water, pouring down as Bill Komodo Dragon awoke to the steady fall of rain on his face.

 Question about the story: What did the unicorn do when he saw the pink shirts?

 Send answers to Storytime, c/o Verna Dunlop, RR#1 Moser River, NS B0J 2Ko. Prizes will be sent to those sending in the answer.

posted on 07/19/11