Once upon a time there was a painter who, on one of his journeys, got so lost that he ended up approaching a dragon’s lair. As soon as the dragon clapped eyes on the painter he roared ferociously at him for disturbing him in his cave.

-“No one who dares enter this place leaves alive!”

The painter excused himself and tried to explain that he was lost. He assured the dragon that he would leave without bothering him any more, but the dragon was still determined to flatten him.

-“Listen, dragon. You have no reason to kill me, I can even be of help to you.”

-“What nonsense you speak, dwarf ! How could you possibly help me? You, who are so weak and tiny! Do you know how to do anything at all? I’m a bit surprised you even know how to breathe! Ha ha haaa!”

-“Well, I’m a great painter. I can see that your scales have faded a bit, and, certainly, with just a lick of paint I could help you to be much scarier and combine that with a much more modern look…”

The dragon thought for a while, and soon decided to spare the painter’s life on the condition that he would become his slave and paint and decorate him to his taste.

The painter did as was requested, giving the dragon an incredible appearance. The dragon liked it so much that he often asked the painter to make some new changes and retouch his work. Over time, the dragon began to treat him better, almost like a friend. However, as much as the painter asked him, the dragon wasn’t prepared to let him go free, and he took the painter everywhere with him.

During one of these journeys the painter and the dragon arrived at a great mountain. They were making their way around it when they realised the mountain was moving… and it began to roar with such a noise that left the dragon half dead with fear. In reality, that mountain was a giant titan who felt so angry and offended at the dragon’s presence that he assured the dragon he wouldn’t rest until he had flattened him.

The dragon, frightened by the titan’s size, apologised and tried to explain that he had arrived there by mistake. But the titan was determined to destroy the dragon.

-“But listen, great titan, I’m a dragon and I can be very useful to you,”

said the dragon.

-”You? Little dwarf dragon? Help me? You know how to do anything of use? Ha ha haaaa!”

-”I’m a dragon, and I shoot fire from my mouth. I could roast your food and heat your bed before bedtime..."

The titan, just as the dragon had done, accepted the proposal, and made the dragon his slave, treating him as though he was a match or a lighter. One night, when the titan was asleep, the dragon looked sadly and shamefully at the painter.

-“Now that it’s happened to me, I’ve realised what I did to you… Forgive me, I shouldn’t have abused my strength and my size.”

And breaking the painter’s chains, the dragon added:

-“Run! Escape! The titan is asleep and you are so small he can’t even see you.”

The painter felt happy at having been set free, but seeing the dragon, for whom he had felt much affection, and who had understood the injustice of his actions, he stayed close by, trying to think of a plan to liberate the dragon.

The next morning, when the titan awoke, he found the dragon lying at his side, dead, with his head cut off. The titan roared and roared and roared, furiously, thinking that this had been the work of his cousin, the most evil titan he knew of. The titan quickly moved off to find him so he could break his head into a thousand pieces.

When the titan had gone, the painter woke the dragon who was still sleeping quietly in the same spot. On waking, the dragon found the other dragon with its head cut off, which turned out to be nothing but some rocks that the little artist had painted to look like a dead dragon. And, looking at himself, the dragon could see that he was hardly visible, as while he was sleeping the painter had made his scales look like a green meadow.

Both fled as fast as they could, and the dragon, grateful for having been saved, promised his friend, the painter, that never again would he use his strength and size to abuse anyone. Instead, he would always use them to help those who most needed it.