No longer a Hero!

Are there dragons on Komodo Island?

Yes, there are! Not the fairytale type ones, but huge lizards called the Varanus monitors or Komodo dragons. They are found on four islands of Indonesia- Flores, Komodo, Rinca and Gili Motang. They are the largest lizards on earth and are carnivorous. Though they usually eat insects, rabbits, pigs, deer, snakes, fish and water buffaloes, they can eat humans too! Even if the Monitor lizard bites an animal, it is dangerous, because its saliva contains 50 different types of bacteria that can make the wound septic and kill the animal; even otherwise, it releases a venom that is poisonous for the prey. It senses the presence of possible prey by sticking out its forked tongue, to smell specific scents. The adult lizards are cannibalistic- they eat their babies! So the baby monitor lizards climb trees as soon as they are born, and live there till they are big enough (The adults can’t climb trees).

“…..and the hero killed the cruel dragon with his emerald sword, cut off its forked tongue, tied it up in his red handkerchief, and presented it to the king of the land. The king was so happy that he not only gave a handsome reward, but also gave away the princess in marriage to the brave hero!” finished Grandma Utami, while her twelve year old grandson, Yandi, sat starry eyed before her. His pet dog Kooki sat beside him, with its tongue hanging out and wagging its tail.

“Again!” cried Yandi, “Please Grandma, tell me the story again!”

Grandma Utami laughed. “The same story…How many times will you hear the story, child? Now, let me go, I’ve got work to do.” Saying this, she got up, leaving Yandi to his day dreams. Yandi stretched out on the floor on his front, his legs in the air, and once again leafed through the only book he had. It was a book of folktales of Indonesia, which contained many strange stories and legends of his homeland.

It was his favourite book, and all he ever wanted to do was become a hero like the many heroes he had come across in his book and in his Grandma’s tales. He spent day and night wondering how he could become a hero of his time- surely, there didn’t seem to be any more heroes left in the world who could kill frightful monsters and achieve miraculous victories! There was a good chance that he could become the next great hero the world would know- that was his secret ambition.

“I’ll be a hero too one day, won’t I, Kooki?” said Yandi, and Kooki barked happily in reply.

Nobody knew how obsessed he was about becoming a hero like the ones in the stories, or else they might have told him that such things did not happen in reality. The only people he had ever mentioned his ideas to were his two older brothers, who laughed and laughed till their stomachs ached. They however, didn’t know that the idea was quite firmly stuck in their younger brother’s brain.

And now, Yandi wondered, how could he become a hero? And the idea flashed – he had to find a dragon, and then kill it! He jumped up, in order to put his plan into action. “Come on, Kooki!” he called. With Kooki following him, Yandi went to next person who often told him the stories he liked to hear. That was the old fisherman on the beach. He smiled as Yandi came closer. “Uncle, do you know where I can find a dragon?” Yandi said eagerly.

The old man laughed. Then, conspiratorially, he drew Yandi close and whispered in his ear, “There are no dragons on our island. But I have heard of fishermen seeing a dragon on Komodo Island.” “Has the dragon tried to kill them?” asked Yandi in awe. “Nobody lands their boat on that island”, said the old man, “Once, very long ago, a man tried to kill the dragon, but the dragon bit him. The wound was not very deep; it was just covered in the dragon’s red saliva.

He escaped and came back here. But within a day, he died— so poisonous is the creature’s bite. It is better to leave the dragon alone.”

Yandi, of course, did not mean to leave the dragon alone! But he said no more and went away, leaving the old man to his work. Yandi set about his preparations to go to the island, which was not very far. He filled his little boat with provisions, and a huge knife from the kitchen, and on fine day, set out with his pet dog for Komodo Island. Yandi was excited, that he was finally going to be a hero. As his boat landed on the island, Yandi jumped out and ran forward; quite forgetting that poor Kooki was following him.

For quite some distance Yandi found nothing- neither man nor animal. He wondered if the old man had told him the right place. Was this the island or had he got it wrong? He didn’t have to go much further before he saw it. The “dragon” was a huge, monstrous lizard- nothing like the tiny lizards that lived in his home. This was twice his size, and seemed ten times as heavy as him! Its greyish scaly skin was wrinkled with folds.

It was walking lazily up the path on its four legs, glancing through the way for possible prey. Red saliva dripped from its mouth. It put its tongue out rapidly several times, as if sensing its surroundings— and Yandi saw that it was forked! Yandi was now convinced that this was the dragon Grandma Utami had spoken of. The dragon spotted Yandi, who was now brandishing his knife. It started moving slowly towards him now.

“This dragon seems very slow, not at all like the fire-breathing ones in the stories!” thought Yandi, “It should be much easier to finish this one off!” But before he could do anything, Kooki ran forward, straight towards the dragon! It stood a few paces away from it, barking and growling.

“No Kooki, I will kill it!” called Yandi. But that very second, the dragon sprang at Kooki’s throat with amazing agility, defying its huge weight. Holding the howling Kooki down with its forelegs, it tore off a limb of the dog, and set about eating it whole. “No, don’t hurt my Kooki!” cried Yandi desperately. To his horror, he spotted many more dragons appearing from behind the hillocks and bushes— too many to count!

Each dragon seemed to be eyeing Yandi hungrily. Yandi was frozen with fear. He no longer wanted to be a hero. Kooki was already dead. It wouldn’t be long before the dragons ate him too. He ran for his life, and lost no time in rowing away from Komodo Island.

By:Sneha Verghese