Once upon a time, in a faraway land that was strangely flat, there was a dragon named Edwin. Edwin wasn’t the typical fire-breathing, treasure-hoarding dragon. No, he had a secret passion that was quite unusual for his kind: books.
Edwin lived in a cave on the side of a mountain called Whispering Peak, a place known for murmuring its secrets to anyone brave enough to listen. The other dragons thought Edwin was a bit odd, and that says a lot coming from creatures who tend to love drama and shiny jewels. While his fellow dragons argued about the best way to roast a knight, Edwin delighted in poetry and stories.
One night, as Edwin read an old, dusty book titled The Art of Librarianship, something clicked in his mind. Why not become a librarian? It was perfect! He could live surrounded by books, help others discover the joy of reading, and maybe, just maybe, find the legendary Book of the Wise, which was said to contain all the answers to the universe. Well, almost all.
The first step in his grand plan was to find a library that needed a librarian, and he knew exactly where to go: the Great Library of the City of Whispers. The City of Whispers was famous for two things: its intricate water canals and its unmatched library. Edwin packed a few of his favorite books, adjusted his reading glasses (yes, he was a dragon with reading glasses), and flew off towards the city.
The arrival of a dragon in the City of Whispers didn’t go unnoticed. The townspeople were used to seeing all kinds of strange characters, but a dragon with reading glasses and a backpack full of books was new, even for them. Edwin gently landed in front of the Great Library, a building so old and full of stories that it seemed to whisper legends of the past.
As he entered, he was greeted by the head librarian, a small, elderly woman named Mrs. Pages, whose sharp gaze could pierce through the thickest of manuscripts. Edwin, with all the formality of a scholar, introduced himself.
“I am Edwin, the reading dragon, and I wish to apply for the position of librarian.”
Mrs. Pages raised an eyebrow with the skill of someone who had spent a lifetime raising eyebrows at strange proposals.
“A dragon? A librarian?” she said, her eyes scanning Edwin’s scaly figure. “This will be interesting.”
After a conversation (and a demonstration of Edwin’s ability to return books to the highest shelves), Mrs. Pages decided to give him a chance. Soon, Edwin found himself among endless rows of books, organizing them with the precision of a clockmaker and the passion of a poet.
The people of the City of Whispers got used to seeing Edwin at the library. Children gathered around him, fascinated by the stories he told. Edwin didn’t just read them books; he added his own dramatic flair, using different voices and, occasionally, a little light show with his dragon breath.
But not everything was as simple as shelving books and telling stories. One night, as Edwin explored the darker, dustier corners of the library, he came across a door with a giant rusty lock. A worn-out sign above the door read: "For the Brave Only."
With the curiosity typical of a book-loving dragon, Edwin decided to investigate. Using a combination of his claws and some clever thinking, he managed to open the door. Behind it, he found a hidden room full of old, forgotten books. In the center of the room, on a pedestal, lay the legendary Book of the Wise.
With great care, Edwin opened the book and began to read. The pages were filled with wisdom, but also with riddles and puzzles. Edwin spent days uncovering its secrets until he reached the final page. There, written in golden letters, was a single sentence: "True wisdom is not found in books, but in sharing them."
Edwin smiled. He knew what he had to do. From that day on, the Great Library of the City of Whispers became a gathering place for creatures big and small. Edwin organized story times, workshops, and discussions, and the library thrived like never before.
And so, the dragon who wanted to be a librarian found his true purpose. He didn’t just guard the books; he shared the knowledge and joy of reading with everyone who walked through the doors of the Great Library. Because, in the end, wisdom is a treasure that becomes more valuable the more it’s shared.