The Cushioned Castle
When the little dragon snuck through the closing door in search of some warmth, he hadn’t expected to find the softest castle he had ever seen. Immediately prepared to call it home, he explored the padded walls, hooked a gentle claw behind the ribbons tastefully decorating the five towers, and finally nestled into one of the two blue socks which, he thought privately, were a bold architectural choice but created a most welcome shelter all the same.
“What are you doing in here, little one?” a human voice asked in the morning, causing the little dragon to wake up with an undignified snort.
“I have come to claim this fortress,” the dragon informed them, pointedly ignoring how squeaky his own voice sounded.
“I’m afraid I can’t keep it intact very much longer,” the human replied, looking amused but also a little apologetic, “as I’ll probably need to use some of these nappies in a matter of hours, since I wasn’t able to get to the shop.”
“But surely you won’t desecrate such an extraordinary architectural feat!”
“Well, have a sniff yourself,” the human said, gesturing towards the crib behind them.
Scoffing, the dragon flew closer, but he froze in the air as he saw the round-cheeked baby sleeping soundly in the crib. Then and there, he decided he’d protect the child forever, and he’d start by flying to the shop to acquire more nappies. If that, incidentally, prolonged the lifetime of his new castle, well, that would be a happy—and entirely selfless—coincidence.
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[Image description: A nappy cake or diaper cake, the bottom tier held together with a green ribbon. The rolled-up nappies are set up in the shape of a round castle with five towers encircled with green and red ribbons, and with brown roofs. The three tiers of the cake are decorated with salmon and white roses, and two light blue baby socks are the centrepiece on the middle tier. The construction is standing on a silver-coloured tray on a brown table. In the background stands a dresser with some Christmas decorations, a dark wooden cupboard, and a light wooden playpen.]












