Projects > Story-of-the-Day > hatch

"Mom, my egg is moving. I think it's going to hatch. Come look!"

"This is exciting, it looks there's already a crack!"

"I can't believe I found it in our garage. I think a big lizard is going to come out."

"You've taken very good care of this egg, Johnny. And you're not far off with it being a big lizard. But we need to talk about that."

"Wait, how do you know what will come out?"

"Well, you didn't just happen to come across this egg in our garage. It was put here because the temperature is just right for it to incubate."

"You know what it is?", Johnny exclaimed.

"Yes, and soon you-"

The egg wiggled violently, and a loud crack reverberated through the garage.

"It's hatching, mom!"

A beak, about the size and color of an orange, now protruded from the egg. The beak slid back inside. Both Johnny and his mom slowly leaned forward, trying to peek into the newly formed hole. Suddenly, the beak broke through and created a new hole. Johnny and his mom jumped back. The egg shell had a large crack all along the top now. The beak moved back in, but this time nobody leaned forward. The beak came through one more time, shattering a third of the shell. A blue head was attached to the beak, along with large orange eyes that carefully looked at the two of them. It was exhausted.

"Mom, it is a lizard!"

"No, Johnny, this is a water dragon."

"Dragon? But those aren't real? I might only be 7 but I know they only live in story books."

"No, Johnny, water dragons are real. They're just hard to see. On their third birthday, a water dragon can choose to take a new form. Most of the ones around now look just like people."

"If that's true, I bet my teacher is a water dragon. She fell asleep once and snored really loud."

"Yes, anybody could be a water dragon. And really they are not so different from the humans around them."

"Well I wouldn't want to live near one. They might eat me."

"Oh, Johnny, I bet you'll change your mind. Now do you want to help me get your baby sister out of this egg?"