The Sprout

The Welsh Flag

Posted by HRHurley from Cardiff - Published on 07/01/2014 at 16:22
2 comments » - Tagged as Creative Writing

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"And the best-scored dragon for this year's fire-breathing test is... Dragon Gwyn!"

As called by the wizard Merlin, Gwyn, as we shall come to know him, strode up to the stone platform.

His head was held high and his chest puffed out with pride. When he got to the platform, he made a speech in the royal language of the Dragon:

"I would like to thank everyone in this hall for my stunning victory. I would like to thank Master Merlin, for helping me to improve my magnificent talents, Dragon Coch and Dragon Gwyrdd for being such good losers," at this, Gwyn's face twisted into a cruel smile, and Coch and Gwyrdd growled, "but most of all, I would like to thank myself, for how amazingly talented I am!"

He then bowed, obviously expecting a deafening round of applause, but instead of this, all he got was a few half-hearted claps from Merlin, and growls from Coch and Gwyrdd, both of which eventually died away into silence. A very awkward silence.

But even so, Gwyn strode off with that cruel, proud smile still on his face.

"Ahem," coughed Merlin. "Now that Dragon Gwyn has finished his... confident, if you will, victory speech, you are all free to leave Ysgol Dragon Bryndraen for the night!"

At this, the three dragons got up slowly and walked out of the grand oak double doors, arguing over who should have won.

"Master Merlin said me, so obviously that was a deserved speech I just made," declared Gwyn.

"The only reason that you got high marks was because you got a direct hit in the dummy's eye and didn't hit it anywhere else!" exclaimed Gwyrdd.

"Oh, yeah, and you nearly burned the whole courtyard down!" argued Gwyn.

"Why, you-"

"Calm yourself, Gwyrdd! Gwyn has been declared highest scorer by Master Merlin! You must not argue!" whispered Coch urgently.

"That's right!" boasted Gwyn. "And if I win the flying test, I shall be Dragon of the Year, and represent Wales by appearing upon the Welsh Flag!" He then slunk into his cave, his horrid smile still stretched across his face.

Coch and Gwyrdd exchanged sighs and then retreated to their caves for the night.

The next morning, the morning of the flying test, Gwyn was up first, practising hard. The second dragon up was Gwyrdd. As she dragged herself past Gwyn, she heard him talking to himself: "Gotta win... gotta win... that flag has my name all over it!"

Gwyrdd rolled her eyes and kept on dragging her lazy bones along.

Many arguments were started between then and the test. So many, in fact, that I shall skip right over them and tell you about the race itself.

There they stood at the starting line. Three dragons, all majestic enough on their own, but all the more so standing there together, their wings spread, prepared for flight. 'Twas a sight so magical, that one could stand there and watch for eternity. But suddenly, there was a flash of green light, and all three dragons took flight, zooming along at such high speeds that all anyone could see was a green, red and white blur.

On and on they flew, all the way around the vast courtyard of Ysgol Dragon Bryndraen.

But all that starts has to stop eventually - and so this race did, very dramatically indeed.

Gwyn was flying so fast, that he couldn't even see where he was going and crashed down to the floor. Gwyrdd was soon zooming past his crumpled figure and speeding past the finish line. As soon as she had landed, she dashed over to Gwyn, asking him if he was okay. Coch was hot on her tail.

"I don't need your help. I'm fine!" growled Gwyn, dragging himself up from the floor.

"And the winner is... Dragon Gwyrdd!"

Gwyrdd did not smile. Nor did she move. She was too busy concentrating on magic to heal Gwyn’s wounds.

A few days later, Coch heard of an “accident” which concerned Gwyrdd’s death. Immediately, he suspected Gwyn and stormed right over to his cave.

“You selfish beast! You killed Gwyrdd just because she won!” roared Coch.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” said Gwyn with a smile on his face that obviously meant that he did.

“I challenge you to a duel, before the Court of Arthur!”

Gwyn was taken aback at this, but almost immediately his slyness returned.

“Fine! Be my guest. But be warned: going face-to-face against me is dangerous business!”

The day of the duel. The two dragons stood inside what modern-day people would call a wrestling ring. Then, the same green light that flashed at the beginning of the flying test, flashed once more, followed by a blinding orange-red flash - dragon fire.

As soon as the smoke from the fire had died away, all members of the court could see Gwyn unhurt and Coch lying on the ground, badly injured. King Arthur was about to declare Gwyn’s winning, but then, suddenly, another green light appeared, but this time, it did not come as a flash from the staff of Merlin. The whole court assumed that it was Coch performing something of the art of Magic, but only Coch and Gwyn saw it for what it truly was - the spirit of Dragon Gwyrdd. The next thing anyone knew was that Gwyn was lying on the floor, still as rock. There was a long silence, before King Arthur declared Coch the winner, and worthy of appearance upon the Flag of Wales.

And that is how the current Welsh Flag came to be.

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