*#1 in Kidlit
Morton's family is not "normal."
Everybody has a pet but them.
When Morton's moms finally get him a pet, he finds himself mortified to be stuck with...
...a dragon!
Dragons are not "normal!"
Morton worries what his neighbors and fri...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Morton's family was not "normal." Everybody had a pet but them.
He begged for a dog - "They shed too much," said Mama. He pleaded for a cat - "You're allergic," said Mommy. He saved up his allowance for three months to pay for a rabbit - "They poop everywhere," said his moms.
No matter the animal, the answer was always, no.
For his fifth birthday, Morton's moms told him they were getting him a very special present.
"Is it a dog?" he asked. "You'll see," said Mama. "Is it a cat?" he squealed. "No spoilers," said Mommy.
He dreamed of what it might be.
But when his birthday finally came, his present wasn't a dog... it wasn't a cat... and it wasn't a rabbit...
His present was...a DRAGON.
"SURPRISE!" yelled his moms.
Morton was disappointed.
"A DRAGON?!" He cried. "Nobody else has a dragon!"
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"It doesn't shed," said Mama. "You're not allergic," said Mommy. "And, Dragons can be potty trained," they said.
Morton was mortified. A dragon was not "normal."
He didn't want to take the dragon on walks - "What will the neighbors think?" He pretended he wasn't with them at the butcher - "No, it's not my dragon." He especially didn't want his friends to find out - "How about we play at your house instead?"
One day his friend Pricilla's pet cat climbed too high in a tree and couldn't get down. They called for their parents, but their parents couldn't climb so high. They called the fire department, but the ladder was too short. "I want my kitty!" cried Pricilla.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Morton had an idea.
The whole neighborhood was standing around arguing about what to do when a huge shadow flew over them. It was Morton and his dragon! Morton guided the dragon next to the branch where Pricilla's cat was stuck, gently picked up the scared pet. Everyone cheered as they landed.
"KITTY!" Pricilla gathered her pet into her arms, "Thank you, Morton, you saved her."
"You're...ahh..ahh..AHH CHOOOO! Welcome," he sneezed, brushing the cat fur off his shirt. "But the real hero is my dragon."
Suddenly all his friends began asking their parents for dragons. Morton hugged his dragon.
"I guess having a dragon is pretty cool," he told his moms that night. "Even if he does take up most of the bed."
Morton's family was not "normal." They had the coolest pet ever.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
