Egg Rolls

Chapter 35: Dragon Ideas

Turns out the wise women had a lot to say. They made their bread and butter helping women and dragons have babies. It was an interesting experience for Svend and Mirabel to see the same set up and discussion happen with dragons and with humans. Apparently, many women and dragons had difficulty conceiving, they just didn’t parry the news around the villages, coming instead directly to these sources of help, for better or worse. Mirabel was shocked to discover her own mother had actually had difficulties with a couple of her pregnancies and had gone to the neighboring village to seek advice. 

The wise woman of the human village did, in fact, have much to say in regards to trying to conceive a child. She started with the usual, counting the days of the month, making sure you are fertile, eating healthy and taking brisk walks, nothing too strenuous for your body, just getting the blood flowing. She also told Mirabel, while casting a shrewd eye at Svend, to make sure your husband does not have smelly feet or your child will have smelly feet his or her whole life! Some things Mirabel scoffed at silently, but she did feel that the honey with cinnamon would be a good thing to try. At the very least, it would be tasty. Maybe she could make some new honey and cinnamon teas or recipes to try. As her mind wandered over culinary possibilities she abruptly heard Svend scoff aloud and quickly tuned back into the conversation, just in time to hear this final nugget of wisdom, “Don’t eat a hare’s head or your child will have a split lip when they are born!” 

Mirabel understood Svend’s scoff. They snacked on many a hare in their dragon form. It was a game to them to see who could catch the most rabbits, for they were quick and wily and challenging for a big dragon to snag.  They thanked the women and went on their way. 

The next day they traveled back to the dragon community to see what their wise dragon woman would have to say. Her advice was more focused on the mental affirmation of welcoming pregnancy into your life. Mirabel thought she couldn’t get any more welcome in her thoughts but apparently she was lacking. 

The wise dragon said, “You need to teach and train your body to hold an egg within it. It is difficult for the human body to accept the egg, especially when you were not born from an egg yourself. You need to eat as many things as you can that contain a filling that is different from its exterior. For example, a roll with meat stuffed inside, or a roasted apple with nuts in the middle. You get the idea, always show your body that the joining of two things is good and an outcome we want and embrace. That way, when your body is confronted with an egg, it will see it as good and something to nurture, rather than eject.”

Well, that sounded silly, but honestly, what did she have to lose? Mirabel decided to try all the things, just in case something would help. She had never before thought herself a superstitious woman, but she would embrace any help, even from the most unlikely of sources. That night for dinner, she made egg rolls, and in order to follow the dragon’s advice the inside was completely different from the thin wonton wrapper! These are the egg rolls that she made.*