Found in a little notebook I have from childhood.  Not dated.

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was a village tucked into some high mountains that were impossible to cross.  The villagers struggled to grow their crops and feed their families, since very little rain fell on the dry soil.

Even worse, a dragon would come every seven years.  Its breath would scorch the crops and burn down trees.  The dragon refused to leave until it was given a young child.  At least, the people said, the dragon didn’t eat the child in front of them–it just waited until the screaming, crying little girl or boy climbed upon its back.  Then, the dragon would fly away.

One year, it was Areana’s turn.  Now, Areana was a very smart little girl.  She knew all about the dragon and was determined not to let it eat her.

Areana knew that protesting against climbing onto the dragon’s back would be of no use, so she hugged her parents, her little brother, and her best friend, and climbed onto the dragon.

The dragon began to fly, higher and higher.  Areana had never been up so high.  It was fun, but scary.  There was no way she could hold onto the dragon’s scales, so she could only hope that the dragon wouldn’t lean to one side or another.

The dragon’s lair was almost at the top of the mountains.  After it had landed, Areana crawled off the dragon.  The dragon’s lair was very stinky and dirty.

The dragon turned around and faced Areana.  The heat of its breath was very hot.  It was stinky, too, so she held her nose.  “What are you going to do with me, Dragon?”

“I am going to eat you.  I love little children!”  The dragon had a voice both evil and terrible.

“Why?”

“Why not?  Don’t you like sweets?”

Areana’s village was so poor, she had only had one sweet in her lifetime.  “I guess.  But lollipops aren’t alive.”

“That’s very true,” the dragon said, thoughtfully–or, at least, as thoughtfully as a dragon can sound.

Areana persisted.  “Lollipops don’t have parents, either.  They don’t have sisters or brothers.  They don’t have best friends.”

“I guess not,” the dragon admitted.

“But I do,” Areana whispered, hopefully.

“Very well, then.  I’ll take you back.”

“Thank you.  But can you please never eat people again?”

“I guess,” the dragon sighed, licking its lips.

And so the dragon took Areana back.  All the villagers were happy to see her again, and even happier when Areana told them the news.

The dragon felt so bad about having eaten little children in the past, he blew storm clouds over the mountains.  More rain fell on the village, so more crops were able to grow.

Everyone lived happily ever after.