Stories for Odin: where the dragons of Brisbane came from

These are stories I make up for Odin as he falls asleep. Usually he asks for specific features (eg "something I've never, ever, ever, ever heard before" or "the one where butterflies turn into dragons, but only with me and Dada"). I take it from there.

 

Kid version

One day a butterfly flew down from the mountain. We had spilled some peanut butter and honey on our picnic table. The butterfly ate some. Then something started to happen! The butterfly got bigger - like a lot bigger! Its wings grew and spread out and its body did too. Soon there was no butterfly anymore but a huge dragon. Its wings beat down and it went WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH when it started to fly up. 

The dragon looked down at you Odin with eyes that look like outer space. It said "Hello Odin. My name is Pomba." You two became good friends.

Non-kid version

The Mission Blue butterfly is native to San Bruno mountain. Near the peak of the mountain lives a very large family of these butterflies, feeding on lupins and sunflowers.  Sometimes, when the east bay is hot enough, huge bodies of air are drawn over the mountain. These bring with them the marine layer we see brushed over the top of the mountain from Brisbane. When enough air gets pushed over the mountain, we feel it as strong winds.

One day, winds brought a butterfly down to our back yard. It was confused and hungry. We had left some peanut butter and honey in our back patio. He licked both, as much as he could.

It turns out that peanut butter and honey cause butterflies to change. The butterfly's wings grew larger. His blue color faded to green and grey and brown, and his wings thickened. Bones like fingers grew through the new membranes .

We were sitting on the steps while this happened, amazed and alarmed. This butterfly grew huge! Its mass began to crack the picnic table, so it began to move its new wings (carefully at first). WHOOSH. WHOOSH. WHOOSH. Air flew past us while the massive body lifted slowly up to land on the roof.

Now with a long neck, a small dinosaur head and thick leathered wings, we realized that our butterfly had become a dragon.  His head craned down to look at us. You taught him to say "hello." He liked it when you pet him and purred like a very loud kitten.

You named him Pom Pom, but his nickname became Pomba. You became very good friends, bonding especially over piles of noodles left steaming on a Clement Street rooftop for area dragons. 

Only much later did we realize that Pomba's eyes were full of stars.