Deep in the heart of the cave, the dragon slept.
Most authorities agree that dragons are creatures of greed. Given opportunity to indulge its acquisitiveness, a dragon will hoard and grow larger. The larger the hoard, the larger the dragon, and of course, vice versa. All other emotions, all love, all friendship will fall prey to natural overwhelming avarice, until the dragon crouches on his mountain of gems---gems he can no longer spend, give away, or truly enjoy---eternally rapacious, and eternally alone. Or as the noted dragonologist Cloudy Clocks the Optimist put it:
Take heed not to awaken sleeping dragons, for they are never in a good mood, and especially do not ask them for a gift for the university. Also, butter is not good for a burn.
Greed is the primary emotion of the dragon, say these authorities, and only greed warps the draconic heart and causes the dragon’s body to grow.
These authorities are all, of course, completely wrong.
There is more than one way to warp a dragon’s heart. Neglect, bitterness, grief, and above all, anger, can twist the soul and turn a potential monster into the thing itself.
The dragon slept on, but even in its sleep, it felt hungry.
And it was beginning to feel very angry about it.
