The Dragon with Red Eyes

A Delightful Book

In 2000 Sweden released, what I think, is a delightful set of Year of the Dragon stamps. The dragon in this set comes from the children's book "The Dragon with Red Eyes" by Astrid Lindgren. The images actually inspired a character in one of my books, so it's a favourite! The set of three stamps was released in booklet form with the vertical margins imperforate.

  
   I recently picked up the book The Dragon with Red Eyes. It is a charming little story about two farm children who one morning go outside to tend the pigs. They discover one of the pigs has had piglets. To their shock, they also find that the pig has somehow given birth to a baby dragon! A dragon with glowing red eyes. Over the next few weeks they discover the dragon is quite mischievous. In the first stamp the little dragon is prancing about having all kinds of fun...

   Through the story we discover that the baby dragon loves to eat candle wicks. For being good, the children give him a whole basket full of wicks to munch on...

   But the dragon is very sad. Then one day while outside, the dragon suddenly takes off and flies away. He is the happiest he's ever been... 

  The End...