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pluralstories"dragons may be make believe -- that doesn't make them fake."
Blurb: A children's song about a young boy and his imaginary dragon friend.
Why is it worth your time?: I mean, if you want a sad song about the abandonment of childhood wonder and dreams, there's the original. If you want the happy ending, you can read Spider Robinson's 3rd verse addendum!
Plural Tags: abuse not mentioned, otherworld, imaginary friends, nonhumans [dragon], friendship
Content Warnings: loss of childhood innocence and wonder
Access Notes: This is a very well-known song and easy to find lyrics and recordings of. It's also on archive.org! Spider Robinson's verse is also freely available online, because the fanzine he put it in (Niekas #30, from 1981) got digitized a while ago. If you are TRULY deadset on owning Robinson's verse on paper with an illustration, it was also printed in Fifty Extremely SF* Stories, edited by Michael Bastraw.
Misc Notes: Since Robinson's verse is so short, I just copy-pasted it into the comments below, because it seems like the kind of ephemera that might disappear. I know he's performed it live, but I haven't found any recordings, sorry!
Blurb: A children's song about a young boy and his imaginary dragon friend.
Why is it worth your time?: I mean, if you want a sad song about the abandonment of childhood wonder and dreams, there's the original. If you want the happy ending, you can read Spider Robinson's 3rd verse addendum!
Plural Tags: abuse not mentioned, otherworld, imaginary friends, nonhumans [dragon], friendship
Content Warnings: loss of childhood innocence and wonder
Access Notes: This is a very well-known song and easy to find lyrics and recordings of. It's also on archive.org! Spider Robinson's verse is also freely available online, because the fanzine he put it in (Niekas #30, from 1981) got digitized a while ago. If you are TRULY deadset on owning Robinson's verse on paper with an illustration, it was also printed in Fifty Extremely SF* Stories, edited by Michael Bastraw.
Misc Notes: Since Robinson's verse is so short, I just copy-pasted it into the comments below, because it seems like the kind of ephemera that might disappear. I know he's performed it live, but I haven't found any recordings, sorry!
Tags:
- 1+:abuse:not mentioned,
- 1+:otherworld,
- 1+:people:imaginary friends,
- 1+:people:nonhumans,
- 1+:relationships:friendship,
- access:audio/dubbing,
- access:backed up,
- access:bootleg,
- access:online,
- access:screenreadable,
- audience:everyone,
- audience:kids,
- genre:fantasy/supernatural,
- length:short,
- medium:audio,
- price:free,
- time:1960s,
- time:1980s
The Spider Robinson verse
Date: 2024-05-18 12:12 am (UTC)by Spider Robinson
But even when you're bigger, part of you stays small
Distant days of childhood aren't really gone at all
and Puff the Magic Dragon, just when he might have died,
Heard a sound and looked around and Jack was by his side.
"I'm sorry that I left you, Puff--that was a mistake;
dragons may be make believe--that doesn't make them fake."
He bent over his old Friend, [sic] kissed him on the snout,
The dying dragon gave a roar; jumped up and flew about!
Full citation: Robinson, Spider. "The Missing Third Verse to 'Puff the Magic Dragon," Niekas: Science Fiction and Fantasy: "The Too-Long Fanzine" 30 (1981): 32.