The Four Dragons

Published: Jan. 15, 2012, 3:57 p.m.

Happy New Year! That's a bit late for American listeners, but it's a little early for Chinese listeners. Because Chinese New Year (aka Lunar New Year) is celebrated this year on Jan. 23 (Year of the Dragon). The exact date varies considerably from year to year (It will be Feb. 10 next year.) because it's based on a different calendar system.

Anyway, the dragons knew when to come visit us, just in time for Dragon Appreciation Day (Jan. 16th) - all four of them, appearing in our Chinese story "The Four Dragons", which we even named after them. Being skittish around dragons because of their more sinister character in Western folklore, we wouldn't dare not name it after them. It's a tale about how four dragons in very ancient times tried to persuade the Jade Emperor (the supreme god of ancient Chinese folklore) to send water to earth because the people were enduring a terrible drought.

We come to you from Myrtle Beach, SC, where we spent a day chasing and battling a dragon at MagiQuest, an interactive electronic fantasy adventure that you just have to see for yourself sometime. There are many different quests and adventures you can go on, collecting (virtual) objects with the aid of your magic wand, which you get to take home with you. It's like helping to create and act in your own fairy tale.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Dennis (Yellow Dragon, Black Dragon, Jade Emperor, Farmer, Earth People) and Kimberly (Narrator, Pearl Dragon, Long Dragon, Earth People, Guard)