Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like

Bret Fetzer’s Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like travels through the fantastical world of puppetry, taking a journey to ancient China where two people who have been cast aside find each other and save the day. Long ago and far away, the orphan boy Han was all alone in the world, all alone except for his pet pig Ping. The only thing poor Han wanted was a place to belong. His job, sweeping the gates of the ancient Chinese city of Wu, wasn’t the kind of future he was looking forward to. On one average afternoon, Han was yelled at by a surly Hermit, tricked out of all his possessions (even Ping!) by a wily Merchant, and ridiculed by the Army Captain. When a Monk came bearing news of the Wild Horsemen on their way to attack Wu, Han rushed him to the palace. This marauding tribe was bent on forcing the entire citizenry to eat beetles and worms. Disgusting! The bumbling Mandarin, ruler of Wu, decreed that all should pray to the Great Cloud Dragon for help. When the Hermit announced that she was, in fact, the Dragon herself, she was met with disbelief and ridicule. The Mandarin didn’t have time for a silly lady’s rantings. Han, always one to be polite, invited the Hermit back to his ramshackle hut to weather the attack. Han gave the Hermit all his meager food and water, which touched her heart. Due to Han’s, and Ping’s, generosity of spirit, the Hermit saved the city from the Wild Horsemen and revealed her true Dragon form. And then Han knew the future he wanted for himself — being a dragon.