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In researching the tale I came about some information on dragons and Chinese culture which I find interesting. Dragons are viewed as male (yang) while their counterpart the phoenix is female (yin). In the story the male essence is adhered to, by the dragon's interactions with the father and boy but it is the female wisdom that "sees" what is to unfold.
Dragons in Europe were viewed as evil destroyers but not so in China. Dragons there are viewed as potent and powerful with the ability to control water, rainfall, and floods. So just as the dragon does in this tale as he sheds the house with his hood, he controls the rain and the flooding, sparing this house.
The Year of the Dragon comes around every 12 years and it is claimed that those born in the Year of the Dragon enjoy health, wealth and a long life.
I'm still working to locate some other versions of the tale itself and when I do I will do a compare and contrast. There are many dragon tales out there!
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