For months our Chief of Police Shawn Langseth had been plotting and planning the capture of the dragons. The Chief analyzed mountains of evidence and clues. He began to anticipate scenarios in which the dragons might find themselves. But most importantly, our good Chief never, ever gave up.
As for the dragons? They woefully underestimated Adrian’s Chief of Police.
To capture a dragon, one must think like a dragon. And when there are four dragons to capture? That is four times the thinking. With that much thinking going on, our Chief could not fail!
Chief Langseth put it all together:
1) the dragons enjoyed playing tricks;
2) the dragons enjoyed playing games;
3) the dragons enjoyed adventures;
4) the dragons enjoyed hiding; and, not surprisingly:
5) the dragons REALLY enjoyed candy.
Keeping all of this in mind, Chief Langseth realized that there was one day in the year in which those dragons would be in their element: Halloween!
1) the dragons enjoyed playing tricks;
2) the dragons enjoyed playing games;
3) the dragons enjoyed adventures;
4) the dragons enjoyed hiding; and, not surprisingly:
5) the dragons REALLY enjoyed candy.
Keeping all of this in mind, Chief Langseth realized that there was one day in the year in which those dragons would be in their element: Halloween!
On Halloween night, as the children in the town were going door-to-door trick-or treating, our Chief of Police was setting a trap in the Adrian Branch Library. Earlier in the day, he had convinced Librarian Meredith Vaselaar to set out a bowl of candy in honor of the day. Word spread quickly that there were free treats to be had in the Library. It was a gamble that the dragons would hear about the treats, but it was a risk the Chief was willing to take.
As nightfall descended upon the village, the Chief cleverly hid in the Library. Shortly before midnight, Chief of Police Langseth heard a rustling outside of the building. Soon, the faint creak of the bookdrop door was heard. There were whispers and giggling as four tiny dragons slid almost-silently down the book chute.
Alas! Those dragons were NOT expecting to land in the net that Chief Langseth held at the end of the book chute! Four dragons landed – kerplunk! – into the green net held firmly by the Chief.
Caught! Trapped!! Captured!!!
The dragons knew they had met their match! They said nary a word as they were placed in the Library castle dungeon. They knew they had been captured, fair-and-square, and that they had to buck-up for whatever restitution would need to be made.
For the moment, those four dragons remain incarcerated. Will their punishment fit their crimes? Or, will they earn leniency due to their lack of stature and their total non-lack of extreme cuteness?
It will be up to the judge to decide their fate.
In the meantime, all is back in order and the residents of Adrian can rest easy, knowing that the days of dragon-mayhem have ended.
Thank you, Chief Langseth!
(P.S. Could not resist paying homage to "The Shawshank Redemption." Can you spot it?)
