‘The Squashbuckler Diaries’ are the daily tales of Joy Shelley’s Life in the Dream. The ‘Lost in Dreams’ books will tell the story of what happens to her at ages 6, 9, 12, 15, and so on. The diaries tell us what happens before, after, and between the books.

#219: Shopping in the Dream

Dragon Father dragged out the box behind the wheel of Bonny’s Revenge. Usually, there was no box there. But whenever Dragon Father and Dragon Little needed to get Dragon Little new clothes, it appeared there. 

The box was wooden, about a meter long, half a meter wide, and half a meter in height. 

Dragon Father sighed. He did not look forward to this.

“All right. So you need a shirt. What kind?”

“I want a blue one.” 

Dragon Father opened the box and pulled out a blue shirt.

“No, not like that.” 

Dragon Father put the shirt back in and pulled out another one. 

“No. Different blue. I want blue.” 

He put it back in and pulled another one. “This kind of blue?” 

“No.”

And another one. “This kind of blue?”

“No. A blue blue!” 

“This kind of blue?” 

“No! Dad, I want blue!” 

Dragon Father closed his eyes, and whispered, “This is going to take all day, isn’t it?” 

He opened his eyes again. “Joy. I need more of an explanation.” 

“Blue… Like the Blue Pirates?”

“Yeah?” They had fought the Blue Pirates a week ago and had put their captain in the Infinite Prison in the belly of Bonny’s Revenge

“You know the captain?”

“Yeah…” 

“I want a shirt like he has.”

“You want to dress like the captain of the Blue Pirates?”

“Yes! He’s so cool!”

“Joy, he’s a pirate!”

I’m a pirate! You’re a pirate!” 

Dragon Father stopped and thought about that for a few seconds. “That’s true, I guess. But he’s a villain! You will not dress like a villain!” 

“I want a shirt like his!” she suddenly screamed at him. 

And thus a morning of shopping began. 

—Told by The Red Dragon

#220: Negotiating with Dad

#218: Rhyming in the Morning