A dragon approached me in a dream one night and I politely stepped aside. He sidestepped too and blocked the way then looking down, he smiled. "Good day to thee," the dragon said, as I forced a shaky smile. Before I could speak he continued with, "Tell me thy heart's desire." "I have but one desire," I said, "as I am pressed for time this day; to pass you by, unharmed and whole and continue on my way." "Thy passage for a riddle," the dragon said as he puffed a ring of smoke. "Solve the riddle and go thy way or I claim as mine thy soul." "This riddle of yours, how does it go?" Impatience had me ask. "'Tis not my riddle," he said, "but thine, now set thy mind to task." The dragon sighed, then said, "Many of them stand around pointing here and there. Some offend and some do not They have no thought or care. They offend the careless and the innocent and will offend a drunkard's hand. In a circle they stand with bloody spears to disgrace a blameless man." "Who or what," the dragon asked, "are 'they'?" I tried to think but knew inside that I couldn't solve it then. I finally confessed that I did not know and the dragon slowly grinned. "Say the words," the dragon hissed; I repeated them without fault. I felt the words burn into my brain and felt some terrible loss. The next few years were a descent into hell as I wandered here and there. The words consumed my life, my mind and I wrote them everywhere. One night with my starving body near death I wrote the words again on the concrete pillar of an overpass then spoke them in my dreams. Next day I looked in disbelief for the words were written twice; once last night, once long ago on some other mindless night. Years perhaps had passed since then and the familiar words were faint. Fainter still, penciled arrows led around the pillar, past words insane. As my ragged shoes scuffed trash aside, my dirty fingertips caressed each hopeful arrow as they wound around until at last, they stopped. I read: I once was troubled by dragons and such as it appears you are, my friend, and although my riddle was different by far I nevertheless did win! I roamed this land as you do now until I happened upon a clue that someone had written beside my words as I write these now for you. You will never solve the riddle without God's help. God? I can hear you ask! Do as I did and read His Word from beginning to the last. I thought of a book from my former life that remained unopened until then. I dug it out of my filthy bag and through tears my reading began... The dragon returned in a dream one night and said "Thy time is nigh." "The answer to the riddle I require of thee soon or else thee surely will die." I woke in a sweat and paced the floor for the answer I had yet to see. Then I read my Bible and prayed until dawn and finally returned to sleep...... I dreamt of two soldiers at a shameful task as they sat upon the ground. One said something, the other laughed As they wove a hateful crown. Then I saw the crown upon His head the bloody points askew...... I woke with a shout and gave thanks to God because finally and at last, I knew! I cried for joy as I left that day and I feared the dragon no more. After dreaming of dragons I had dreamt again of my Savior's crown of......thorns.