Solutions

I can tell you what actually happened in the story. The Old Man instructs Minli to remove a rock on Dragon’s head – it has been keeping Dragon from flight. She obeys and almost immediately, Dragon can fly. Together, the two fly back to Minli’s village, so she can return to her parents. However, that is far from the end of this intricate tale.

The “rock” that Minli removed from Dragon’s head turns out to be the coveted Dragon Pearl. This brings enormous wealth to Minli’s village which alters her family’s fortune dramatically. In returning to Fruitless Mountain, Dragon also meets his mother, Jade Dragon. Reunited with her son, Jade Dragon transforms Fruitless Mountain into Fruitful Mountain, allowing it to grow again. Because of what seemed like a personal sacrifice in favor of helping a friend, Minli and her family receive all they ever hoped for and more.