DRAGON'S AGES...

 

Eastern Dragons metamorphosed ,changing as a caterpillar changes to a butterfly,but taking a somewhat longer period of time than a caterpillar to reach full maturity. this process usualy took 4000 years to complete. A mature Dragon would lay its eggs near water, for even though many lived on land thier ancestors were all water creatures.From being layed the egg would take 1000 before it was ready to hatch,the eggs looking like colourful stones.When hatched the Dragon would resemble a water snake and would then take a further 500 years to grow what looked like the head of a carp and was known as Kiao, not dissimilar in name to the prized fish of the Chinese the Koi which is a member of the carp family. Another 1000 years would pass in the reaching of its next stage which would have the Dragon having a fish like body covered in hard scales and four legs with usualy four claws on each foot, an elongated tail and a bearded face. this stage was called Kiao-lung (lung meaning deaf) Over the next 500 years the Dragon would grow horns through which it would be able to hear, this stage was known as Kioh-lung. So the metamorphosis continued on, in the next 1000 years the Dragon would grow wings , this final stage was known as Ying-lung or winged Dragon and would finaly bring the Dragon to full maturity so as to start the process over again.