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// Dragon Egg Hunting 
// Story: The End of the Beginning 
// by Uncle Knot 
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To my enchanting and resplendent Princess Celestia, in the 137th YR (year of thy reign), my 1,652nd letter

It is amazing to me that over 137 years have passed since we began our correspondence.  I, being in the form of an earth pony, never expected to live this long; perhaps it is my inner nature that has given me long life. 

On another matter, yea did ask me how I introduce myself to new acquaintances; I usually begin by calling myself ‘Uncle Knot’.  Which elicits the response ‘you are not my uncle’, and I agree ‘I am not your uncle, that is why you may call me ‘Uncle Knot’.  When pressed, I give my full name – ‘Sum-po-neigh Knot Yew’.  This usually forces a concession and default to ‘Uncle Knot’.  The term uncle sometimes even encourages a form of endearment or eccentricity, which in turn gives me an ear in some conversations so necessary to my duties and functions.

I have some success to report in finding a dragon egg for Princess Whisperlisp.  My original plan to find the dragon nesting area by following the dragon migration was not successful.  The migration and subsequent events, which include dragons bathing in lava pools is actually part of their mating rituals.  I had some difficulty in observing them, as dragons at this time are especially agitated and prone to prove themselves better than their peers by attacking anything that moves.  This jousting for status they participate in is all part of a ritualized mating dance, while the dips in the lava pools cleanse the scales of parasites and dirt.  

Only after they leave, was I able to follow a mated pair back to a nest.  It seems that (prior to the migration) after the male partner has found a secretive nest area, which he is also well stocked with gemstones, he will lead her to the nest.  There she lays her eggs, and ‘nestle’ them (did I just create a new word?).  The male takes to the air and patrols the area for any dangers.  And dangers do abound, many creatures do willing risk their lives to steal dragon eggs.  Other creatures, I would call changelings, feed upon the love between the mother and her eggs or between the mated pair of dragons.  This is probably the greatest threat to the next generation of dragons, for when the love is gone the dragons forsake each other and the eggs.  With the nest abandoned, other fowl creatures do feast upon the eggs.  I was able to garner an egg before the feeding began.

Still the task was difficult and injurious to my being, for one changeling did seek to steal love from me.  She thought I had love with in to steal, fortunately it was not sufficient to sustain her, and she abandoned me.  My loveless nature makes me an ideal pony to gather dragon eggs and yea be sure to request as many as I can gather per generation.

I postulate that the changelings do provide a useful task to the new dragon hatchlings; they break the baby dragons’ hearts fermenting the growth of wings.  For I am under the impression that young dragons without wings are rejected by their parents and left to fend for themselves, but in truth even new winged dragons are left to their own devices for survival.

I will return to Canterlot shortly and deposit the egg with the magic guild hall for care and safe keeping.  I would recommend that Princess Whisperlisp hatch the egg herself, as I suspect the new hatchling will bond to whoever is present when it hatches.  Did thee also not experience the same with thy hatchling as did thy sister, Nightmare Moon, did with me?  With my deepest kindness, humor, loyalty, trustfulness and generosity, Sumponeigh Knot Yew.