‘Every Christmas Eve in the little village of Dorta where I grew up, high in the mountains of Switzerland, we have a carnival like no other. We call in ‘Drumming the Mountain Dragon’. ” (4) The carnival beginnings with the retelling of the story of Mimi and the Mountain Dragon around a bonfire in the center of town.

Hundreds of years ago, the towns folk of Dorta would try to frighten the Mountain Dragon every Christmas Eve in hopes she’d leave the town alone for another year. Then one year, 1314, little Mimi found a baby dragon in her family’s wood shed. Not wanting the baby dragon to be killed Mimi decided she would take the baby back up the mountain to its mother on Christmas Eve while the entire town would be in church. No one would try to stop Mimi at that time.

When Mother Mountain Dragon first saw Mimi with Baby Dragon she was angry. Then Baby Dragon flew to her and Mimi was no longer a threat. Mountain Dragon was thankful for the return of her baby. ” Why it should have happened that the mountain above the castle began at that particular moment to shed itself of its winter snows, none will ever know. But it did. And as Mimi could clearly see, it was not the Mountain Dragon roaring and raging that set the avalanche tumbling and rumbling down the mountainside.” (38) Mountain Dragon flew down to Dorta with baby and Mimi on her shoulders. Mountain Dragon saved all the towns people who were still in the church, now buried in snow, by melting the snow with her deep blast of fiery breath.

“And from that day to this, with the Mountain Dragon, and the little dragon, looking out for us and protecting us, we have never once had an avalanche anywhere near the village, nor a forest fire, and no one ever since has disappeared in the mountains.”   (45) They retelling of the story is done. The village people leave the bonfire and go home, knowing they are safe for another year.