But as you already know, some of us aren’t very good at waiting.

‘Maybe we should pick them, like apples,’ Ted suggested, prodding a low-hanging fruit. ‘Perhaps the dragons only hatch when they come off the tree.’

‘They have to fall off,’ Kat said. ‘You can’t pull them off before they’re ready.’

‘Why not?’ Ted asked. ‘They look ripe.’

‘Tomas, tell him,’ Kat urged.

‘OK, what did you do, Tomas?’ Ted asked.

‘Flicker’s fruit just came off in my hand,’ I said, remembering how I’d held it and gently lifted it aside, out of the way of the others. Kat was frowning at me, while Ted gave me a knowing look. They obviously didn’t believe me when I said it had just dropped off.

I was sure I hadn’t pulled it off though – at least I hoped I hadn’t. I looked at Flicker, who was still almost as tiny as the day I found him, and suddenly wondered if he had hatched too soon. What if he wasn’t growing properly – because of me? Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

Kat cupped her hands gently around one of the fruit.

‘This one feels too hard to be ripe. I think we should leave them,’ she said. ‘Until they’re ready. We can come back tomorrow.’

‘And hope they don’t drop off, hatch and fly away in the meantime, you mean?’ said Kai crossly.

‘If that’s what it means, yes,’ Kat said sternly.

I could tell the twins were about to lock horns. I kept my eyes on the dragon fruit in Kat’s hands.

‘Wait, Kat. Look,’ I said. ‘It’s glowing.’

And not only that, the fruit was no longer attached to the tree.

‘I didn’t pull it off!’ Kat cried immediately.

But before any of us could reply, the fruit started to bulge. A minute later, with a loud POP, the thing exploded. We stood open-mouthed, splattered by a spray of fruity pulp. And there on the ground was a tiny purple dragon, covered in sticky seedy goo.

Kat let out an excited squeak as the dragon stretched its neck and raised its long elegant head, sniffing the air. When it opened its wings we could see shades of purple lightening into a beautiful electric blue. The patterns swirled like the tie dye T-shirts we had made in art. This dragon had fewer spines than Flicker, but under its jaw were spikes, hanging down like icicles. Quick as a flash Kat gathered it up in her hands, delighted.

As she scraped the sticky pulp off her dragon’s wings Ted and Kai started reaching out to the other fruit left on the tree, feeling each one in turn.

‘Careful,’ I cried. ‘Just be careful.’

At first nothing happened; none of the fruits did anything. But then one of the ones Kai was holding flickered and began to glow. Kai’s hand sagged as the weight of it fell into his palm.

And then, POP.

Another dragon shot out. This one was a vivid greeny blue with scales that glistened like the sea on a really hot day.

‘Look at its wings,’ Kat whispered. ‘They look like peacock feathers.’

And she was right. Although not actually feathers, the detail on the wings formed a feather design, and there were shapes like yellow and blue eyes leading to the outer edge, just like on a peacock.

Ted’s eyes stayed fixed on the tree as if he was looking for the one perfect fruit. He reached up to squeeze a few of the redder ones.

‘Ow,’ he yelled, drawing his hand out fast. ‘Rotten tree, bit me.’

I laughed. ‘It’s got some fierce thorns on it.’

He sucked at the scratch, but since he had a mouthful of marshmallow his hand came away covered in pink stickiness. Undeterred, he thrust his hand back in. It brushed one of the fruits and he stifled a yell of excitement as the fruit suddenly shone, as if his touch had turned it to gold. Carefully he cradled it in his hands, holding his breath. And then, just like the others, almost as if it had chosen his hand to fall into, the fruit let go of the tree.

Immediately it started to swell up, the red skin stretching under the pressure of the creature wriggling inside, fighting its way out. And then it burst, sending a spray of pulp all over Ted. But he didn’t look as if he minded one bit, as he held up a slender yellow dragon. The shine from its golden scales made his hands glow brightly. He stared at it, his mouth hanging open. Not to get all poetic or anything, but if you’d been able to hold a bit of the sun, that’s what I imagine it’d be like. Only without the hand-melting heat of course!

Standing there, holding our dragons, we looked at each other with stupid grins plastered over our faces. I had to admit it was going to be pretty cool to all have dragons!