Krakow (Poland): Dragon balloons are seen in the night during the 15th annual Dragon Festival, organised by the local ‘Grotesque’ theatre. Krakow is famous for its legend of a dragon that once lived under the Wawel Castle Hill.—AP

KRAKOW: Colorful dragons made from paper, fabric and plastic came from around the world to the Polish city of Krakow for the 15th annual Dragon Festival.

The weekend festival began with an evening show on Saturday on the Vistula river that involved the dragons, laser lights, boats and torches. Sunday was marked by a parade of dragons from about 30 nations down the streets of Krakow, which is also famous for its own legend of a dragon under the Royal Wawel Castle Hill.

In the tale, the king asked the clever shoemaker Dratewka to free Krakow from the ever-hungry dragon that was decimating the herds. Dratewka wrapped some sulfur and tar in a sheep’s skin. When he ate it, the dragon ran to drink from the Vistula, and drank until it burst.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2015

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