Plot Summary
In the final chapter of My Father's Dragon, Elmer Elevator reaches the climax of his daring rescue mission on Wild Island. As he crosses the backs of the crocodile bridge he has created with pink lollipops, the island's animals discover his trick. Led by two furious wild boars, seven tigers, a rhinoceros, two lions, a gorilla, and countless screeching monkeys stampede toward the riverbank, screaming that there is an invasion after their dragon. Elmer barely makes it across to the other side, leaping onto the far bank just as the first wild boar jumps onto the crocodile bridge behind him.
The baby dragon, realizing he is about to be rescued, bursts from the bushes in wild excitement, begging Elmer to hurry. Elmer pulls out his sharp jackknife and begins sawing through the thick rope that holds the dragon captive. The tension mounts as the entire mob of animals starts crossing the crocodile bridge while Elmer desperately cuts. Just when it seems the animals will reach them, the first crocodile—having finished his lollipop and being naturally moody and unreliable—swims away from the bank, pulling the entire chain of crocodiles downstream. The pursuing animals find themselves stranded on the backs of crocodiles floating down the river, getting their feet wet and screaming helplessly.
Character Development
Elmer demonstrates remarkable composure under pressure, telling the panicking dragon to "steady, old boy" and stand still while he works. His calm problem-solving contrasts with the dragon's frantic excitement, showing the maturity and courage that have carried him through every obstacle on Wild Island. The baby dragon, once freed, reveals his joyful, childlike personality—racing in circles, attempting somersaults, and becoming "the most excited baby dragon that ever lived." Their instant bond is cemented by shared laughter at the ridiculous sight of the animals floating away.
Themes and Motifs
The chapter brings the book's central themes to a satisfying conclusion. Cleverness triumphs over brute force as Elmer's simple tools—a jackknife and lollipops—defeat an entire island of dangerous animals. The theme of freedom resonates powerfully as the dragon is liberated from captivity, and both characters resolve never to return to Wild Island. The motif of unlikely friendship is fulfilled as Elmer and the dragon fly off together toward Tangerina, beginning a new adventure born from compassion and courage.
Literary Devices
Gannett employs dramatic irony and comic reversal as the crocodiles—meant to serve as the animals' bridge—become the very mechanism of their defeat by swimming away with the pursuers stranded on their backs. The repeated, rhythmic cataloguing of animals ("both boars, all seven tigers, the two lions, the rhinoceros, and the gorilla, along with the countless screeching monkeys") creates a humorous, cumulative effect that heightens both tension and comedy. The frame narrative voice ("my father") provides warm distance, and the garbled speech of the cat on Ocean Rocks ("Bum cack! We dreed our nagon!") adds a final comic touch. The soaring final image of the dragon flying above the jungle functions as both literal escape and symbolic triumph of imagination and kindness.