Once upon a time in a village in China, there lived a little girl named Mei. Mei loved the time of the year when her village was decorated with red lanterns and colorful banners. It was almost the New Year, and Mei felt something magical was in the air. Her grandmother told her stories about a big and scary dragon named Nian. Nian would come to the village every year, and the villagers would have to scare him away.
“Why does Nian come to the village, Grandma?” Mei asked.
“He likes to frighten people,” said Grandma, “but don’t worry, we know how to keep him away.''